Websites · 5 min read
Trade portal vs brochure website: which one a wholesaler actually needs
If your customers reorder the same lines regularly, a gated trade portal pays for itself by removing order-taking admin. If most of your revenue comes from winning new accounts, spend on a searchable brochure site with a strong trade application flow first, then add the portal once account volume justifies it.
By Raja Wahab, Co-founder, Fixby Studios · Updated
Start with where the cost actually sits
Count the hours your team spends taking orders that never change, sending the same price list, and chasing purchase order numbers. If that is a day a week, the portal is the priority. If it is an hour, it is not.
What a trade portal includes
- Approved-account login with customer-specific pricing tiers.
- Reorder from previous orders in two clicks.
- Live stock or lead-time indication, even if approximate.
- Order history, invoices and statements the customer can pull themselves.
- Credit terms and PO number capture at checkout.
What a brochure-plus site includes
- Product category pages that rank for what buyers search.
- A serious trade account application, with VAT number and volume.
- A gated price list request that delivers instantly.
- Catalogue downloads sales can send from a phone.
The pragmatic route
Build the findable site first, capture accounts properly, and add the ordering layer once you know which lines those accounts reorder. Building the portal first is how wholesalers end up with a beautiful system and no new customers in it.
Raja Wahab is co-founder of Fixby Studios, a Huddersfield studio building websites, SEO, social media and business software for small, owner-managed businesses across West Yorkshire.
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