Business-to-business eCommerce can help your organization connect with new customers, expand sales and strengthen brand credibility – but when implemented improperly it can cause numerous complications and lead to serious challenges for all involved.
Integration between B2B ecommerce strategies and larger systems such as ERP and CRM is vitally important to ensuring everything runs smoothly and that teams work in harmony together instead of being isolated from one another.
1. Not Having a Mobile-Friendly Site
An optimized mobile-friendly site is key to any successful business website, as potential customers will use their phones first when visiting. An impactful mobile experience can influence customer perception of your brand and can create lasting memories about what makes you tick.
Ecommerce markets are constantly shifting and it is crucial that businesses keep up with current trends in order to remain competitive and take advantage of valuable sales opportunities. Otherwise, falling behind could mean missing out on sales opportunities that come your way.
Mistakes can easily slip through in B2B and wholesale eCommerce environments, and mistakes can easily slip through. From not providing enough product details to labeling products as out of stock when they actually remain available – these mistakes can cost your business sales and should be monitored. Here are five to watch out for:
2. Not Having a Mobile-Friendly Shopping Cart
Most eCommerce customers now primarily access eCommerce through mobile devices, and your b2b ecommerce site must accommodate mobile shoppers. This should include providing them with an optimized shopping cart which allows them to add items, view their cart, and complete purchases quickly and conveniently on mobile.
Many B2B ecommerce brands make an unfortunate error of failing to keep their inventory updated, which can lead to inaccurate stock levels and potentially lost sales. For instance, labeling an item as out-of-stock when it actually exists may drive away potential customers and drive sales away from you.
When it comes to B2B eCommerce, companies face many hurdles that must be surmounted for success. By avoiding common blunders and mistakes, you can ensure your b2b eCommerce site will be as profitable as possible – quickly seeing a return on your investment!
3. Not Having a Mobile-Friendly Checkout
Dopamine releases in their brain when customers find an item they love, making them feel good. In B2B and wholesale sales environments, making the buying experience as rewarding and pleasurable as possible is of utmost importance.
Mobile checkouts demand simplicity, cleanliness, and intuitiveness to provide a seamless customer experience. Visual error indicators such as red “X”s that pop-up next to fields with incomplete or incorrect information and green check marks when the form is complete can help customers keep their focus and reduce cart abandonment rates.
Utilize progress indicators to manage shoppers’ expectations and reassure them that their transaction is being processed. Finally, limit the required fields so they are easy to fill out on mobile phone screens.
4. Not Having a Mobile-Friendly Shipping Method
Establishing a B2B eCommerce platform can be an immense task. It involves new product lines, warehouse improvements, changes to order processing and shipping methods and much more – all of which necessitate thorough market research and an actionable roadmap; otherwise it would likely end in failure from day one.
Many industrial distributors are venturing into eCommerce to accommodate changing customer expectations and buying habits, creating online purchasing capabilities for today’s customer who may prefer buying online rather than in person. Companies who execute eCommerce correctly are able to drive sales while building brand loyalty among their audiences; to do this successfully they should avoid making common errors when building their stores such as:
5. Not Having a Mobile-Friendly Customer Support System
Since more and more business buyers are making purchases online, it is crucial that your website be mobile optimized. Without such optimization, customers may not be able to shop your store and may turn instead to one of your competitors for their purchases.
B2B buyers have become accustomed to shopping on consumer-oriented eCommerce sites and expect the same seamless shopping experience when making work-based purchases. They need access to information and self-service options regarding orders, account management and customer support 24/7/365.
OroCommerce’s ecommerce platform can help your business meet the expectations of business-to-business shoppers while expanding your reach and lowering operational costs to serve them more effectively. Contact us to see how OroCommerce can assist in creating a mobile-optimized shopping experience for your customers.