November 12, 2018

    What B2B Buyers Want in an Ecommerce Website

    About half of those distributors that have implemented a transactional website aren’t happy with their results, according to a recent MDM survey. As we wrote in our last blog post, to stay in the ecommerce game today, office supplies, jan-san and other distributors must offer an online experience that includes:

    • Easy access to order and invoice history
    • Quick reorder capabilities
    • Product reviews and recommendations
    • Inventory visibility and availability by location
    • Customer-specific pricing
    • Favorites or frequently-ordered lists
    • Role-based access and approval
    • And more

    If you can do this, the data show that B2B buyers will respond. In a 2017 UPS Industrial Buying Dynamics Survey, 80% of buyers said that they would be likely to shift spending to a more “user-friendly website.” A good website is a magnet, especially for younger buyers.

    The key is to offer a modern web experience. In addition to features that most buyers expect today, don’t underestimate the importance of the look and feel of a website, which reflects directly on your business.

    Another important component of a successful B2B ecommerce website: an omnichannel experience. Customers want self-service options, but they also want to be able to rely on the distributor’s team when they need it.

    In other words, it should not only be easy for a customer to search, find and purchase the product you need on your website, as well as access account history. It should be easy for a buyer to pick up the phone halfway through the purchase and talk to an outside sales, inside sales or customer service representative to complete the purchase. And the website should be linked with a distributor’s other systems, including ERP and CRM, so that a customer’s experience is seamless, no matter who they engage with and when. Serve your customers in the channel they prefer, which could be website, phone, mobile, branch, a digital assistant, chat or face-to-face.

    To help distributors meet the toughest ecommerce requirements, Enavate has upgraded its Customer Connect eCommerce web platform. One of the features is the Sales Rep Connect, which supports distributors’ needs to provide an omnichannel experience to their customers. Sales reps can access accounts for customer-specific ordering, item-price manipulation, contract maintenance, customer sales history and more. Learn more about our Customer Connect eCommerce platform. 

    About the Author - Brett Vest 

    Brett VestBrett is a Managed Services leader with more than 20 years diverse experience in eCommerce development, marketing, integration, and implementation. For the past eight years, he has worked in the Microsoft Dynamics space as well, as the eCommerce space at ENAVATE, combining his skills to assist customers with their implementation and support needs. Brett resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with his family and enjoys the diverse city life, sports, and outdoor activities.

    Enavate Recent Posts

    February 12, 2025

    How Cloud ERP Software for Manufacturing Can Unite Processes

    Manufacturing companies have to balance multiple objectives for efficient and profitable daily operations. Read More
    February 5, 2025

    How Autonomous ERP Can Help Your Business Thrive

    In olden times, “laundry day” really did take up a whole day. You had to scrub each article of clothing, one by one, in a wash basin, rinse them, and then hang them out to... Read More
    February 4, 2025

    2 Ways a Cloud ERP Can Help Professional Services Firms Handle Challenges

    Professional services firms have seen tremendous change in recent years, including less face time with clients and an increasingly hybrid work environment. These shifts have... Read More

    Subscribe to Receive Email Updates