Up to this point, we’ve mostly covered B2C retail. So it’s only fitting we give the B2B folks a fair shake too.
And besides, some of the lessons you learn will translate over to B2C also, if you serve that niche.
So take a look at what some leading B2B ecommerce retailers do to keep their online retail sales strong:
1. Block Pricing Until Customers Log In
Why do successful online brands like Selini NY do this? Doesn’t that actually make it harder for buyers to purchase?
They don’t want competitors to easily access their pricing and then undercut them. So, they simply force a buyer to prove they are in fact a buyer by making them login.
But, to login, you need to show a valid tax ID, which reveals your company’s identity.
2. Offer Live Chat Customer Service
A McKinsey & Company study found “slow response times” are the top online ordering complaint for B2B buyers.
And make no mistake about it – B2B buyers are increasingly becoming Millennials, who demand immediate response times (versus over-the-phone customer service).
How do you meet their demand?
Easy. Live chat.
It’s actually easy to install and add to your website (for once).
Check out Freund Container to see it in action.
3. Outdo Your Competition with Education and Product Feature Explanations
Because Millennial buyers don’t like to talk on the phone, and because your competitors shower your prospects with content, you have to participate in that part of sales too.
The rule of thumb is this: everything you do to sell in person needs to be replicated online.
Most companies, at least when they’re new to online sales through content, skimp. You’re better off doing nothing at all than putting up thin content.
Because everything’s online, you can also research your competitors, see what they say, and then provide more in-depth content that educates them on what they want to know about your product.
Don’t fall for the trap of telling them what you want them to know. That results in lost sales. Tell your prospects what they want to know, and you’ll be fine.
Bright AgroTech offers a simple (and doable) example of what to do.
4. Allow Your Customers to Buy How They Want – Without Talking to Customer Service
Your website should support customers’ ability to repurchase their same order with just a single click, get quantity discounts, and set up a recurring order.
This seems like just a small thing (as compared to contacting customer service). But, it saves steps for your prospects.
And anything you do to save them steps results in more sales for you.
Sincerely Nuts allows you to automatically replenish at different intervals.
So in the B2B world, those are some simple (and doable) things you can include to increase your sales.
Which makes most sense for your company?