It used to be that e-commerce store owners would categorize their audience under the umbrella of b2b or b2c, but today, with the consumerization of b2b in full effect, many are finding that they have to cater to both. It really makes sense, considering that every b2b customer is also a b2c customer, once they the office. And with consumers expecting smarter, friendlier and more intuitive e-commerce experiences, they expect the same characteristics when buying for their office needs. When it comes to catering to this new breed of consumers, certain best practices can give you a leg up on the competition. The customer experience still reigns supreme. Driving customers to your site and capturing a sale are just the first few steps of the customer engagement process. The e-commerce sites that are stealing the show are those that take the time understand and cater to the customer journey, streamline the buying process with easy navigation and present relevant information to the buyer. It’s these sites that customers continue to build a relationship with; upon their return, customers are greeted with pages that are tailored to the content of the past purchases, searches, recommendations and/or shipping/delivery information. It’s these small one-click time savers that make the shopping experience a more enjoyable one for customers that are both b2b and b2c. Offer an incentive. Ever hear the phrase that every online action deserves an offline reward? Well, not only is it true, but today’s savvy shoppers expect it. Just because your audience is b2b doesn’t mean they don’t value cost savings – especially if the purchaser is in procurement or can show their boss that they are watching out for the best interest of the company. Reward shoppers with email promotions for flash sales, provide a discount if they refer a friend or company, and make use of social networks like Facebook and Twitter to give fans of your page an added bonus. Provide robust and intuitive search options. Getting customers to the information they need quickly should be the number one goal of your site. Provide different search parameters to make it easy. For example, allow customers to search by keyword, price, form and function. When search results are provided, use this as an opportunity to provide additional recommendations based on similar items. Present bundles and packages that contain what the customer is looking for, along with complementary items. If possible, tie search results in with real-time data from your ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system to ensure customers are only presented with products that are in stock. Have questions about getting the most out of your e-commerce site? Contact us today for a free no-obligation evaluation. It used to be that e-commerce store owners would categorize their audience under the umbrella of b2b or b2c, but today, with the consumerization of b2b in full effect, many are finding that they have to cater to both. It really makes sense, considering that every b2b customer is also a b2c customer, once they the office. And with consumers expecting smarter, friendlier and more intuitive e-commerce experiences, they expect the same characteristics when buying for their office needs. When it comes to catering to this new breed of consumers, certain best practices can give you a leg up on the competition. The customer experience still reigns supreme. Driving customers to your site and capturing a sale are just the first few steps of the customer engagement process. The e-commerce sites that are stealing the show are those that take the time understand and cater to the customer journey, streamline the buying process with easy navigation and present relevant information to the buyer. It’s these sites that customers continue to build a relationship with; upon their return, customers are greeted with pages that are tailored to the content of the past purchases, searches, recommendations and/or shipping/delivery information. It’s these small one-click time savers that make the shopping experience a more enjoyable one for customers that are both b2b and b2c. Offer an incentive. Ever hear the phrase that every online action deserves an offline reward? Well, not only is it true, but today’s savvy shoppers expect it. Just because your audience is b2b doesn’t mean they don’t value cost savings – especially if the purchaser is in procurement or can show their boss that they are watching out for the best interest of the company. Reward shoppers with email promotions for flash sales, provide a discount if they refer a friend or company, and make use of social networks like Facebook and Twitter to give fans of your page an added bonus. Provide robust and intuitive search options. Getting customers to the information they need quickly should be the number one goal of your site. Provide different search parameters to make it easy. For example, allow customers to search by keyword, price, form and function. When search results are provided, use this as an opportunity to provide additional recommendations based on similar items. Present bundles and packages that contain what the customer is looking for, along with complementary items. If possible, tie search results in with real-time data from your ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system to ensure customers are only presented with products that are in stock. Have questions about getting the most out of your e-commerce site? Contact us today for a free no-obligation evaluation.