6 min read
Succeeding with your B2B sales online
Succeeding as an e-tailer with private individuals is not always easy. Succeeding as an e-tailer with business customers can sometimes be even more difficult. But, does it have to be so complicated?
B2C (business to consumer) e-commerce has exploded in recent years and we are shopping online more than ever before. On the business-to-business (B2B) side, it hasn't happened as fast - yet. But, with the habit of shopping online privately, more and more business owners expect to be able to do the same for work. This places both demands on you as a B2B trader and, of course, it also presents you with great opportunities.
Move slowly
Launching a full-scale B2B e-commerce business can of course feel a bit overwhelming, and there may not be the time or resources to do the whole job from the start. But, as online presence becomes increasingly important, it may be wise to at least start somewhere - albeit small-scale. Just because you have an e-commerce website doesn't mean you sell your goods or services through it, instead it can act as a shop window that showcases what you have to offer in a neat and tidy way. However, many web and CMS tools are not very suitable for displaying products in this way, often resulting in a jumble of images and text with no logical order. Moreover, it can look even worse if the page is visited via a mobile device. This is where it can really pay off to use a real e-commerce platform that is specialised for the purpose. With Abicart, you can get started quickly and easily, and you can choose how much you want to scale up. Of course, our platform is responsive, which means it works equally well whether you visit the site via computer, mobile or tablet.
Segment your products and services
Another thing to keep in mind is that not everything you sell has to be in the online store. Perhaps you already have a large and loyal customer base for one type of product, but are struggling to reach out with another? Why not niche your online shop towards that particular product category and put some extra effort into reaching out to new customers? After all, one does not have to exclude the other. Or why not start with the products you actually sell the most of to try it out, learn from it and maybe scale up later?
Different customers, different price lists?
Maybe you have agreed prices with a customer that you don't want others to see? Or perhaps there are parts of your range that should not be visible to the general public but only to a certain type of customer? No problem! With Abicart, you can give your B2B customers access to specific parts of your range or specific price details through a customer login. By building a well-functioning e-commerce business, where your contract customers can manage their orders themselves and always get the right price, you can save time and money that you can spend on marketing, development or whatever you need. You customise what a logged-in customer can see versus what a guest sees when they visit your site. Each logged-in customer can also get their own customer number and see the history of previous orders, they can also follow up and track their pending orders.
More search engine optimization!
You probably already know that a big part of today's marketing is about getting as high as possible in the search results on Google. The concept of search engine optimisation, or SEO for short, is something you may already be familiar with - in short, it's about optimising your website for search engines. Play with the idea that your business sells gardening tools, including shovels of various kinds. Or play with the idea that you have a website that tells people who you are, what your opening hours are and how to find your physical shop. However, you don't have a specific e-commerce site, but at most a number of sample images showing the type of products you sell. If a person then googles the word "spade" - who do you think comes up at the top of Google? You, or your competitor who has an online shop with several products named "spade"? No matter how much effort you put into making a great web site where your company is highlighted in a nice way, the chances are that very few, if any, people who don't know you before will find you when they are looking for a spade. In short - invest in a web shop to strengthen your digital presence!
Want to know more about how to search engine optimise your e-commerce? Read more here!
The last tip - which you should start with
Before you start your B2B e-commerce business, you should figure out who you are. It may sound like an almost ridiculous task, but it's actually more important than you might think. It's one thing to have a strong brand for your physical store and for your existing customers, but is
that the right brand and identity for your digital presence? If it is - then make sure the brand permeates all your online communications so that customers are recognised and get the right feel. If it's not, you may need to get help to set your digital brand. Who do you want to be and how do you want to be perceived? What values do you need to push to reach new customers and gain ground online? Spend a little extra time doing the groundwork, plain and simple. Think of it as building a foundation to stand on. That way you'll avoid question marks along the way and you'll always have a clear framework to lean on in new situations. You may not know exactly what you need to do yet, but at least you know who you want to be and can adapt your work from there for the best possible results. This can be difficult to do entirely on your own so, if possible, take external help from a brand consultant or agency who can guide you in the right direction.
