Website for distributors: catalog, brands, delivery routes and new account sign-up
A distributor's website has to answer three questions for a retailer: what products and brands you carry, whether you deliver to their area and on which days, and how to open an account. Pricing can stay visible only to approved customers.
A distributor's website has to answer three questions for a retailer without a phone call: what products and brands you carry, whether you deliver to their area and on what day, and how to open an account. Get that right and the grocery store, convenience store or hardware shop that found you on Google reaches out with the decision mostly made.
There's a fourth point almost every distributor worries about: pricing. It can be visible only to approved accounts, so you don't have to choose between an online catalog and keeping your price list private.
What a retailer looks for on your site
- Whether you carry what they sell: a catalog sorted by category and brand, with photos, pack sizes (each, case, pallet) and item codes.
- Whether you reach them: a map or a zip code lookup that shows the delivery day for their area, or whether orders ship by carrier.
- How much they need to buy: minimum order, payment terms and how delivery is scheduled.
- How to get started: an “open an account” button that doesn't dump them into a generic inbox.
- Who to talk to: the sales rep for their territory, with a direct phone or WhatsApp line.
Brands are why many buyers find you
Plenty of retailers don't search for “distributor.” They search for the brand they want to stock, plus their area. If your site has a page for each brand you carry, with its products and the territories you cover, you show up right in that search. It also shows the manufacturer that their brand is well represented, which matters when exclusive territories are on the table.
Each brand page can include the logo (if the brand allows it), the full product line and a short note on why it sells. Written by you, since you're the one moving it every day.
Opening a new account: over text or through the site
| Step | Today, over messages | With a sign-up form |
|---|---|---|
| Business details | You ask one by one and get half of it | Legal name, tax ID, address and type of store, all at once |
| Territory | You ask where they are and look it up | They enter their address and the territory is assigned |
| Sales rep | You forward the contact to whoever covers it | It goes straight to that territory's rep |
| Approval | It lives in your head or a notebook | A list of pending, approved and declined accounts |
| Pricing access | You text them a PDF price list | Once approved, they log in and see their prices |
The form asks for whatever you need to open an account. For tax and invoicing questions, check with your accountant.
A price list that's never out of date
The PDF price list has a built-in problem: it starts aging the moment you send it, and customers order off last month's numbers. A catalog with customer logins fixes that. Each store sees current prices for its tier (retail, wholesale, key account) and this week's deals, and you update prices by brand or category in one step.
Once that's working, the natural next step is letting customers place the order right there. I cover it in wholesale ordering portal. If the real headache is knowing what's in the warehouse, see inventory system for distributors, and for reps who visit stores with a phone in hand, sales catalog app for reps.
A case from another industry: lots of items, one panel to manage them
For Boca de Lobo, a steakhouse with two locations in Buenos Aires, I built a site with a QR menu of more than 250 items, specials and locations, plus an admin panel to change prices, dishes and promotions without depending on me. A distributor handles different volumes and different customers, but the challenge is similar: many products, prices that change often, and the need to keep everything current without calling the developer.
See the Boca de Lobo caseHow we'd get started
I work on my own, remotely from Buenos Aires, Argentina (UTC−3), with video calls and progress you can open from a link. We start with your product list, your territories and how you open accounts today. I build a first version, a couple of reps and trusted customers try it, and we adjust before opening it to everyone. I quote each project separately; you can see other work in projects.
Frequently asked questions
Can I show the catalog without publishing prices?
Yes. The catalog can be public so people find you, while prices and tier-based lists only appear once a store logs in. Competitors don't see your list, and each customer sees theirs.
Do I have to enter every product by hand?
No. If your product list is in a spreadsheet or your current system, I'll import it. After that, price changes can be applied to many items at once, by brand or category.
Can customers place orders on the site?
They can. Many distributors start with the catalog and account sign-up, then add online ordering. What makes sense depends on how your reps work today.
Does it work if I cover several states or regions?
Yes. Territories are set up the way you run them (by neighborhood, city or region), each with its delivery days or shipping method, and customers see what applies to them.
If you run a distribution business and want retailers to find you, browse your brands and sign up on their own, message me on WhatsApp at +54 9 11 6193-3176 or email contacto@facundocampo.com.ar. I answer in English and Spanish. Tell me what you distribute and where, and I'll tell you how I'd set it up.