In a context where the expectations of professional buyers are increasingly aligning with retail standards, it is essential for B2B companies to modernize their e-commerce approach. To provide an equally seamless and effective shopping experience, these companies must not only adopt practices inspired by B2C e-commerce, taking into account the specific needs of their clients, but also integrate advanced technologies.
B2C e-commerce: a model for B2B transformation
In 1995, B2C e-commerce underwent a major transformation with the emergence of two iconic players: Amazon and eBay. Their arrival marked the beginning of a revolution that has continually evolved since. Indeed, online retailers have refined various fundamental aspects to increase visibility, attract qualified traffic, improve conversion rates, and build customer loyalty, making the sector a cornerstone of the global economy. Among these aspects are:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): This aims to enhance a retailer's visibility in search engine results like Google. To achieve this, the focus is on creating high-quality content tailored to the search terms used by consumers. This content is crucial for capturing attention and engaging visitors through storytelling techniques that establish an emotional connection. Rich and relevant content includes detailed product descriptions, informative articles, and videos to advise visitors and help them make informed choices.
- User Experience Optimization: One strategy involves guiding customers quickly to products that precisely meet their needs through intuitive search and navigation filters. These filters allow users to sort and refine products based on various criteria such as price, category, or technical specifications.
Significant efforts are also dedicated to optimizing the cart and checkout processes. Features such as quick add-to-cart options from product listing pages, simplified order forms, and the integration of various secure payment methods accelerate these crucial steps.
While B2C e-commerce has rapidly evolved, transforming consumer habits, the B2B sector has followed a different trajectory. While the business relationship is well-established in the physical world, B2B companies now need to successfully translate and enhance it in the digital realm to remain competitive in the e-commerce era.
Strengthening B2B business relationships in the e-commerce era
Unlike B2C, where products are self-service and processes are standardized, B2B purchases typically involve large volumes, pricing negotiations, custom contracts, and more.
These particularities have led B2B companies to favor trust-based relationships managed by dedicated sales representatives, whether through field sales or call centers. While this approach is robust, it has hindered the adoption of e-commerce in this sector.
Today, to remain competitive, B2B companies must invest in solutions that enhance the customer experience, provide a deep understanding of needs, and offer relevant interactions tailored to the specific needs of the sector, such as:
- Reference search: Customers often know the exact product references they wish to purchase, relying on detailed catalogs or purchase orders. Search engines must be optimized for this behavior, enabling quick and precise access to products based on specific references.
- Purchase recurrence and personalized recommendations: Customers have well-established buying habits. Platforms need to analyze order histories, recognize recurring products, and provide tailored recommendations to anticipate needs and maximize upselling opportunities, similar to what a sales representative would do.
- Pricing Complexity: Pricing in B2B is often more complex than in B2C. Rates may vary based on quantities purchased and are frequently customized, with terms negotiated on a case-by-case basis. The experience must allow customers to view their personalized prices when logged in. Addressing this issue requires careful anticipation, as it involves technical adjustments.
For these key features to be fully effective, it is essential to ensure optimal interoperability between different solutions.
Interoperability: the key to a cohesive experience
B2B systems have often been designed without the need for interoperability, and many e-commerce systems are still monolithic, based on a specific ERP and not very open.
Rethinking architecture and laying the groundwork for an open system is generally the first step toward a future-ready solution. Integrating market-leading solutions (Best of Breed) with APIs to interact and build a tailored experience within a specific information system can accelerate the redesign process.
This requires the ability to design architecture and execute a project to build the open IT systems of tomorrow.
Towards a digital, agile and competitive BtoB e-commerce system
In conclusion, to successfully transition to a seamless and tailored online shopping experience for B2B, companies must adopt B2C best practices while considering their sector-specific needs.
By investing in digital solutions capable of handling features such as reference search, personalized recommendations, and complex pricing management, B2B companies can offer an optimized user experience.
Effective integration of systems through APIs and other technologies will not only meet customer expectations but also enhance company competitiveness in a constantly evolving market, paving the way for IT system redesign and modernization.