GOb2b Blogs

We often talk to manufacturers who want to sell their products online to retailers or end-users, but are reluctant to use eCommerce because they don’t want to bypass their existing distribution channel arrangements. These manufacturers face a conundrum. On one hand, if they sell direct there’s the potential to increase margin – and on the other, there can be a big risk attached to alienating distributors, who may be your largest source of revenue and usually have the strongest relationships with end customers.

 As part of a natural evolution, millennials are increasingly occupying decision-making positions in b2b procurement departments. With recent research indicating that around 70% of millennials prefer to do their personal shopping online rather than in the high street, this new breed of corporate buyer brings a different set of values, preferences and customer experience expectations to the b2b purchasing arena.

Today’s b2b buyers have high standards when it comes to customer service, and they expect sellers to provide them with a purchasing experience that’s fine-tuned to their personal preferences. In our experience however, companies still face many challenges in delivering a consistently high quality of service across multiple sales channels. Frequently we see how sellers fail to provide the convenient and efficient omnichannel experience that buyers demand. And more often than not, this is down to the inadequate provisioning of technology.

Spending money on launching and marketing your new b2b eCommerce site is essential to attracting visitors. But equally, you need to make sure the site itself continues to perform at its best to maximise the number of visitors who become paying customers.

The key to survival for b2b organisations this year is Self-Service. To overcome the impact of the Covid 19 epidemic, b2b businesses need an eCommerce website that offers slick, quick and efficient self service. It’s what manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors are demanding and what thriving b2b companies are providing.

With the UK in COVID-19 lockdown, businesses are struggling to juggle a multitude of challenges – from generating sales and managing remote workers, to controlling cost and maintaining cash flow.

As manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors increasingly move their sales and ordering processes online, the benefits of a best-in-class integrated eCommerce solution are difficult to ignore. Companies that have found and implemented the right solution are enabling customers to self-serve 24/7 through feature-rich digital platforms. These platforms are delivering better margins from larger orders, lower costs and increased efficiency through automated systems and the elimination of manual data inputting.