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A few years ago when we were considering a major house extension, we were faced with a couple of options. 1) project manage the extension ourselves, co-ordinating a group of builders, plasterers, painters, electricians, roofers and plumbers. Or 2) pay extra and get one company to do the whole job for us.
Whatever your job, whoever you are, first impressions matter – so put aside any ideas that elevator speeches are just for sales people – because from the accounts professionals to IT, web-design to marketing, everyone who works in a company can benefit from having a quick and easy way to introduce themselves when asked.
Making the move to b2b ecommerce can be challenging, especially if you need to adapt organisational structures, processes and staff attitudes to new ways of working. Get it right though, and the rewards can be substantial – from increased sales, higher margins and lower costs, to greater customer satisfaction and higher levels of repeat business. Transitioning to the world of b2b ecommerce needn’t be that complex – here are a few tips to help you smooth out your journey.
A recent Harvard Business Review article (https://hbr.org/2016/11/right-tech-wrong-time) discusses the importance of the timing of technological shifts. Technological shifts, when mis-timed can have their own Richter scale – from world-changing to downright disastrous.
It’s no secret that human beings are herd-animals. We much prefer to follow and stay safe, than to go rogue and risk making a poor decision.
We may never know the precise birth-date of the on-demand Economy, but 2016 was certainly the year that the concept came into more general awareness. Suddenly everyone was an expert on the “Gig Economy” as news of B2C companies and services such as Uber and Air BnB took the limelight with their economic growth.
Guardian article (1) “Why retailers stop selling online: the hidden cost of e-commerce” claims the costs of e-tailing, namely free delivery and returns, are making B2C less attractive for retailers.
Frost & Sullivan forecasts that the global b2b ecommerce market will top $6.7 trillion by 2020, making it twice the size of the b2c market. This predicted growth is being fuelled in part by the increasing influence and b2b buying power of millennials – according to PwC, they’ll account for 50% of the global workforce by 2020.
We often hear about companies taking a short-term view of their approach to b2b ecommerce, rather than thinking about systems and solutions that will be best-fit for meeting longer term business goals. In our experience, looking past the quick-fix and adopting a more strategic view usually results in better decisions – particularly when it comes to technology investment. Here are some thoughts on a fast and effective way to create a basic strategic ecommerce plan.
B2B ecommerce is now a must-have. In just a few short years, “trade suppliers” have upped their game. Anyone who is anyone in trade sales has an integrated B2B ecommerce site.