More than anything, retail buyers just want to be able to do their job. They don’t want to jump through hoops or battle your technology. They want a solid buying experience they can rely on. That means your brand needs to serve up effective tools focused on making life easier for your buyers. Here are 6 ways your B2B can help achieve that goal.
1) Everything All In One Place…
Stop making your buyers jump from tool to tool. Your B2B should be the single destination for all their needs, from pre-season planning, to educational content, to marketing materials, to orders. That means a full suite of content and commerce tools that covers everything a buyer needs to accomplish, all behind a single login.
2) …And Always Shoppable
If a buyer wants to add a product to an order, they need to be able to do it from any experience inside your B2B. Running through product education? Diving into the latest product marketing? Building an assortment? Always surface the ability to add to order… no matter where a buyer is within the B2B.
3) Let Buyers See Inventory
45% of brands don’t provide inventory numbers to retailers. How are your buyers supposed to build successful orders if they don’t know what you have in stock? Make life easier for them, give them a window into inventory numbers, and watch order numbers improve.
4) Delight With Engaging Content
Effective commerce tools are a must, but never underestimate a first (or third, or fifth) impression. You can drive more orders by delivering exciting landing pages that highlight your product with attention-grabbing design and education. Retailers sell more of what they know. So, make it easy to learn about your products. When they log in, they’ll get all the latest information, and be immediately excited about what your brand has to offer.
5) Creating For Buyers First
As you create new content for your B2B portal, or discuss new features you want, always come at it from a buyer-centric perspective. Is this solution going to be low-friction for them, or solve a pain point they have? Optimize your B2B around the retailer and buyer, not whatever is the latest and greatest technological trend.
6) Building A Real Relationship With Reps
Technology is amazing, and your B2B does a lot of heavy lifting for you. For many buyers, the autonomy they get from a 24/7, connected B2B portal is essential. But, never discount the value of an actual relationship, and the human touch in an experience.
One of the most powerful pieces of your B2B strategy is your rep team. These are the people that are going to build lasting relationships and help guide your retailers to success – which means growth for your brand. Make sure your B2B has solid communication and reporting tools so reps and retailers can work together more effectively.
Your B2B can either help or hinder your buyers, and that directly affects the growth of your brand. Make sure you're delivering tools and experiences that are built with a buyer’s life in mind and everyone will succeed, season over season.
