Why B2B Ecommerce Revenue Stalls Without Account Intelligence
May 07, 2026 • 4 Minute Read • Chris Boulanger, Managing Director, Data & Analytics
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B2B Online 2026: Why Speed, Data, and Adoption Matter More Than Ever
May 13, 2026 • 4 Minute Read • Commerce Strategy Team, Verndale
This article reflects insights gathered in collaboration with Verndale team members who attended B2B Online 2026, including Jayne Young (Director of Growth), Jeff Pratt (Commerce Practice Director), and Josh Algeo (Solutions Lead, Commerce).
Everyone’s Talking About AI. The Real Work Looks Different.
AI dominated the conversation at B2B Online this year, but not in the way you might expect.
Yes, 70% of manufacturers and distributors plan to increase AI spending, according to a Shopify report. But from our conversations, many teams are still working through a more fundamental question: where does AI actually make sense for their business?
At the same time, familiar blockers remain. Data, personalization, talent, and training continue to slow progress.
The result is a market that feels both energized and unsettled. There’s urgency to act, but less clarity on how to do it well.
The most telling signal came at the end: only about 6% of B2B organizations consider themselves moderately mature, while 78% wouldn’t build what they have today if given the chance.
On stage, the tone leaned toward optimism about AI, acceleration, and opportunity.
In the hallways, it was more measured. Teams are moving, but not quickly. Buying cycles are still long, and organizational complexity is still real.
The gap between ambition and execution is more visible, and many B2B commerce companies aren't optimizing anymore; they're rethinking their foundations.
What B2B Leaders Need to Know
1. AI Is Now Part of the Operating Environment
One stat set the tone early: 26% of B2B search now happens through LLMs.
Buyers are discovering products in places brands don’t control, and AI-generated traffic is converting at 2x the rate of traditional traffic.
But the downstream reality hasn’t changed. As discussed in the Future Proof Your B2B Playbook panel featuring Ali Afzalierad at BigCommerce, the first interaction may come from an agent, but retention still comes down to trust and human relationships.
What this means:
Showing up in AI-driven discovery is quickly becoming table stakes. The real differentiator is what happens after: how well your experience builds trust, supports decisions, and keeps buyers moving.
And while AI expands its reach, it also raises the bar. Teams with structured, connected data can respond, personalize, and convert. Those without it struggle to turn that visibility into value.
2. Data Readiness Is the Real Bottleneck
“Data” came up across nearly every session, with 13 session titles referencing it directly.
A recurring challenge is that teams trying to move faster are still working through inconsistent data and disconnected systems.
Across sessions—from Grainger to Shopify to MDM—the same pattern emerged. Teams moving fastest are operating on:
- Clean and transparent pricing
- Structured catalogs
- Governed, centralized data
Capability maturity models reinforced it, and if you’re not at a 3–4, scaling AI isn’t realistic.
What this means:
Data has always sat at the center of how B2B businesses operate. When pricing, catalog, and customer data are structured and connected, teams move faster, personalize more effectively, and make better decisions. When they’re not, everything slows down—including AI.
This is where most of the real work sits today.
3. Speed Comes from Structure, Not Simpler Tools
There’s a shift away from long-term planning. The 5–10 year roadmap is fading, replaced by faster builds, smaller teams, and continuous iteration.
But speed isn’t coming from simplification alone.
As Cecelia Myers from Grainger put it: “You can’t delegate what you don’t understand.”
While simpler technology stacks can improve velocity, many teams are still working through complex organizational structures, slow buying cycles, and the challenge of stakeholder alignment.
The teams moving fastest are integrating AI into their workflows with:
- Clear specifications
- Defined governance
- Centralized data
- Tight feedback loops
In one example shared during Znode's session with Tom Flieri, a team compressed build time from 10–12 weeks to four hours.
But that kind of speed isn't universal.
In many cases, the blocker isn’t the platform; it’s everything around it. Data lives across systems, workflows aren’t fully connected, and teams don’t have a shared view of how work moves forward.
What this means:
AI will amplify how well your business already operates. It doesn't fix it.
Teams that move quickly have clarity first, defined processes, aligned data, and a clear understanding of execution. With that, even the right investments stall or create friction.
Speed comes from structure and how that structure is put into motion.
That’s what turns investment into progress.
4. Experience is Defined by Adoption
As discovery shifts to AI and third-party channels, the role of digital experience has changed.
Websites and portals are becoming execution layers, supporting tasks, managing accounts, and handling ongoing customer needs.
But adoption remains the challenge as portals often fail on behavior, not technology.
At the same time, expectations continue to accelerate. B2B buying journeys now span 10+ channels, and up to 90% of buyers will switch for a better experience, according to the 2026 State of B2B Commerce Report.
This raises the stakes, making adoption critical to realizing that value.
Effective buyer portals are built around how customers work day-to-day:
- Reducing cost through self-service
- Improving operational efficiency
- Protecting and growing revenue through better experiences
What this means:
Digital experience has shifted from information delivery to task completion, but that shift only matters if customers actually use it.
The focus needs to move from adding features to designing for operational behavior and tying that behavior directly to business outcomes.
How B2B Teams Should Prioritize AI, Data, and Experience
AI is accelerating what already exists. Teams with strong data and clear operating models are moving faster, while rising expectations make it harder to keep up.
This shift is reshaping how the business runs, from data to decision-making to execution.
The challenge now is knowing where to focus.
Start with your current state:
- Where data creates friction
- Where experience falls short
- Where systems slow you down
From there, the path forward becomes clearer on what to prioritize, what to fix, and how to build a business case for digital investment.
Execution becomes the differentiator: building the right portal capabilities, integrating them into how teams work, and continuously improving based on what drives results.
The advantage won’t come from moving first; it will come from building the structure to move intentionally.