7 Things B2B Buyers Want in Their E-Commerce Experience

Business buyers are increasingly demanding the same seamless digital customer experience (CX) that they’ve come to expect in their consumer lives. Some B2B companies struggle to deliver it.

These organizations face CX challenges that B2C operations don’t, including additional regulatory scrutiny and more complex transactions. But the payoffs from enhancing the purchasing experience can be impressive, according to a new e-book, Unlocking the Secrets to an Outstanding Commerce Operation, from Vertex and Salesforce. McKinsey research cited in the e-book indicates that companies that embed digital sales into their go-to-market model achieve five times faster revenue growth compared with previous levels, 30% higher acquisition efficiency, and cost reductions of 40% to 60% within sales.

So how can companies deliver the e-commerce experience that B2B customers are looking for? By providing:

1. Easy search: It’s time to replace those static, text-only lists of products with lots of photographs and intelligent, AI-driven search tools that provide highly accurate results tailored to customers’ needs.
2. Simple, easy-to-navigate site design: Provide plenty of informative content so that customers don’t have to go elsewhere to conduct research. Make it easy to find and consume, with a clear path to next steps.
3. Detailed product information: Anticipate buyers’ questions and give them the data they need, including related products, options, shipping, and even customer reviews and pricing information.
4. Personalized experiences: Offer recommendations, promotions, and pricing based on customer history to enable smooth transactions.
5. 24/7 self-service options: Many customers appreciate the ability to complete transactions whenever they want, without sales-rep interactions.
6. Accurate tax calculations: Buyers bring B2C-based expectations to B2B platforms, even though the tax calculations here are more complex and can directly affect the bottom line. Sellers must ensure compliance with jurisdictional rules and proper documentation for determining tax-exempt status. 
7. Quick order processing and delivery: Provide order tracking, ensure that shipping information is clear, and offer delivery dates when possible. 

The e-book also delves into some of the technologies for providing an exceptional digital customer experience, which I’ll cover in another post.