B2B business is a competitive area and making small adjustments to your business processes can have a big impact.
In the main, B2B businesses today are making positive steps when it comes to meeting the needs of their customers. More attention is being paid to delivering suitable information to B2B purchasers for example, and providing them with everything they to know.
But one thing that is holding certain B2B businesses back is a lack of care and effort in certain areas of their offering. For example, they could have some of the best wholesale products on the market, but if they’re not appearing highly in relevant searches, they really are missing a trick.
We’ve picked out 5 things that it’s vital as a B2B business you don’t neglect or fail on if you’re to be successful in 2019.
Don’t neglect…the importance of online in B2B
Admittedly fewer and fewer businesses are thinking like this, but there was a long-held belief that B2B business wasn’t suited to the online domain. The old technique of face-to-face meetings with salespeople certainly worked at one point, but today the vast majority of buyers aren’t thinking like that. They want the convenience and flexibility that online affords.
So if you’re stuck in the dark ages still, now’s the time to embrace the full capabilities of B2B ecommerce. The good thing is that quick progress can be made and you should soon see more interest in your B2B offering.
Don’t neglect…SEO
As mentioned, there’s no point having great online products and offerings if nobody can find you online.
Search is a key enabler for brand exposure and ensuring your website gets in front of the right people. So ask yourself, is your B2B website optimized for SEO?
If not, then things need to change. Don’t neglect the science of SEO and expect your business to just magically appear where you’d like it to in online search results. This requires work and dedication, but the rewards are great.
Don’t neglect…mobile
Don’t think that all B2B purchasers are sat in front of laptops or desktops when they’re searching for new suppliers.
According to a report from Forrester Research, 61% of company buyers use mobile to carry out research and find potential new businesses to work with.
This means that if your website isn’t optimized for mobile, then mobile users are quickly going to look elsewhere.
Equally, social media is a big factor on mobile. So having a strong social presence can be advantageous for your business.
Don’t neglect…flexible purchasing
The last thing you want to do as a B2B business is lose potential customers at the last hurdle. This is why making it as easy and straightforward as possible to buy from your website should be an ongoing priority.
Tools such as punchout for example can connect supplies with buyers through integration, and make it easy for buyers to place orders from within their ERP or procurement system.
Don’t neglect…your customers!
This is obvious for any business, but make sure in 2019 that you’re putting the customer front and center. Don’t go all out to acquire new business and neglect your current customers for example. Be sure to keep things sweet with those customers you have, while also looking to enhance and move forward as whole.
This includes providing up to date information on products, including prices and availability. Any slip ups here can prove disastrous and negatively impact customer loyalty and brand reputation.
So be sure to look after what you have while still setting new goals and looking to move your business forward.
Considering your B2B platform options? Get in touch with Cloudfy and let’s see if we can help.
