How To Expand Your B2B Business Into E-Commerce [Infographic]

Guest post by Marty Acks.

Over the last 20 years, virtually every retailer (or at least, every surviving retailer) has realized it has to offer an e-commerce component to have any hope of success. The reason is simple: convenience is king.

Being able to browse through an entire inventory and place an order any time and from practically anywhere has become an entrenched expectation for consumers.

Most B2B vendors initially thought their world was different. Though it’s quickly becoming obvious that’s not the case—business buyers are, after all, just regular consumers who happen to be at work, buying stuff for their companies—many companies in this space are still not taking full advantage of the potential of selling online.

If you’re with a B2B company that still isn’t selling online , it’s time to stop thinking and start moving your B2B marketing operation into the digital realm. Offering your clients the access and convenience e-commerce can provide is no longer a perk or a differentiator.

Customers today expect you to have an online sales presence and will seek out alternatives if you don’t. This is why it is imperative that B2B marketers know how to establish an e-commerce operation.

For example, one of the most important requirements is ensuring that your site is scalable in order to provide a seamless experience across all platforms. It should run smoothly and load quickly whether viewed on a desktop computer or a mobile device.

You want your clients to have the best possible experience using your site, so it’s also important to make sure your content is well organized and easy to search. Hiring an outside SEO expert to boost your company’s position in search engine results can help ensure customers find you when they are searching for what you sell.

When it comes to keeping your clients’ sensitive information secure, there are a number of steps you must take. Being upfront and transparent about how your website will utilize the details users provide is essential. This includes providing information about your security measures for handling credit card data.

Any B2B enterprise that has not yet ventured into e-commerce risks being left in the dust. For more tips about how you can successfully make this transition, check out this infographic.

Author bio: Marty Acks is Senior Director of Product Management for CDI Technology, which focuses on delivering intuitive payment processing, e-commerce, point-of-sale and supplier collaboration solutions to enterprise-level organizations. Acks’ experience and authority with SAP, Oracle and IBM has made him a sought-after speaker and editorial contributor. 

Sources:

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/cdi-ecommerce-checklist-v3-170905160149/95/cdi-technology-how-to-expand-my-b2b-business-into-ecommerce-1-638.jpg?cb=1504627342
https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/b2b-ecommerce/#b2b-ecommerce-misconceptions
https://www.b2bwave.com/p/b2b-ecommerce-how-do-i-start
https://www.b2bnn.com/2019/04/the-state-of-b2b-e-commerce-in-2019-so-far/