By Tom Miller
E-commerce has become a core requirement for any successful B2B business. In fact, numerous studies show that the majority of B2B purchase decisions begin with a Google search and that the majority of the buying process happens before a user engages with a potential vendor. B2B businesses without an effective B2B e-commerce strategy will be at a competitive disadvantage.
Utilizing online tools to research buying decisions, B2B buyers are increasingly choosing to complete purchase transactions online. Simply having a rich informational site is no longer enough. B2B buyers expect to be able to purchase when they want, quickly and conveniently.
There are clear benefits to allowing B2B buyers to purchase products on your web site because the average online order value is higher than an offline order by as much as 31%.
Doing ERP Integration the Right Way
[column_set id=”1″]Convenience
76% of buyers say that making it easy to find what they want is most important to site design
B2B buyers are on your site because they need to buy something, not necessarily because they want to buy something. It’s critical to make the buying process as quick and easy as possible. On site search must be fast, provide relevant results, and allow the buyer the option to drill into the results based on their criteria.
Site navigation must be simple and intuitive, and ideally will present the most popular products on the first page. In addition, great B2B e-commerce sites provide buyers with multiple ordering options, such as quick order, order templates, re-order options, and fast checkout.
40% of buyers state real-time access to relevant information is a critical want
Look for solutions that are tightly integrated with your back-end ERP solutions to make it easier to create highly personalized experiences, a catalog that can dynamically change based on a user login, and the ability to change many elements of the site’s look and feel.
Personalized Experience
B2B buyers will gravitate to sites that are easy to navigate and tailored to them
B2B buyers are accustomed to the convenience of researching and buying online for their personal needs and they expect the same experience when using a vendor’s eCommerce web site. More than that, B2B buyers expect a personalized experience that includes an easy-to-navigate catalog of products at their negotiated prices, access to accurate real-time inventory information, access to a consolidated view of their account including sales order status and transaction details, and the option to use a variety of payment methods.
Tom Miller has been working to deliver technology solutions for nearly five decades. At first selling mainframe computers, then opening a business providing automated client write-up services to CPA firms, then owning an Apple Computer store, followed by working for Great Plains Software, Microsoft, Sage Software, and now Net at Work. Tom has a passion for helping businesses and organizations utilize technology to unleash their full potential and has a great appreciation of and respect for the CPA profession and community.
Tom is the proud father of three and grandfather of three more and cherishes time with his family. He is a graduate of the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. He can be contacted at: