Who Are Today’s B2B Ecommerce Buyers?

If you have been in B2B ecommerce for a while, you will remember having to wait for orders because they needed authorisation. Quite often even online purchases required the go-ahead from someone in a senior position. In some firms, only executives or account directors had the clout to authorise an order. Today’s B2B ecommerce buyers are different.

As well as being able to make purchasing decisions, B2B buyers are younger. In fact, up to 73 per cent are Millennials. That means the majority of people looking at your website are aged under 35. This has significant implications if you want to engage new customers and retain existing ones.

B2B commerce buyers and purchasing decisions

With more power and bigger budgets, today’s B2B ecommerce buyer is looking for many of the features indicative of B2C. They want clear, transparent pricing, the ability to customise products and a range of payment options. Importantly, they expect your website to be mobile friendly and offer a seamless user experience. They are almost certain to research your products using a mobile device and many go on to make purchases using a mobile.

It is worth noting that this sea-change in B2B ecommerce buyers coincides with a 59% year on year growth in mobile commerce. A coincidence? Here at Comgem, we don’t think so. B2B ecommerce platforms that are not optimised for mobile face an uphill struggle to attract and retain customers.

Acquisition: referrals v social media

Referrals play a significant role in attracting new business. So too does social media. Remember, your customers grew up on a diet of Facebook and Instagram. They are still hooked on social networking. If you want to win their business, you need to take your products to where they hang out.

You can make this process easier by ensuring your B2B ecommerce website integrates with social media platforms. The best places for B2B businesses to have a presence include Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and even YouTube. Other proven ways of increasing sales include personalised marketing, including email campaigns.

Is your B2B ecommerce solution engaging today’s buyers?

If you are concerned that your B2B ecommerce solution doesn’t meet the expectations of Millennial buyers, we can help. Our flexible, cloud-based ecommerce platform, Gemsuite, was developed to offer the very latest features. It makes selling effortless and has helped countless brands increase their online visibility and profits.

Discover what Gemsuite can do for your B2B ecommerce business. Request a free, no obligation demonstration here.