The Evolving World of B2B Ecommerce…

Is the pace of your company’s online evolution matching the growing demands of your trade customers? B2B companies, including wholesalers, manufacturers, importers and distributors are now onto their second or even third generation website.  They are continuing to invest in upgrading and re-platforming their commerce infrastructure to cater to the growing demands of their trade customers and to continue attracting new businesses. B2B companies have reached a realization that the online channel is increasingly lucrative. Here at Cloudfy, we see evidence of a wide range of wholesalers and manufacturers from all kinds of industry verticals who have invested in their B2B ecommerce store and are reaping the benefits. Providing another convenient channel for their busy trade customers to buy from is enabling B2Bs to;

• Showcase their business, brand and catalogue of products in an attractive online store
• Provide a trade portal enabling their bigger customers to do top up orders
• Service tail end accounts who may not see a rep
• Create incremental new sales from lapsed customers
• Open the door to brand new customers, who have found them online.

We’re also seeing B2B websites being used successfully to bridge the gap between those customers who are happy to order online without talking to a sales rep and those who need consultation for more complex and involved purchases. With comprehensive trade portals that allow customers to book a sales rep visit or request a telesales call, book a showroom, view invoicing history and credit limits and much more, the trade website can provide a very useful facilitation between the customer and the business. In many instances, manufacturers are using their online channel to support indirect sales to their customers. Functionality like find your local store and more advanced features which enables shoppers to select their preferred product and then enter their post code to find a direct match are very popular. B2B’s love this functionality for two reasons; firstly, it allows them to provide a concrete action for consumers who may visit their website and; secondly, supports their valued trade customers, by pushing footfall into their shops.  Win-win as they say. STV Pest Control, go the extra mile to build their brand online and help consumers find the most suitable product for their pest problem.  The innovative four step process guides visitors through a simple process that results in the location of the nearest retail outlet where the chosen product can be purchased. while personalization is increasingly important in the B2C landscape, so to for B2Bs. B2B companies pushing ahead and embracing the ecommerce opportunity, are using advanced email marketing for replenishment order reminders and targeted promotional activity that is using data to drive highly relevant communications to interested audiences. Speaking of data, this is also of growing interest to B2B companies, from advanced reporting and deeper analytics that enable them to make data drive decisions over what promotions to target where and when and how to keep enhancing the online experience. If you’re interested in learning more about B2B ecommerce solutions, contact us now to request a free Cloudfy demo.