Tips to improve B2B e-commerce experience

E-commerce as a favored medium of online purchases is steadily gaining widespread momentum. Riding high on the growth wave, B2B businesses are generating positive revenue and moving towards growth and development. With the growing number of B2B e-commerce portals, it is getting more and more difficult for individual businesses to stand out in the competitive market. It is therefore essential for B2B companies to keep enhancing and improving the e-commerce experience on offer, so as to maintain an organic relationship with partners and customers, and attract new business.

The fierce competition in e-commerce makes it difficult to get new customers and retain them. Customers have more options to choose from nowadays, and more often than not, the degree of e-commerce experience makes the difference in purchasing decisions. Technology too has evolved rapidly and presents new features and opportunities which need to be leveraged to make a B2B business a success.

One of the better ways to improve the e-commerce experience is the use of multimedia. For e-commerce websites, product reviews and ratings have been around for a long time. Demonstrative video content which explains the feature set of a product and intimates viewers about its value and utility offers customer a hands-on audio-visual experience which leaves a more lasting impression, and is more likely to influence decisions.

Like videos, the implementation of tools like blogs and discussion forums can also be helpful. These create a feeling of community, and encourage open sharing of opinions and experiences. It is a great way to build trust, bolster relationships and improve the overall e-commerce experience.

Another great area for improvement is interactivity. Websites are getting more and more interactive, and e-commerce portals should be no exception. A clear channel of communication between client and business is always important, and the option to add more interactive channels is a major plus. The implementation of features such as live chat, live video conferencing and social media integration can go a long way to improve communication and strengthen relationships.

Whatever be the value had one tried to implement within an e-commerce portal, simplicity is the key here. Processes and functionalities which are used often should be easily accessible, navigable and intuitive. Keeping this in mind, coupled with a dedication and commitment to keep improving, is the foundation stone for improvement in B2B e-commerce experience.