Meet and exceed emerging customer expectations
Since the COVID limits took effect in early 2020, a growing number of B2B businesses have switched to e-commerce platforms. This is a crucial shift for their existence.
However, having an e-commerce presence isn't enough. To successfully set yourself apart from the competition as a B2B seller, you must make an excellent client experience with self-service choices the heart of your digital sales channels.
Long-term increase in B2B revenues
B2B businesses should never lose sight of what it takes to meet and exceed rising customer expectations: a fantastic online customer experience that includes intuitive, easy-to-use, and responsive self-service. If you succeed, you will improve customer satisfaction, increase loyalty, and increase sales over time.
According to a McKinsey Institute study, customers definitely prefer self-service channels while researching, analyzing, ordering, and reordering. It's merely the beginning of a new trend. As the events of 2020 accelerate the adoption rate of self-service, buyers recommend becoming increasingly comfortable placing large orders remotely or totally using automated digital self-service.
As a result of this change, sellers that have yet to implement new e-commerce systems are at a huge disadvantage. Digital channels, on the other hand, are rarely the only touchpoints a B2B customer has during the buying process. As a result, B2B sellers must devise methods for combining data from all of their channels, as this is the only way to remove roadblocks and enable client self-service.
CARLSBERG: B2B E-COMMERCE AND ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM
Carlsberg is one of the most well-known and well-known brewers in the world. The Danish company now has a global reach of over 140 countries thanks to their products. Carlsberg aimed to become a digital leader in the beer brewing industry while also strengthening its relationships with on-trade partners. In 2018, Carlsberg introduced The Carl's Shop, an innovative platform that would take the company's digital journey to the next level.
Carl's Shop's digital commerce platform improves customer service by allowing consumers to place orders on any device, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and eliminating the need for telesales. Furthermore, it assists consumers in establishing a successful hospitality business by giving detailed and comprehensive material such as product stories, editorial content, and training on how to manage a profitable business.
With this material, Carlsberg may be able to develop an emotional connection with its customers that goes beyond transactional and becomes more relational and loyal. This strategy increased net revenue per client (Carlsberg's Annual Report 2019), and it is an excellent example of B2B digital and customer experience excellence.
So, what precisely counts for a positive client experience? What are the components that make up the whole? While there are several stages to improve the overall customer experience, it all starts with addressing "product data concerns." Never underestimate the influence that erroneous product information can have on the purchasing process.
Master your data
It may appear like integrating all of your data is an easy operation. On the other hand, updating product information on a dynamic B2B e-commerce website is a difficult undertaking. This information is needed in more places than just an e-commerce site. New or updated product information must be integrated into and accessible through every relevant online and physical channel. And if B2B sellers don't have a way to provide accurate product data to every channel, they'll waste time, money, and manpower – and, worse, buyers will see inaccurate data.
You need complete, credible, and compelling product information for a successful consumer experience. Consider the following facts:
- According to a Forrester Research survey, 87 percent of shoppers abandon a B2B website to pursue additional product research through other channels, most often because the product description or information does not match their needs.
- Providing more precise, full, and consistent product information, according to A.T. Kearney, can boost conversion rates from 17 percent to 56 percent.
When a potential buyer has the ability to compare two things with varying levels of detail, the quality of product information can be the deciding element in a successful product discovery and purchase.
In the construction and manufacturing industries, where detailed information was required, customers used to ask their sales representative everything they needed to know before making a purchase. Because the bulk of sales channels are now online, all product information must be provided right away. If you don't comply with this self-service rule, your customers will shop at other stores.
That's where product information management (PIM) software comes in, supporting B2B sellers with the generation, collecting, and management of product data for both online and offline catalogs. Simply said, PIM lets you to build captivating product experiences through your sales and e-commerce channels faster and more simply.
Make Data Your Most Valued Asset Using PIM
PIM (Product Information Management) is a system that connects, manages, and shares data from many platforms. This includes ERP and PLM, as well as all of your channels, including e-commerce and retail, as well as point-of-sale and printing, and everything in between.
PIM not only aids in the enhancement of data and the creation of a single source of truth, but it also enables you to analyze all data at once and use the results to aid in the making of better business decisions. By utilizing product data from several systems, you can turn it into a valuable asset that encourages innovation, digital transformation, and growth.
B2B organizations can benefit from the effective use of PIM in a variety of ways. It allows you to create omnichannel experiences, increase sales opportunities, and reduce product returns, all of which contribute to increased revenue. PIM can help improve consistency and operational efficiency while also making it easier to comply with laws by reducing redundant product data and error-prone processes. PIM also speeds up time-to-market by simplifying the product lifecycle and making it easier to onboard new products and services.
You can enhance your customer experience even further by using insights to make it more engaging and increase performance and business value. Connecting all of your data has the added benefit of removing internal and external barriers, allowing you to make faster decisions.
- 12.5% The value of data in numbers
Splunk conducted a global study on the economic effect and utility of data across enterprises. Organizations raised revenue and lowered operating expenses by using data more effectively, raising profitability by an average of 12.5 percent.
Outperform the Competition
In this information age, mastering your data is essential for providing value and relevant experiences to your customers. This helps you to completely commit to omnichannel, provide tailored purchasing journeys, and increase retention by creating happy consumers who will willingly do business with you again. You may get an advantage over your competition by distinguishing yourself apart with better, faster, and more consistent performance of your digital sales channels when you use PIM to manage your master data.
SQLI and SAP CustomerExperience integrate digital commerce and product content management technologies with user experience design and years of implementation expertise. We assist you in developing meaningful, consistent, and multichannel customer experiences. Limited IT bother, increased client engagement and revenue, and the ability to simply integrate other countries onto the platform are just a few of the advantages.
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The team behind this project
Alexandre Miranda - Project Director
Olivier Collomp - Project Director