B2B web shops: mistakes to avoid

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The amount of web shops keeps increasing. That’s why it is more important than ever for B2B professionals to have a well-functioning webstore. Many businesses see this as a challenge. Most of them anticipate short term changes or haven’t done enough research in advance when launching their web shop. Read more about the most common mistakes in B2B e-commerce in this blog post and get started.   

No integration of all channels 

Contrary to what some people think, e-commerce is more than just having a web shop. By e-commerce we mean the web shop and all the resources that contribute to making it successful. If we use this as a starting point, it immediately brings us to the first mistake.  

In fact, it is very important to integrate all (online and offline) channels and to combine their strengths. Determine how you want to spread a message – via the website, Facebook, a flyer... - and use different channels. In doing so, try to look for optimizations that can be made for each channel, so that your campaign achieves the maximum result. 

Negative user experience  

We have all experienced it. You want to buy a product online, but the web shop is not cooperating. You get annoyed and you experience the process as less pleasant. In this example, the web shop does not provide a good user experience.   

For business orders, the same user experience is often expected as for consumer web shops. Unfortunately, many businesses think that it is less important for B2B e-commerce... A negative user experience is going to keep your customers from making purchases and it will also decrease your searchability on Google. 

Impersonal approach 

B2B customers have a completely different customer journey than B2C customers. For B2B e-commerce, real-time personalization for all visitors is key to provide flexibility, customized content, offers and promotions. It makes no sense to solely focus on conversion for the website. Think about providing relevant content, such as filters in the search tool, recommendations and adjustments in the content based on the browsing habits.   

The right implementation of segmentation and personalization leads to a higher Click-Through Rate and conversion. And it doesn’t need to be complicated. For example, based on Google Analytics you can already determine whether someone is visiting your website for the first time, at what time, the kind of landing page and so on. If you apply this data to the customer journey of frequent buyer persona’s, you’ve already come a long way.  

No follow-up with customers 

To get the most out of your customers, you should really get to know them, Unfortunately, it’s not common practice yet. B2B professionals usually have a much longer relationship with their customers than B2C professionals. Usually, the customer orders more frequently, and stays loyal due to personalized terms and conditions. So why not ask them about their wishes and needs?   

And if you really don't have the time, you could partially automatize the process. Leave a short questionnaire on your website or let customers write reviews after their purchase. This way, you can always talk to them later. To help your customers more effectively and maintain their trust, a good follow-up is necessary. 

Conclusion 

With more and more B2B web shops on the rise, B2B professionals have to deal with more competition. This also increases customer expectations. Therefore, you should ensure the best possible customer experience. Put your customer first and you will be rewarded with more revenue. 

There are many things to consider and options to choose from. Why Wait? Start today! Take these common mistakes into account, and your web shop will become a success.  

Do you have any questions, or can you use some help? Do not hesitate to contact us