SparkLayer launches 3 powerful updates to further streamline the B2B self-service experience

Introduction

Core to our mission at SparkLayer is providing the tools to make the B2B eCommerce experience as efficient and streamlined as possible. With our ready-made B2B-optimised frontend, brands can already rapidly enable SparkLayer on their existing website and give their B2B customers a great self-service ordering experience.

To further improve this self-service experience, we’re pleased to unveil three new features that each align with our commitment to streamline B2B ordering:

1. Attaching invoices to a B2B order
2. My account “custom fields”
3. Checkout address book management

Let’s dive in and tell you more!

1. Attaching invoices to a B2B order

One of the most requested features we see is to allow B2B customers to easily view and download their invoices right from their My Account area. This brings a range of benefits such as allowing customers to get full visibility of their order details (e.g. to share with their accounts team), prevents a potentially time-consuming process of having to manually send invoices, and generally improves the customer experience.

With our latest update, you can attach invoice files to any B2B order. As soon as payment for an order is complete and the invoice has been uploaded, the associated invoice will be accessible for customers to download straight from their My Account order history. Leveraging Shopify's metafield system, this process can even be automated or carried out in bulk from your backend system (such as ERP or CRM), significantly easing your financial management. Learn more about how this works.

2. My account “custom fields”

Last year, we released a feature called custom checkout fields that allowed the SparkLayer checkout process to be enhanced with additional fields that were important to capture (e.g. shipping date, shipping information). We’ve now released the same concept for the My Account area, allowing you to extend the information B2B customers see when they sign in

Perhaps you need to display the customer’s sales agent details, their special payment notes, or include technical data that’s relevant to them. It's now easy to set this up and customise it in the way you want! Learn more about how it works.

3. Checkout address book management

A streamlined checkout process is vital to maintaining a high-quality user experience and we’ve made a big improvement in one of our most requested features! Previously customers had to manage their addresses through their My Account area; with our latest update, B2B customers can now effortlessly add shipping addresses during the checkout flow.

This not only simplifies the ordering process but also offers flexibility for scenarios such as drop shipping, for sales agents who need to manage addresses more efficiently, and even for customers who just want to use a ‘one-time’ address during the checkout process. Learn more about how it works.

Round Up

Our latest collection of enhancements to our self-service frontend are all geared towards providing an even more optimised B2B eCommerce experience for customers. Throughout the year, we’ll be releasing a range of new features and improvements that will continue to make it even better!

To learn more about how the frontend of SparkLayer works and how it can streamline your B2B business, you can explore our full feature-set. If you’d like to discuss how SparkLayer can help solve your unique B2B challenges, please get in touch and we’d be happy to talk further.

Chris Mattingly

Co-Founder & CEO, SparkLayer

Chris is an experience eCommerce specialist, co-founding UK eCommerce agency blubolt in 2006. For over a decade, Chris helped build and oversee their proprietary platform and worked with some of the UK's fastest growing retailers. At SparkLayer, Chris oversees the product strategy and - when he's not playing peekaboo with his daughter - enjoys staying active with golf, tennis, climbing, and hiking to name a few!