What B2B can learn from B2C Ecommerce

Yet in terms of technological innovation it is lagging behind its more public-facing cousin. Here are three important lessons B2B can learn from B2C Ecommerce strategy.

1. Personalisation

Amazon Prime is among many premium retail models which generates tailored shopping lists and special offers based on a customer’s browsing and spending habits. To a customer, this is convenient, attractive and inspires brand engagement, which in turn leads to a better user experience and increased returns for the retailer. The same system could be simply integrated into a B2B model, using the purchasing company’s history of purchases and other data to offer attractive new products or special offers on favourite stock. Like the B2C consumer, a business buyer will be invested in finding the best deal and the most engaging supplier.

2. Loyalty Schemes

A variation of the traditional loyalty model could be integrated into a B2B strategy, just as the B2C consumer accumulates points per pound spent, businesses could be rewarded for buying stock or services through your company. Rewards could include anything from simple money off to corporate days out or team building opportunities. Such a scheme would demonstrate, particularly to smaller businesses, how you understand and appreciate their needs, and how their continued loyalty will benefit you both.

3. Omnichannel and Mobile strategy

B2C is moving on, the latest development in Ecommerce strategy is Omnichannel engagement. That is, combining in-store, online and mobile approaches in to one unified strategy, affording the greatest functionality and convenience to their customers.

B2B should be no different in their approach. Purchasing vital business materials should be as simple and efficient as possible, and a well regulated and mobile optimised site should be available to the busy business buyer, particularly in a high-pressure environment. B2B brands that prioritise mobile can offer to-the-minute sales opportunities directly to the field and can provide the kind of customer service impossible to otherwise deliver. In a recent survey, Forrester, the independent technology analysts, found that over half of all B2B customers are using smartphones to research products for their businesses. If you’re ignoring an Omnichannel approach, or failing to adapt to a changing commerce environment, you will be overtaken.

B2C is innovative and experimental in their approach to appealing to their customer base. B2B requires certainty, guaranteed deliverables and swift, efficient customer service. But this doesn’t mean that B2B can remain set in its ways, the expectations of conventional retail consumers and business customers alike are on the rise. To remain competitive, you must be able to surprise, innovate and most importantly deliver in this new commerce environment.

Featured Image: Marla Elana