As the global pandemic struck us, digital transformation sped up more than ever and took over almost every aspect of our lives. From grocery shopping to purchasing medicines, everything was being done digitally. The wholesale industry is no different. In fact, B2B or wholesale industry was already struck by digital transformations long ago, but the pace was much slower then. Now in 2021, we expect to see some incredibly fascinating digital changes and advancements in this area.
There are large, pre-existing B2B sellers and platforms already in the market that can give you a tough time. Platforms like Amazon Business and Alibaba are good examples of such competition. To catch up with them, your B2B e-commerce business model needs to be more engaging, up-to-date, and equipped with a greater audience reach.
Compared to B2C e-commerce, B2B is a lot more about its customer than it is about anything else. B2C is targeted to customers who are buying a product or a service with sentiments, emotions, and personal needs. B2B customers have a more cold buying attitude, where the product is bought in bulk. And the purchase is based on logic and lots of calculations. Thus, catering to such customers can be challenging. It Is crucial to put some important measures and features in place of your B2B e-commerce business model. Here are some tips that might give you a kickstart at your B2B e-commerce journey.
7 Tips For Successful B2B E-commerce
- Focus on user experience
User experience in B2B e-commerce is crucial. You must understand how buying patterns have evolved over the past decades. People now prefer searching and buying online more than having to speak to an actual person or a sales representative. Your users should find all their answers on your e-commerce platform and should be able to run quick and easy searches. Moreover, you should try to optimize mobile platforms as well. Most people these days use their smartphones as the primary gadget to search for a product, brand, or even to make a purchase. So, your business should be mobile-friendly. You can build mobile-optimized websites, and even have your own mobile app to provide an even better user-friendly experience.
Your existing or potential clients are expecting some standards. Compared to B2C, B2B e-commerce focuses on aspects that add standard and quality to the user’s experience rather than sentimental and emotional value to the experience, as required in B2C. Some good ways to improve user experience can be to provide easy methods of feedback, flexible pricing, customizability, product catalogs, etc.
- Payment options
New forms of businesses are embracing new and varied payment options. You must offer your clients various modes of payments so that they do not face any inconvenience. Other than providing a bunch of payment options, you should also look for ways to cut the transactional costs and fees. If your clients have many payment options, they can choose the one that is easily accessible to them, and also costs them the least.
- Product information
Unlike B2C, your B2B clients are more interested in the core technicalities of the product rather than the product’s aesthetics. You must have seen how Amazon and platforms like BestBuy have a separate section for the product description, where they provide users with technical and non-technical details of the product. Products that have missing descriptions are often the lower-ranking ones.
Therefore, your B2B e-commerce strategy should include a thorough, proofread, and credible product description. You can also add many pictures of the product to give the client a clearer understanding of what the product is like. Product descriptions are also a great way to spark interest in the customer’s mind.
Your B2B online shop is not available for a physical visit. That makes it necessary for you to provide ample information about your product on the e-commerce platform.
- Voice search
Integrating advanced tech in your B2B e-commerce business model is a must. Without it, you are letting your competitors have an edge over you and leave you behind in the race. Technology like voice control and searches are now a part of our daily lives. People are becoming more and more familiar with these technologies. Plus, they expect all platforms, websites, and apps to have a voice search facility. So, you should incorporate voice search on your B2B online shop, website, or mobile app. As a result, your users will feel more in control and will value the time-efficiency too.
- Customer reviews and ratings
It is very difficult to trust businesses online. Without physical existence, clients often find it challenging to determine which business is more trustworthy and credible. One way you can achieve more credibility online is by collecting and publishing customer reviews and feedbacks.
As a B2C user, you must have used the customer reviews, ratings, and feedback on Amazon or other platforms. B2B also has the same importance for customer reviews and ratings. These ratings help clients assess how many customers you have had before and what was their experience with you. You can also develop two-way communication with your customers, so if someone leaves a bad review or a complaint, you can respond to them instantly. Responding to your customers also fosters a good relationship with them, leading to higher chances of turning them into your loyal customers.
- Chatbots
As we were speaking about integrating technology in your business model, let’s not forget chatbots. Chatbots are AI-based, and are capable of holding real human-like conversations with your clients. They are becoming increasingly intelligent and smart day-by-day. Chatbots are also very beneficial in terms of labor costs. You will not be needing sales representatives to cater to your customer and potential leads. Instead, you can use these bots to provide services to your leads 24/7 without any fail. There have been many studies in 2020 that show that people in the US prefer to and have used chatbots for their online shopping needs.
Conclusion
With the availability of cheap internet services 24/7, people have shifted most of their personal shopping needs online. But, it is not only B2C businesses flourishing digitally. B2B has also transformed digitally and continues to do so as the pandemic has hit us all badly. If you wish to run a successful B2B e-commerce business idea, make sure you follow the tips discussed above. Understanding how your competitor moves, what technologies they are using, and what is their approach towards their clients can be a great way to get a step ahead in the game.
Baldwin Jackson is a successful digital marketer with expertise in search engine optimization and content marketing. The perfect balance of his analytical ability and creative thinking is what sets him apart from other practitioners in the digital marketing realm. He has helped a lot of small and medium-sized businesses in crafting their digital marketing strategies that are not only cost-effective but delivers results as well.
Baldwin is also a proud father of two kids and a Sports enthusiast. When he is not working, you will find him watching ESPN and NFL network. He has been able to get an amazing package on his favorite channels from Buytvinternetphone.com.