If your company’s target market segments include other businesses, how are you treating them online? Do you view their buyers differently because they represent organizations, or do you treat them like individuals?
If you approach B2B online marketing the same way you would if customers and prospects were consumers, you’re ahead of the game. According to a recent study by Forrester Consulting for Intershop, and reported by eMarketer, “Business-to-business (B2B) end-user buyers—nonprocurement business professionals who purchase products and services for work-related activities… want a consumer like experience when researching and making business purchases online.”
Now, how do these buyers find your online presence?
The majority of B2B end-user buyers worldwide look to search engines to begin researching work-related purchases (35%). Some visit manufacturers’ websites (27%), and 18% get started on consumer sites.
And, which content do they find useful when making online purchases?
Respondents expected a mix of “traditional” digital and rich media content. Surprised?
Technical brochures and specification sheets (61%) and instruction manuals and how-to documents (46%) were the most helpful forms of content, followed by video (38%).
With all the recent marketing emphasis on case studies and webinars, both ranked at 31% and 30% respectively. And get this? Social media activity came in at only 25%.
And, which information do they find useful when making online purchases?
Just like consumers, 73% want to know the price! And, after learning about the technical information (64%), respondents want information on delivery (53%) and availability information (49%).
Should B2B marketers concern themselves about mobile marketing?
According to eMarketer, “Forrester reported that mobile usage for researching or finalizing work-related purchases wasn’t all that common; however, it expected this to change as a result of very high smartphone usage in the business world, meaning sellers can’t ignore mobile when crafting content and information for buyers on the hunt.”
So, now you know. Make your company’s online purchasing experiences similar to what consumers are used to, and you may see an increase in purchases.
What’s your company’s e-commerce marketing approach? Will this new research change anything?
