- Posted on
- • September 20, 2019
The modern B2B buyer is quite the savvy shopper. Not only do they increasingly purchase products online, but they also expect an enjoyable experience doing so. As the buyer demographic continues to skew toward millennials (who flat out won’t buy from a bad site), your online success hinges on the usability of your website’s shopping experience.
While B2B websites are adopting the features and functionality of B2C, it’s important that your wholesale site addresses the unique needs of B2B buyers in order for it to succeed. In this article, we discuss the potential reasons why your wholesale ecommerce site isn’t selling and what you can do to turn it around.
1. You’re Expecting Shoppers to Automatically Show Up
A report by Forrester forecasts that ecommerce will account for 17 percent of all B2B sales by 2023. While there is growing demand for retail-like shopping experiences, it is not guaranteed that shoppers will find your website among a sea of similar offerings.
How to Win: Build out your SEO and social media strategy.
For your eCommerce site to succeed, visibility is key. Having a sound SEO strategy will help increase traffic and drive conversions to your site. A social strategy is also crucial, as 55 percent of B2B buyers search for information on social media.
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2. You Set and Forget Your Website
Operating a site is not a one-time deal after it is launched. Your ecommerce platform can offer some valuable insights beyond the transactions. If you fail to act on these insights, you will lose your grip on important customer data and trends.
How to Win: Implement and monitor analytics on your site.
As you scale your site, you’ll want to monitor key metrics to help you continually adapt to any changes in your buyers’ behavior. Be sure to measure marketing campaigns, inventory, conversion rates, and customer engagement to spot any areas to capitalize on or to improve.
3. Customers Can’t Find the Information They Need
Various industry studies have found about 45 percent of customer phone calls revolve around three topics: product prices, product stock, and order status. B2B sellers who neglect to address these inquiries can lose out on important purchasing opportunities.
How to Win: Incorporate real-time order and inventory information.
Buyers increasingly demand the most up-to-date information and on-demand availability on a B2B ecommerce site. An integrated site that syncs with your inventory and back-end will ensure your buyers are getting the right products they need at the right time.
4. Your Site Lacks Buyer-Specific Information
According to industry surveys, 50 percent of buyers single out personalization as a feature they consider when deciding which wholesalers to work with. Without personalization, your B2B site would just be prettied-up version of your catalog that offers no unique value to your customers.
How to Win: Incorporate search, interactive tools, and buyer-specific pricing.
Allow your customers to easily buy with prices that update according to their needs. Integrate price lists, bulk discounts, and custom pricing, and provide profiles for each customer that are tailored to their product selections, quantities, and the type of business that they run. Robust search features and interactive tools will also make finding your products a lot easier.
5. Your Sales Reps Aren’t Involved
Although ecommerce sites have changed the role of sales reps, they should still be an important component of any wholesale ecommerce strategy. A study by McKinsey found that 76 percent of B2B buyers still prefer to speak to a sales rep when researching and purchasing a product.
How to Win: Involve your sales team in support, purchasing, and onboarding processes.
Selling online streamlines the entire sales processes and usually reduces the need for labor. This efficiency can free up your sales to take on an expanded role in your ecommerce experience, from assisting customers on integrated live chat features to engaging cart abandoners.
6. There are Limited Payment Options on Your Site
Many B2B businesses launch their ecommerce site without focusing on a major barrier to entry: payment. While 41.3 percent of total B2B sales are made on a line of credit, a significant portion of buyers also prefer direct methods such as credit card and payment portals.
How to Win: Expand and automate payment options on your site.
B2B sites can correct this pitfall by automating flexible credit terms and offering multiple payment options for buyers. This makes it easy for them to purchase through their preferred method and helping them avoid cumbersome manual processes.
7. You Aren’t Capitalizing on Mobile
According to the Boston Consulting Group, 80 percent of B2B buyers are using their mobile devices for work—60 percent of them have even used mobile for a recent purchase. Critical conversion opportunities can slip away if you have a wholesale ecommerce site without a mobile shopping solution.
How to Win: Offer a mobile-optimized ordering experience.
Wholesale buyers often enter your site at multiple points. A mobile solution that provides easy access to your products and your customers’ order histories would allow buyers to purchase anytime and easily reorder, boosting average order value and improving overall satisfaction with your brand.
8. Your Content Isn’t Front and Center
You’ve heard it before and we’ll say it again: content is king. With the presence of Amazon, it becomes even more crucial for your brand to engage shoppers so they trust your brand and become loyal fans.
How to Win: Create helpful product information, onboarding documents, industry resources, and compelling content pieces that are relevant to your brand and to your customers.
Content such as blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, infographics, and video episodes can boost your brand recognition, address any customer needs, and lead them to purchase.
A Great Site is Key to B2B Ecommerce Success
With 68 percent of B2B buyers researching most of their purchases online, it’s more important than ever for wholesalers to have an ecommerce site. However, the mistakes listed above can sink your ecommerce site.
In a nutshell, B2B customers want real-time information, online purchasing convenience, and unique value offerings. Wholesalers who capitalize on these capabilities will be able to create not only a spectacular site but also a storefront that drives profit.
Interested in even more tactics to boost your wholesale business?
