B2C companies have e-commerce sales waxed. These days, buying goods online is much quicker and easier than visiting a brick and mortar store. And with super-fast, same-day delivery options, online retailers have now worked out how to scratch consumers’ instant gratification itch to boot.
B2B e-commerce sales need to take a leaf out of the B2C e-commerce book.
Consumers at large love the convenience of e-commerce so much that B2B buyers have come to expect the same experience – whether you sell services, products, or technology – when interacting with your company. If your B2B e-commerce sales play needs a little inspiration, here are three important lessons from the B2C MVPs.
Lesson 1: Use personalization to increase sales.
Most B2C e-commerce websites employ some level of personalization to improve and streamline the online shopping experience. Greeting a returning user by name, saving credit card and delivery details, remarketing, and ‘you may also like’ or ‘people who bought this also bought’ suggestions are all obvious examples of e-commerce personalization.
B2B e-commerce sales strategies that leverage personalization in a similar way can likewise increase checkout rates and upsell and cross-sell more effectively. It’s essential to employ an e-commerce platform that allows you to collect and analyze your customers’ data, including what they’ve previously searched for, which products or services they’ve previously purchased, how many times they’ve purchased said services, and so on. This data can be used to suggest related services or products that they may also like. That’s essentially ‘hands-free’ cross-selling and upselling.
Lesson 2: Make your service listings as transparent as possible.
B2C e-commerce giants like Amazon and eBay have set the standard for transparency when it comes to product and service listings. Consumers are accustomed to having all the information they could possibly need when making a purchase decision clearly displayed on each product listing. This includes things like the product description, product specs, price, purchase instructions, warranty information, colors available, returns policy, and customer reviews.
Giving B2B buyers the same level of transparency allows them to self-serve and make purchase decisions quickly and independently. Make sure that listings include detailed service descriptions, estimated timelines, transparent pricing information, payment details and instructions, useful add-ons or suggested additional services, and client reviews.
Lesson 3: Use a platform that’s geared up to sell 24/7.
The advent of internet-connected mobile phones ushered in the ‘always on’ age of 24/7 sales opportunities. The propensity to conduct product or services research, compare suppliers, and make purchases outside of normal office hours extends to the B2B world. Especially with the blurred work boundaries of the COVID-19 remote work era, B2B buyers are more than ever before accustomed to researching solutions, placing orders, and making payments outside of normal office hours.
Make sure that you don’t miss a single B2B e-commerce sales opportunity by using a B2B e-commerce platform geared towards customer self-service and 24/7 sales. Morphed’s white-labeled e-commerce infrastructure allows you to list pre-packaged, ready-to-go service bundles with all the supplementary information displayed at your buyer’s fingertips. Customers can browse service bundles, compare suppliers and prices, and instantly make payments online without speaking to a sales representative.
Of course, B2B e-commerce sales can be more complex than B2C sales.
B2B deals aren’t always as straightforward and simple as B2C sales. Almost always, before a deal is signed, some negotiations around the project scope and price need to take place. That’s why your B2B e-commerce platform needs a little extra functionality than your run-of-the-mill online shop.
Morphed’s e-commerce platform allows for a seamless transition from browsing and self-service to a private conversation directly with the supplier inside the Customer Portal. This centralized portal keeps all project communications and negotiations in one place, including RFPs, briefs, and cost negotiations. The customer can continue to communicate with all team members throughout the project lifecycle inside the Customer Portal, even going on to rate and review work after delivery.
