Millennium Challenge: E-Commerce in the B2B Segment

Original author: Ben Brasket
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Recently, Jeremy Bogaisky from Forbes shared some amazing statistics. It turns out that retailers in the United States noted a 50% reduction in the number of customers in their stores compared to previous years. Having worked for many years in “consumer” e-commerce, I realize the importance of the convenience of making an online purchase. From Jimmy Johns sandwiches to computer parts and iPhone accessories. Yes, sometimes it’s still important to have a good seller who would help buyers, but convenience is still more important. How are things in the B2B segment?

B2B ten years behind


This is a short answer - B2B lags behind the consumer segment now for about ten years. The good news is that some companies are still starting to reduce this distance. It is no secret that the development of electronic commerce affects businesses working with corporate clients. If they fail to bring the sales process in line with modern realities, this often leads to problems. According to a recent article by Andy Hoar at Forrester Research, 26% of B2B companies say they provide service at the Amazon level. Even if this is so, a huge number of businesses are quite far from these boundaries. But how can such companies finally get involved in eCommerce and move forward? Manufacturers and distributors should consider the usability of their sites and create quality content, which can be transmitted on different channels and consumed on different devices. This is the only way to stay competitive.

Mobile segment grows at crazy speed


Real-life example: I recently forgot that I was made responsible for a mini-party in the office. Two hours before the event, it dawned on me - I had to order a whole plate of Jimmy Johns sandwiches, without which the party is not a party. For the B2B world, sandwiches represent a product that is urgently needed, “yesterday” and in a decent amount. At the moment, according to Hoar’s article, 5% of all sales in the B2B segment and up to 10% of all traffic of eCommerce sites are mobile. Forrester predicts an increase in mobile sales to 11% in the near future. According to Cisco Systems, by 2016, 50% of B2B traffic will come from mobile IP addresses.

Rules of life for the future


An experienced online shopper is usually not very worried about the place where he makes a purchase. He is more interested in the convenience of this process. You can buy a sandwich in any fast-food cafe around the corner, every place where they are prepared can say that their sandwiches are the best, but if you need these sandwiches and you can’t go somewhere behind them, for you the cafe that can arrange delivery on the best terms will win.

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According to Hoare’s same article, 60% of Americans who shop online wanted to give a damn about where they are buying, as long as the process is convenient. Forrester analysts note the presence of this trend in the field of B2B e-commerce. Businesses that focus on corporate customers, just the same should make the process of buying their goods and services easy and convenient. This will help them increase sales. Due to the fact that consumer eCommerce has been developing for a long time, there are thought up successful business models - take the same Amazon. B2B companies just need to take this experience and transfer it to their market.

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