What B2B Sellers Always Forget

When I say the word ‘browse,’ what do you think of? Many of us might think about browsing your favorite brand’s products on their website. We think scanning sneakers on Nordstrom Rack or arrowing through movie recommendations on Netflix. Consumers have a tendency to browse, and businesses cater to their needs by helping them discover new things they didn’t know they needed or wanted.

Did you ever consider the browsing experience in B2B?

B2B is an even bigger opportunity than B2C. An estimated $100 trillion flows between businesses each year, nearly five times higher than the volume of transactions that flow between businesses and consumers. According to data from McKinsey, B2B companies that transformed their customer experience processes saw a 10 to 15 percent revenue growth, higher client satisfaction scores, improved employee satisfaction, and a 10 to 20 percent reduction in operational costs.

Here are three ways to improve the browsing experience for B2B customers:

1. Customize Landing Pages

In B2C land, consumers usually serve a party of one: themselves. In B2B, the number of stakeholders, unique purchasing agreements, and product specificity create complex buying behaviors. Dynamic landing pages demonstrate that you know an individual buyers’ preferences and understand their business needs. Featured content, recommendations, and facets should update automatically to offer what is most relevant to that individual. Signals like clicks, search queries, purchase history and purchase agreements inform the most relevant filters, categories, and products to present.

2. Build Smarter Site Search

B2B buyers have a high intent to buy with specific product specs and a long line of stakeholders. Many turn to the search bar to search and browse the latest products and content to meet their specific needs. If the step after the search bar is a dead-end “no results” page, buyers are disappointed and frustrated. And even more importantly, it’s wasting time during a busy workday. Poor digital and search experiences put B2B companies at risk of losing buyers that they rely on for large purchase orders. Build smarter site search so buyers don’t have to dig for what they need.

3. Recommend Relevant Content

Branded content is an essential part of the conversion equation. Content including blog posts, how-to guides, and webinars enrich the product discovery experience. It points browsing buyers to products they may not realize they need or products to complement what they know they’re looking for. Similar to dynamic landing pages, relevant imagery, blogs, and how-tos should be automatically promoted based on buyer history and preferences.

All of the above assumes that a digital buying journey already exists. Right now, only 5 to 10 percent of B2B transactions happen online and about 50 percent of transactions are still done over the phone, over fax, or via in-person meetings with sales reps. The entire B2B ecosystem is inefficient, opaque, and convoluted. Whether you’re starting from scratch or optimizing an already existing experience, it pays – literally – to consider the B2B browsing experience. Use the three suggestions above to get buyers to the right products and content faster and send them off with a smile.

Interested in how Lucidworks can support your B2B strategy? Contact us today.

This piece was originally published at Modern Marketing Today.