The DTC experience is where brands spend the bulk of their attention. However, B2B is arguably more important as you can do more volume via B2B sales.
Buyers have high expectations for B2B that most brands aren’t living up to. At Ambaum, we have helped many brands build B2B Shopify sites, but it’s still only a fraction of our customers. B2B is a big opportunity for brands and here is why:
- B2B Buyers are Younger and Digitally Native – Millennials and Gen Z are ages 11-42 and were raised with (by?) a phone and a computer. They are more comfortable in front of a screen and are at home placing orders online.
- Placing Orders Online is Frictionless – The old way of B2B selling was to place orders in person over business lunches, send emails (even faxes!) or use the phone. There is nothing wrong with meeting your buyers in person, but also give them a DTC like B2B experience for ordering online.
- Buyers Expect Full Product Availability Online – Put your entire product catalog in your B2B store so buyers can get access to everything your DTC customers can buy. Nothing frustrates me more than trying to buy the product I want, not seeing it available for purchase and forcing me to send an email to support to get help.
A bad B2B experience adds friction to the process. Friction wastes time for your customers, causes frustration and ultimately leads to a decrease in sales. In a recent study, 2/3 of buyers were incentivized to switch B2B vendors when they were offered a more DTC like buying experience.
If you want to stand out from the competition it’s time to start putting energy into B2B. Let’s chat about how we can help.