Starting a B2B webshop? 5 Important Content Tips.

For companies in the Business-to-Business market, it is becoming increasingly important to be represented online as well. More and more companies are therefore choosing to start a webshop in addition to their website. However, setting up a B2B webshop involves many new and time-consuming aspects, including filling in the content and appearance of the shop. To guide this, examples from the Business-to-Consumer market are often looked at. However, rules that apply within B2C webshops do not always fit the needs of B2B. In this article five tips on designing the right content for a successful B2B webshop.

1. Customer journey in a minimalistic design

First, it is very important to respect the differences between B2C and B2B. Take the sales process, for example. Online B2C purchases usually consist of a simple "click and buy" interaction. B2B sales, on the other hand, are a more complex process and consist of individual pricing, personal contact with the customer, quotations, invoices and more. In offline communication, customers know how this works: for example, it is clear who to call for questions and orders and how to negotiate prices in quotations. How do you make sure it is also clear online how the ordering process works, or in other words, how do you provide a clear "customer journey"?

A simple, minimalist 'flat' design is a good first step. By 'flat' design, think of a simple 2d design. The emphasis is on function, not appearance. It should be easy for customers to find the information they are looking for. Minimalist design creates an optimate "customer journey.

2. Storytelling

Minimalist design is not the only way to steer potential customers in the right direction. A second good option is "storytelling. 'Storytelling' means that the site provides a logical flow. What should a customer look at or click on first? Emphasize this. For example, choose a clear navigation system or a search bar instead of an extensive menu. This creates a logical flow, customers know what to expect and see at a glance where they can find specific information.

An example of minimalist design and "storytelling. The homepage of Alibaba's Web shop shows a number of images, uses little color and focuses mainly on navigation. A strong element is the prominent search bar that specifically asks what the customer is looking for. ( www.alibaba.com )

3. Sell with content marketing

To support the flow of storytelling, it is important to offer content in an interesting way. This motivates customers to browse the Web shop and read more about products and services. Offering interesting information is called 'content marketing'. It supports the customer journey, ensures better results in search engines, creates more traffic in your shop and increases conversions. Write blogs, publish white papers, e-books and case studies to give customers what they are looking for. A good way is also to use interactive content such as videos, pop-up questions and webinars. Share this information not only on the online store, but also through other channels such as social media.

4. Offer the right service.

Selling products and services in Business-to-Business is closely linked to contact with customers. It is important to think about this in the web shop as well. One way to provide the right service is to set up the online customer service as broadly as possible. As mentioned earlier, personal contact is important in B2B. Just listing a phone number or adding a contact form is therefore not enough.

One way companies can provide personalized service is through "live chat. Through chat, customers can easily and quickly ask questions without having to leave the webshop. Live chat can be included in the webshop itself but can also be via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

MSC's site clearly shows the options available to contact the company. ( www.mscdirect.com )

A second way to provide B2B service is through personalization. By analyzing how customers behave within the environment of the webshop, personalized emails and campaigns can be deployed. This creates a very service-oriented webshop, an extension of the already existing communication between the company and the customer. This form of service is possible through links with a good CRM system.

Responsive design

The last tip: do not forget that a good webshop must be responsive. Also B2B customers no longer order from one location and one time. Instead, orders are placed from different locations, at different times and from different devices. Make sure the new webshop is accessible from all devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones.

A simple but effective example of responsive design. The first image shows the desktop design and the second image shows the mobile design. The logos shift, but the look and functionality remain the same ( www.squareup.com ).

A webshop for B2B: a brief summary

To set up a successful B2B webshop, several steps must be taken. A simple design, interactive content, service orientation, personalized content and making a webshop responsive will ensure that customers will find their way to your products and services. The five tips mentioned above provide the first steps for a successful webshop!