The impact of the Coronavirus outbreak has been massive. On a personal and social level, the crisis has affected all our lives and we’ve had to adjust to new ways of living.
From a business perspective, the challenge posed by the coronavirus has been unprecedented. There isn’t a business out there that hasn’t had to account for the changing world in which we now live to a greater or lesser degree.
In the B2B sector, the impact of the coronavirus outbreak has brought about some particular challenges that have forced B2B business owners and operators to make some tricky decisions.
In the latest Cloudfy blog, we take a look at some of the changes that are impacting B2B ecommerce and how adjustments to the ‘new normal’ are being made.
Moving Online
Many B2B businesses had an online presence pre-COVID. For some this would have been limited, and some others may not have utilized the potential of online at all.
But the current situation has made having an online presence all the more important. One of the major factors is the distance that needs to be kept between people, and potential meetings with sales reps have likely been cancelled or moved online. Any depots or showrooms too will have had to stop welcoming visitors, placing more pressure on businesses to carry out tasks online that may have happened in person in the past, such as liaising with existing or potential customers.
The fact of the matter is that for any business to have come through this tumultuous period in good shape, online channels will have undoubtedly been used in a positive way. The same applies for B2B businesses.
Catering to buyers during COVID-19
In truth, the importance of an online presence for B2B businesses was sizable even before the Coronavirus outbreak.
We live in an increasingly online world these days, and more and more B2B buyers are preferring to buy and trade online than in times gone by.
With 73% of the people involved in B2B purchasing decisions being now of the millennial generation, having a strong, efficient online presence is a must-have in the modern age of B2B ecommerce business.
Increasing efficiency
This period has been extremely tough for the vast majority of businesses. B2B businesses are no different, and many will have seen their margins being squeezed as people adjust to the current situation.
To deal with this, businesses have had to look at how they operate. They will have had to cut down or remove any areas that are inefficient in order to improve overall operations and remain sustainable in many instances.
This challenge is an opportunity in some respects, and businesses who have successfully analyzed how they do things and made positive adjustments have a chance of creating a brighter future.
Better User Experience
Modern websites have come a long way in terms of how easy, navigable and enjoyable the experience they deliver for users are.
UX design is a growing industry sector where real emphasis is placed on providing all the required information to enable visitors to make positive purchasing decisions easily.
This has been happening for a long time with B2C websites, but the benefits are starting to be realized in the B2B industry too. Such positive changes to your website are in keeping with the overall shift towards a better online experience.
How Cloudfy can support Coronavirus recovery for B2B businesses
Cloudfy is a platform that lets B2B businesses trade 24/7, to customers around the world. Our B2B ecommerce-first platform is transacting over half a billion dollars a year and growing. We’ve been able to help our customers see double digit, year-on-year growth.
We can support customers in enhancing their online offering at this challenging time, and embracing digital transformation for their B2B business.
To discuss your requirements, get in touch with the Cloudfy team today.
