The smartest wins – what the most successful B2B manufacturers have in common

eCommerce is hard. We know that. There are so many companies all competing with each other. Most industries are being filled with new players faster and faster, and it can be hard to keep up. There is, however, a way.

What a McKinsey study shows

McKinsey has carried out a study that shows what makes some of the biggest eCommerce companies successful. The study was conducted from an angle that explored what B2B buyers valued the most. Read on here and learn more about how to leave the competition in the dust.

More about the article.

Overall trends in the B2B market

The buyers have spoken, and there are some very clear trends in what they prefer. Surprise, they prefer efficiency and digital methods. Any B2B company that does not take full advantage of digital tools, platforms and other options is seriously putting a spoke in its own wheel. B2B is a complex process, the customer journeys are long and unpredictable. That is why you need the most efficient ways of navigating the uncertainty. You need to create sense where there used to be hassle. These observations can help you on your way to understanding your company’s next step, what you should focus on, and why.

B2B eCommerce as a strategy

More and more B2B companies are jumping on the eCommerce bandwagon.

And for good reason.

Online trade is here to stay — anyone can see that — and so B2B companies have to look at how they can best reach their target group. The likelihood that a customer would rather buy through a webshop, rather than catalogues, email correspondence and sales calls, is quite high. Webshops give your customer the power to decide for themselves, buy at their own pace, and, if it is done right, handle their purchases on their phone when things are busy.

The B2B buyer has changed

Here at Connectify we have personally seen some wild shifts in how B2B buyers behave in well-functioning eCommerce setups. For example, we see larger orders, higher revenue, more customers and far greater efficiency. And with all the functionality that sits inside an eCommerce solution, and with the right integrations between your systems, it becomes child’s play to upsell, cross-sell and automate the entire process, from order received to order shipped. Efficiency at its very best.

Tailored customer experiences

One trend that is winning more and more ground in eCommerce is tailored customer experiences. That feeling you get as a customer when you can tell that the system knows you and already knows what you are looking for. At B2B manufacturers, where orders can often be the same every month, every six months or every year, it can for example be smart to have a system that knows that order because you have already ordered it. Perhaps it might even make sense to automate exactly these routine orders, so that they fit the individual customer’s needs precisely.

Better customer experiences with integrations

You can get a long way with a well-functioning and fully integrated eCommerce setup, and with integrations as an add-on you can really start to use data from your ERP, to the benefit of both yourself and the customer. Instead of the customer journey being full of speed bumps and obstacles, personalised experiences make it easy and fast. That kind of thing secures sales, and often more sales than impersonal customer journeys.

Use of advanced sales technology

In their report, McKinsey describes how the most successful B2B companies use sales technology that helps them meet customer needs better and more efficiently. An example here could be integrations. Our experience is that sales work is made far easier and more precise by using customer data from the ERP system. An integration can for example help you sell more to the customer after they have bought, for instance by showing similar products and recommendations. A simple integration that works wonders for our customers.

Hybrid sales models

It should not all be about technology and how to remove people from the equation entirely. By using social media, physical sales and an eCommerce platform, the buyer’s experience of the transaction can be lifted. The thing is, sales do not have to be either/or. They can also be both/and.

Combine tech and human behaviour

Good human advice never goes out of fashion, but where it gets really good is when you combine the human element with the technological possibilities you have available. For example, part of an onboarding or scoping process can involve human contact, to make the buyer feel comfortable with large technical orders, after which the customer is set loose in an eCommerce platform that is designed to help the customer in the most efficient way. Part of the human element can also be the use of social media. Here you have the opportunity to get closer to your target group, show your human side and educate them to understand your product and your platform.

Implementing the points

It can easily seem abstract and overwhelming with all these good points and discoveries. How can you implement all these things? As we see it, there are several things that are necessary. To have a well-functioning eCommerce setup, it is almost vital that you have an ERP system. The ERP system helps you keep control of your data. On top of that, if you really want to take your eCommerce to the next level and live up to this article’s points, you should implement a selection of integrations. Integrations help you work efficiently and automate key processes.

Integrations can help you with the following:

• reduce errors
• raise the bottom line
• remove manual work
• create better communication across the business Four absolutely necessary goals for reaching the top.

Once you have connected both ERP and your eCommerce platform, you are ready to implement your sales strategies.

This is where the process becomes context-dependent, but most strategic processes can usually be summed up as this:

• Purpose – what do you want to achieve, and why?
• Expectations – what do you need to get out of it?
• Process – which steps need to be taken to reach the goal?
• Implementation – do the work
• Testing and evaluation – make sure to evaluate your work and make the necessary corrections. Remember to be critical during the process. Everything is context-dependent, and not all companies would implement these aspects in the same way.

Useful links and knowledge

Are you in doubt about how to lift your B2B company to the next level with eCommerce? Then we have written several articles that can help you on your way.

Read on here:

Choose the right partner

10 mistakes to avoid in your ERP project

B2B integrated order fulfilment

Otherwise you are always welcome to reach out to us and have a chat. We have worked with integrations since 2014. Let our knowledge work for you.