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Whilst b2b sales used to be made via sales teams, emails and phonecalls, the b2b landscape today is very different. 

The rapid development of digital, accelerated by the Covid pandemic has pushed more and more b2b businesses online and made b2b customers more receptive to purchasing via an online sales portal. Customers are used to the ease of purchasing they enjoy in the b2c world and want this to be replicated online. 

The main hurdle which prevents them shopping with your business could simply be lack of awareness.

Here’s our top tips to get your b2b customers onto your eCommerce platform.

1. Promote your eCommerce store

Do your customers know you’ve moved online? If you’ve made the move to an eCommerce store or are thinking of doing so, your customers need to know you’ve moved. Let them know via email or even via snail mail – in a digital world you’re more likely to stand out!

2. Spread the ease!

If your customers are used to placing orders with you via email, telephone or paper orders it might take a mental shift for them to realise the ease of shopping with you now. Let them know how easy it is to place an order online by explaining the process. You could dedicate a team to talking key clients through the process or create a series of short, how-to videos, shared via email and social media.

3. Offer Website Discounts

Encourage your customers to try out your new online store by offering exclusive web store discounts. If clients aren’t used to shopping with your online, they might need a bit of encouragement to get them used to it. Entice them with free shipping or a promotional code.

4. Personalised Marketing

Appeal to your customers wants and needs by offering personalised content. The ability to personalise offers, promotions, prices and payment terms can help to up-sell and cross-sell products, encourage product trial and increase basket size. This all adds up to more revenue for you as well as a better experience for your customers.

5. Educate In-house

Finally, you need to make sure your existing in-house sales team understand how your eCommerce platform works. Crucially, they need to be confident in explaining the process to clients. It’s worth putting aside some time for in-house training. Sales-reps who still make face-to-face calls can then place orders online on behalf of clients, demonstrating how the platform works in the process.

The key is to make sure your customers understand the advantages of your online sales portal, and that they experience it for themselves. If you need help with your b2b eCommerce website, find out more about GOb2b our integrated eCommerce platform.