Ecommerce growth has been skyrocketing in the past. The trend does not seem like it will change at any time soon.People are opting to shop online. Thanks to the convenience it provides. Like B2C brands, B2B businesses are relishing a piece of the online success pie. Why? Because B2B businesses form an integral part of the commerce ecosystem. There is so much to gain with an impeccable B2B eCommerce website. A site with all the necessary features is a gateway to more market opportunities. Here are some features you should consider to optimize your B2B eCommerce site:
User-centric website
A customer-centric approach in any business is a sure-fire way to succeed. Customers are an integral aspect of the success of any venture. Having a website that caters to the customer’s needs will make you stand out from the competition. You need to understand the different customer demographics to know how best to provide for their needs.
Build your site with the target client persona in mind. You can achieve that by analyzing customer experience throughout the different stages on your website, from the exploration to the final purchasing stage. Optimize each of the steps to make the journey through your website desirable.
As a B2B business, many of your customers are busy and under immense pressure to provide the best offerings for their audiences. Make the experience on your website as seamless as possible so that they keep coming back for more.
Consider having a one-click reorder function so that your clients do not have to waste time re-entering the same products from a previous order. The purchasing process needs to be smooth and effortless. It should not be too much of a hassle navigating your site. Leveraging customer experience assures you of engagement and growth.
Responsiveness
Technological advancements have made it such that mobile phones are somewhat synonymous with computers. Almost all the computer functionalities are available in the palm of our hands. Resultingly, people are making most of their online purchases through their phones.
As a business, you have to factor that in your website design. Optimizing your site for mobile-friendliness is becoming a necessity. Your website should cater to all your visitors regardless of the device of their choice. When your site is mobile-friendly, you will not worry about locking out a significant proportion of your target audience. Be sure to incorporate the best mobile features that your clients may need.
Real-time inventory
Few things are as frustrating for your customers as placing an order and then getting a notification that the product is not in stock. That can quickly throw a wrench in your customers’ experience. Their trust in your business may dwindle because of such a simple misunderstanding.
Luckily, that is an issue you can sort with a real-time inventory. You will have real-time information about your stock when you introduce real-time inventory systems. You no longer have to worry about overselling stock or dealing with customer dissatisfaction.
Online security
The rise in online shopping has brought a dangerous vice, cybercrime. Malicious cybercriminals lurk around the interwebs scouting for the perfect opportunity to steal confidential data for malicious purposes. Customers are more alert and will not dare use a site that will compromise their details. Therefore, you need to optimize your site by assuring online security.
You can use encryption protocol to safeguard your site for example, in case of unlimited subdomains, GlobalSign Wildcard SSL to offer state-of-the-art protection of customer data while validating the ownership of your domain and business existence.
Complex pricing
Pricing is easy for B2C companies because every customer pays the same for a product. B2B eCommerce is different because the pricing varies depending on the clients. You may have different levels of discounts depending on the number of goods. Therefore, it may be an uphill task to update the prices for the countless customer groups.
You could implement different pricing arrangements at the order level to counter that. It will be easier to handle various price models for several customers.
Efficient product data
An eCommerce store does not give a customer the privilege of seeing and touching the product. The product data must offer as much detail as possible about the product.
Excellent product images do a neat job describing your products. It is easier for a customer to make purchasing decisions when the product images and descriptions have answered most of their concerns.
Your customer support team will not need to answer endless questions about your products if the product data is excellent. The buying process will be smoother, and you will witness more conversions.
Flexible payment
Offering flexible payment options will appeal to your target audience. Have various payment options to cater to a wide range of customers. Being flexible with your payment models by offering credit to your repeat and loyal customers will help you get more sales.
Marketing tools
You need your products to get in front of the client’s eyes and mind. Marketing is an essential element for any business since it ensures that. Introducing marketing tools on your B2B eCommerce site will make it easier to upsell, cross-sell and get repeat orders.
Optimize your website to allow for promotions of various products. Tune the marketing to cater to the specific needs of each customer. Integrate social media into your website marketing. Social media platforms like Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram are powerhouses in the marketing world. Linking your site to other online platforms will increase your chances of conversions.
Conclusion
Ecommerce seems to be the future of businesses. Long after the pandemic, the sector is still experiencing exponential growth. Companies that leveraged the digital shift and built eCommerce websites are reaping the benefits of their investments. That said, it is not enough to have just any website. You need to optimize the website by incorporating the features above to stand above the competition.