Business people rushing towards success

Upcoming B2B marketing trends, this 2020

The B2B marketing trends has seen extensive growth in the last 5 years. But the industry has hit a roadblock in directional thinking in the last 2 years.

eg., In order to collect product data, without gauging importance of the kind of data that could be uploaded, most companies now have a huge amount of data in their hands. Most of this data is not relevant to the end consumer.

Learning from failures, 2020 will see a new generation of informed B2B marketers whose choices and decisions would be based on information and strategies.

Marketing Technology Systems

Most businesses have a multitude of marketing technology system in place. If not one, the other would do the intended job.

This 2020, will see the rise of the ‘all-in-one’ marketing technology systems that would be able to do a multitude of solutions. Systems that don’t provide much value will be scrapped.

As a result of this, B2B web developers will see a good year. New solutions will be introduced providing high quality user experience.

Theme-sites is going to be a No Go

Keeping in mind that most B2B businesses now focus on brand identity and extensive online user experience, one can conclude that theme- based word-press designs will be obsolete.

With multiple websites using the same theme, viewers have now started to find it boring to say the least, thus resulting in a lack of interest in viewing the website itself.

B2B businesses, now are ready to invest in custom made website designs, that resonate their beliefs and products they sell.

Focus on the right data

With the need of data to share with their customers, B2B businesses have been collecting data for the last couple of years.

After doing so, it has been found out with much deliberation, that most companies now a huge amount of data to deal with.

So they are looking at managing the right data. scrapping data could be a tedious yet very resourceful in the end.

2020 will see businesses make data driven strategic decisions.

Customer centric

2020 will see the rise of customer centric software and websites. Most websites will focus on providing customer centric online experience.

Combined with the sole reason to get the end customer’s attention, all strategies will based on consumer behaviour and the related science.

Google Ads

With easy accessibility to Google ads, now every B2B an B2C that can be documented and verified on the success rates. When you decide that you can pay Google for every click, Google will decide where and how to show the ad.

Most multi dollar companies, have a huge budget for online advertising. Utilizing this budget can have a positive impact on your business revenue. Keeping in mind SEO, SEM and other digital marketing services could prove beneficial to your 2020 online gameplan.

Sales Vs Marketing

2020 will see the amalgamation of sales and marketing under one roof. With both being interdependent, you will be trying to reach out hyperspecialized targets.

Using demographics and predictive behaviour, targeted marketing techniques will be developed to reach out to the right decision-making individuals.

Gaining better understanding of the prospect will help B2B companies develop precise strategies that could be deployed.

Not all Content is useful content

People have been writing content for the last couple of years for the sake of writing content. Believing that content marketing is the most important form of marketing, marketers have been uploading junk in the name of content the last 3years.

2020, will see the undo of this culture. Content will be directed towards providing valuable information. High quality content will be produced keeping in mind the evolved B2B consumer, who can now differentiate valuable content against trash.

2020 will see the boom of the evolved B2B consumer who can differentiate faff from quality content. Focussing on brand, targeted marketing and talking the right words, would prove beneficial for your

Looking to play the game right, this 2020?

Altius Technologies can help you with the rules of the game

 
Get a Demo

Ashok V

Online R&D of e-stores, Revenue Generation Consultant at Altius Technologies

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Choosing the right eCommerce Platform – Dos and Don’ts

Today, the best way for a business to reach out to its target customers is to go online. However, simply putting your product list on the internet is not going to be of any help. You need to plan and strategize in a way to offer your customers the same shopping experience that one can get while shopping in a physical store. And to do that, one needs to select the best possible platform to launch their eCommerce business. Once you get the right things right, you can then start off by putting the digital advantages to use like automation and streamlining of manual tasks. One must always remember that eCommerce can be as challenging and demanding as any other type of business. Choosing the right eCommerce platform is highly crucial to determine the success ratio of your business.In this article, we will look at the various dos and don’ts of choosing the right eCommerce platform for your online business. An eCommerce platform acts as a spine for any online retail business and helps you compete online. Forrester has predicted that B2B eCommerce transactions will reach a whopping $1.5 trillion by 2021. Whether B2B or B2C, eCommerce platform helps you streamline all your business facets like vendors/suppliers, customers, and employees. It helps you execute complex business functions like inventory management, CRM, payment, and so on. Before we figure out ways of choosing the right eCommerce platform for your online business, let us look at the different types of eCommerce platforms available.

Fully Customizable

This type of eCommerce platform requires you to appoint a team internally or externally in order to develop it. Only niche businesses that have their own specifications and requirements tend to go for this type of eCommerce platforms.

Traditional Platforms

This type of eCommerce platform has a license that must be purchased and renewed periodically. The team can then work on the platform to customize it as per their requirements and then install it on cloud or on-premise.

Open Source Platforms

They are similar to traditional platforms except there is no need to purchase the license. However, you may have to pay for the initial development, implementation, ongoing development, upgrades, and migration.

Cloud Platforms

These eCommerce platforms are hosted on the cloud. Like traditional and open-source platforms cloud platforms also require regular maintenance and installation of upgrades.

SaaS Platforms

This eCommerce platform is generally built on a single codebase. Hence, it offers the same technology for a fixed monthly fee. Once you make up your mind about the type of e-commerce platform that seems suitable for your business, you must start considering the following points to choose the right eCommerce. Here is a list of dos and don’ts you must take into account while choosing the right eCommerce platform.

Dos

  • The different types of costs – Direct and Indirect. Direct costs include license fee, renewal fee, development costs, and the initial cost of site-building. The indirect are maintenance costs, UI & UX changes costs, upgrading costs, and the addition of new features or improvement costs.
  • The different tools you will need to run the business. That will be the determining factor to decide the plugins for the eCommerce website. Some examples of useful plugins are Accounting plugins, Email marketing tools, Apps to help in shipping and reward the customers, etc.
  • The right eCommerce platform must be SEO friendly, allowing you to post a blog, or enabling your customers to leave a review. Being SEO friendly ensures that your website ranks high on the search engine.
  • The right eCommerce platform must allow you to mobile-optimize your website. Since more than 60% of the searches are done from mobile devices, and most of those searches end up in purchases, it is important to make your eCommerce website mobile friendly.
  • The right eCommerce platform must offer an exceptional user interface. Offering a memorable shopping experience to your customers will help you in customer retention. Always remember, having an eCommerce business online is no different from owning a physical store.
  • The right eCommerce platform must offer a secure payment procedure. Your customers must be rest assured that their personal information is safe and payment details are secured.
  • Always check to make sure your eCommerce platform supports HTTPS/SSLenabling a safe and secure checkout for the customers.
  • The right eCommerce platform must allow you to scale up your website as and when your business starts to grow.
  • Keep your product catalogs updated in real-time. Application Program Interface (APIs) will help you do that with ease.
Once you know what to do to choose the right eCommerce platform, you automatically know what not to do. After choosing the right eCommerce platform, here are some don’ts to refrain from.

Don’ts

  • Do not stack your product images. Going online does not mean you have ample space to showcase all your product images.
  • Don’t make the product exchange or return process difficult for your customers. This will lead to customer attrition.
  • Don’t make false promises to your customers. Remember, you must follow what you preach, else you will be unable to retain your customers.
  • Don’t miss out on offering post-sales customer service. Efficient post-sales customer service goes a long way with customer satisfaction.
  • Don’t ignore customer grievances. Customers can complain for various reasons like poor website interface or poor customer support. Working on these grievances will eventually help you improve your business.
  • Don’t rush, be patient. It takes time for a business to transition from offline to online. It takes time to reach out to people and it takes time for people to reach out to you.
Starting a business always holds challenges; however, eCommerce proves to be a new channel that can be leveraged to increase business sales and revenue. Ecommerce is all about providing the right shopping experience to your customers. And, choosing the right eCommerce platform will help you a long way. So, plan for the future, choose an eCommerce platform for tomorrow.

Deepika

Responsible for Revenue generation and Enhancing User Experience in e-stores
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How Distributors & Manufacturers Double their Revenue in the first 3 Quarters?

Fortunately, thanks to the advancement of eCommerce industry, customers can find everything online ranging from cosmetics to electronics. And thanks to the upsurge of internet users across the globe, the eCommerce market is worth $1.1 trillion. However, the same internet upsurge that has benefited the e-commerce industry has become a source of competition for the distributors, retailers, and manufacturers. A market study shows that in 2018, 47.3% of internet users have made successful online purchases and the number has grown ever since. This clearly means that eCommerce distributors and manufacturers have a large scope of enhancing their profits. If you are looking for ways to take advantage of this growth, then this blog offers a master strategy that will double your revenue in the first 3 quarters, and in just 4 easy steps.

Standardize the Content

Needless to say, strong content helps you attain customer trust. Standardizing the content and efficient content marketing helps you in customer retention. A useful content strategy includes:
  • High-quality, detail-oriented, and informative product descriptions
  • A well-defined Schema to improve your search engine results. A recent study has shown that websites with schema rank an average of 4 positions higher in the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).
  • A user-friendly taxonomy to showcase your product list, enhancing the online shopping experience for the buyers
  • Appropriate meta titles and meta descriptions to make your website visible on the SERPs
  • Comprehensive product catalogs for showcasing product range
  • Product reviews to reflect the honest opinions of the existing customers.
There are roughly only 0.3% websites that are standardizing the content in real sense. This means you have more chances of increasing your visibility on SERPs by following a robust content strategy. Click here to view some best practices of writing product descriptions.

Build an online catalog

Distributors and manufacturers can be highly benefited by creating an online catalog of their products. Firstly, an online catalog offers an immediate view of all changes in the product list available for buyers. In today’s competitive era, quick product updates can be offered with the help of e-catalog One of the most important advantages of having an e-catalog is being able to sync the inventory across the value chain. For instance, if a manufacturer chooses to stop producing a product, the entire value chain is updated immediately and the product stops appearing in the e-catalog. This prevents any order being placed for the same product and saves any unsuccessful purchases. This means attracting more retailers, resulting in better sales. In addition, here are some more advantages of e-catalogs:
  • More accurate orders leading to better customer satisfaction
  • Better purchasing process
  • Reduced raw material costs like paper, printing, and so on.
  • Reduced costs for data processing operations.
Click here to read more about choosing the right platform for creating online catalogs.

Build an API

API or Application Programming Interface is a gateway that connects two distinct databases, helping them communicate better. For instance, with the help of API two different e-catalogs can be easily uploaded online. APIs will connect your products with other products without the need for implementation. APIs will also sync the inventory online keeping the product list updated in real time. Here are some benefits of building an API
  • APIs can instantly help the retailers and distributors go online. This will eventually help them attract more customers online, increasing their revenues.
  • APIs can help distributors and manufacturers create a network with their clients, vendors, suppliers, partners and even employees.
  • APIs help to streamline operations

Promote your Products

A detailed product description made available to the customers through e-catalog does half the work for the distributors. A large percentage of the other half goes to product promotion. Studies have shown that 64.6% of people click on Google ads anytime they are wanting to buy something online. Here are some ways in which you can promote your products online.
    Search Engine Optimization (SEO) defines the product for its target audiences. SEO establishes the technical parameters that allow your product to appear on the top search results and helps you direct your customers to the most convenient distributor or retailer available.

    Conclusion

    Standardizing content, e-catalog creation, API creation, and Online product promotion are the four key strategies that will attract more customers to your websites. By following these steps, customers will have an enjoyable shopping experience. This means the buying decision made on the website has increased by over 63% which means increased sales and revenue generation.

Ashok V

Online R&D of e-stores, Revenue Generation Consultant at Altius Technologies
2022

Will Distribution Business Survive Beyond 2022?

Distributors and wholesale dealers are not new to the B2B eCommerce industry. Throughout the eCommerce supply chain, distributors, manufacturers, and wholesalers face immense pressure and end up spending billions of dollars just to survive in the market. According to a recent market survey, almost 40% of the distributors feel the competitive pressure against manufacturers due to increased digitalization. This is because retailers can simply go online to get in touch with the manufacturers directly on the online wholesale marketplace. And this means that the eCommerce chain remains functional even in the absence of distributors. Due to technological ignorance, distributors feel left out. According to the market research in the last Fiscal year, 52% of the distributors have an eCommerce website, out of which 80% do not have a web store plan for the next two years. Despite the fact that the eCommerce industry is offering opportunities worth $6.6 Trillion to the distributors; more than 70% of the distributors are falling behind in the race due to eCommerce immaturity and lack of technology. Distribution is a costly sales channel because of
  • Inefficient work structure
  • Inadequate market coverage
  • Insufficient financial support from the channel partners
  • Inadequate online presence
  • Insufficient knowledge about technology and software
End-users reach out to wholesalers directly due to their competitive pricing and strong online presence. Distributors fail to offer a competitive buying experience to the end-users, which is one of the preferential factors for the end-users, according to a market survey. The reason being, a majority of distributors fail to apply a good Product Information Management (PIM) system. This makes the work structure inefficient, lowers employee productivity, and increases maintenance cost making distribution an expensive sales channel. This is a vicious cycle that will go on unless specific measures are taken to bring changes in the channel. If you are a distributor, you must get ready to face the cut-throat competition in the race of digital transformation and follow some steps which will help you survive beyond the year 2022. So, what is it that a distributor must do?

Go Digital

Due to the overwhelming trend of online business, the distributors of the B2B industry are trying their best to establish an online presence before their competitors. However, before going online, try to conduct market research, understand what your customers are looking for, how much they are ready to spend, and who their favorite suppliers are. Unfortunately, there is a large percentage of distributors who have been in the market for more than a decade, offering a good customer experience through physical stores but, lack the knowledge of online sales. Take small steps to make a bigger impact. Below are some steps that you can follow to prepare yourself for the fierce online competition.
  • Optimization. Optimize your website pop-ups to attract and retain new customers.
  • Online Channels. Identify the right channels for online sales for your business. Not all channels are suitable. Look out for channels that help you reach your target audience. Identify the top and bottom performing channels and optimize them based on their ability to support sales.
  • Connect. Help retailers and sub-distributors go online. Connect with them allowing them to reach out to you, whenever required.
  • Customer Satisfaction. It is important to maintain the same customer service as your physical stores for better customer retention.
  • Security. Have an eye on the hackers who focus on data leaks and cybercrimes

Reduce Costs

The next 3 years are critical for the B2B distributors. Over the years, distributors have spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on sales. From now on, they need to work smart and the first wise decision to make is to develop an IT infrastructure at low cost. Here’s how the distributor can make its mark over the online platform and also save money and time while doing so.
  • Reduce your IT infrastructure costs. You only require the essential features that will add to the functionality of your online setup. Including different types of add-ons and features will only increase cost.
  • Identify the right cloud platform. Cloud platforms offer a competitive edge over your competitors. An ideal cloud platform offers unlimited storage space, reliable and secure data management, automatic software restoration, high speed and mobility.
  • Cloud Vs On-Premise. Move your IT infrastructure to cloud rather than on-premise to reduce maintenance costs.
  • Make the right choice. Identify the right eCommerce platform to go online. The eCommerce platform must be user-friendly, flexible, customizable and cost-effective.

Outsourcing

Distributors can simply be left out if they do not show an online presence. However, focusing on online visibility is not the only task the distributor must focus on. They must also take care of logistics, vendors, sales channels, and much more. In order to increase the online visibility and simultaneously lower the burden from the team, you need experts who can take care of the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Marketing (SMM) activities. Let your team focus their time and energy on other important aspects of the business.
  • Outsource. Outsource your SEO and SMM activities to an external agency. You can view the monthly reports to see how the company is performing online.
  • Consistency. SEO activities must be a regular activity and have a periodic frequency. For instance, have strict timelines for your website to appear on the top page of the search engines, regular posts on social media pages, and so on.
  • Experts handling. Let professionals handle the various types of content pieces for your business. Effective content for an eCommerce website includes detailed product description, well-structured schema, and well-structured product taxonomy. All of these content segments are essential to provide a better shopping experience to your customers.
  • Content Management. Posting high-quality content with essential keywords is important for greater online visibility. Let your content be relatable to your readers. Include knowledge-sharing blogs, articles, infographics and images, vlogs, podcasts, etc., on your website regularly. In addition, content curation and management for products are crucial to building trust and reliability with your customers.

Exploring

Distributors rely on long-standing relationships with their existing customers but do not focus enough on creating a new customer base. Attracting new customers is as important as retaining the old ones. This can be made possible by exploring different markets and sales opportunities.
  • Expansion. Consider expanding to newer markets. Try to understand your customers’ needs, analyze the changing trends of shopping, and expand your business to related products. Diversion based on customer needs can contribute significantly to business revenues.
  • Exploration. A distributor must be open to exploring new markets and discovering the various importing options available. This allows the distributors to be more reachable to their retailers and end-users.

Conclusion

Let the retailers approach you, for unique services that the manufacturers are unable to offer, such as Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) tools that automate the process of distribution and saves the retailer’s time and money. Retailers have to simply reorder, and the distributor provides whatever is being ordered, allowing the retailer to never run out of stock. This becomes possible when the distributor has a strong online presence. This way, distributors are bound to survive for many more years to come.

Arun Venkatraman

Helping CXOs succeed in the digital era by helping them capitalize on data and technology
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The future of Industrial B2b e-Commerce

Research states that high digital-quotient (DQ) companies generate five times the average compounded annual growth rate and 8% higher shareholder returns as their lower-performing competitors. B2B customers now expect a B2C experience but have less time to spare.

Personalization of your service goes a long way

The last couple of years has seen a paradigm shift in the customers’ requirements and B2B companies’ investment priorities. More and more B2B companies have started to provide a personalized experience to their customers.

Account specific storefronts- Customers want to see their purchase history

Dynamic B2B pricing, digitized line sheets that prioritize reordering, and customizable orders are some of the recent trends amongst. Customers now expect accessibility of transaction history, payment methods and delivery options when specific products are clicked.

Product recommendations in the same window

When you buy one specific product, it makes sense to present another product that can be used along with the product being viewed currently. This could enable bunch selling and increase sales.

Customized price list for every customer

Customers like to be given preference over others. Customized price list could reflect the no. of products being bought, price with discount, delivery charge and the amount being saved by the customer. Some organisations work on app as well. The same can be reflected in the app as well.

Customized catalogs based on preferences

Every buyer is unique and different. Customizing your catalog as per the buyer’s industry and needs may prove beneficial for you in the long run. The customer feels valued and reflects well on your brand image.

Dynamic content- what do you stand for?

Content is key in any website. Your website content should reflect for who you are, what you do and what you stand for. Most customers will buy a product from you and not from anybody else, because of the kind of brand you reflect to be.

Customers can do it all on their own, all the way, on their time

Customers today do not want any assistance when they step online to purchase their shopping list. They like to do their research, look for the right product, at the right price and make the purchase. They do not like to be handheld to the checkout. Having a fast and reliable self-service feature plays an important part in your brand experience.

Valuable content for every purpose

Customers are always in different stages of the purchase journey.
  • Awareness-stage buyers-they require preliminary information about the problem they’re currently facing, and solutions they can rely on. These prospects will be looking for blog posts, white papers, and eBooks.
  • Consideration-stage buyers – they know their options and are now comparing and guaging People at this stage want to see product comparison charts and infographics, as well as product demo videos.
  • Decision-stage buyers – they want to know that your company is the one they should purchase the product Here, you will need to convince them that you give them more value for the product that they intend to purchase—and any information that you want them to know about your company.
You need a team to be working on your content all the time. Emails, chatbots, social media posts, blogs, whitepapers, case studies, articles etc., is the way to increase your brand value amongst customers.

Voice of the customer in AI

As Abbie Griffin and John R. Hauser explains in a report from MIT: “Voice of the Customer provides a detailed understanding of the customer’s requirements, a common language for the team going forward in the product development process, key input for the setting of appropriate design specifications for the new product or service, and a highly useful springboard for product innovation.” Today in most cases customers type what they are looking for. In the next few months/by 2021, you will see customers talking into computers looking to purchase products. With AI being used abundantly by Amazon and Google in the products, the same experience will be expected during B2C and B2B shopping as well.

Data is everything

As you track your customer’s behaviour through your website. You learn them and create content they love.
  • When you see a certain blog or content that is being ‘LIKED’ or “READ” multiple times, you know the content/subject is getting traction. You create more content around the same.
  • When you notice that more and more support tickets are being raced regarding a specific feature, you develop more informational content for your customers.
  • If your wait time for live chat support is abysmal compared to industry standards, you look for alternatives.

Product performance is key in any business

If your product is no good, you tend to lose a customer. Selling a top performing product will make you’re a top seller as well. Keep in mind you need to keep a moving stock. Hoarding non-performing products in the warehouse will only cost you. Keeping seasonal sales in mind, you need to figure your inventory accordingly.

Shorter sales cycle=more time for your sales team

The shorter the sales cycle, the more time your sales team gets to nurture new leads and work on generating more sales. Many B2B companies struggle to integrate their collected data into their various systems and processes. Specifically, only 47% of companies consider their ability to integrate data into their CRM system to be “intermediate” or better. Hence the sales cycle is interrupted with incomplete / obsolete data.

Don’t alienate your trust signifiers

Your “About Us” page, privacy policy, and legal page (also known as the terms and conditions.) are very important for every B2B e-store. While these often won’t be looked at until later in the process, they help confer legitimacy. Having the minutest details mentioned in these pages could take you a long way.

Use and update buyer personas

Different parties within the same organisation could be coming to your e-store to search for products. Make sure you speak a language all of them can understand. Also, since we live in an evolving consumer world, it is best to stay abreast with all market studies that reflect your buyer personas.

Follow up proactively

With B2C using cookies to understand and track buyer behaviour, the same can be used in B2B as well. Many a times, products a customer may have seen few days back may pop up in social media platforms as he is looking at the page wall. The same can be applied for B2B as well. 2020 is here in a few months. It is time you started to work on a plan that could make you stand out from the rest of the B2B crowd. Vision a future for your company that is customer centric and customer inspired. Looking for more inspirations, get in touch with us.

Sulak B

eCommerce Strategist helping with effective eStore Product Data and increase conversions at Altius Technologies
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How Data Enrichment Services Help In Market Identification?

All businesses work under the pretext of profit maximization. Today with the abundant availability of data across industries, companies prefer to base their marketing strategies on the data collected. As a B2B company, you would have enough information about the kind of customers that buy your products. Understanding these customers could benefit you in designing your marketing strategies or even future re-alignment of the company.

Data Enrichment

This involves cleaning and enhancing of raw data. Meaning, Data enrichment makes data more valuable to you. The common enrichment processes are just about correcting typos and product content. But have you thought about enriching your lead data? You know its incomplete and it has so much potential to help you design your efforts towards increasing sales. You can get your data enriched and segregated based on
  • Geography: Location, postal code, and country
  • Demographics: Age, gender, income, and education
  • Behavior: Preferred purchases and forms of communication

How is this data helpful to you?

In-depth buyer segmentation

By categorizing buyers under the tabs of age, gender, occupation and of-course the kind of products they have purchased, you can club them into different groups. You can curate your marketing efforts based on the group you want to target. Answering questions they might have could prove to be a great conversation starter between the company and the customers directly.

Customer Experience

Forming a long-lasting relationship with your customer is pivotal in any business relationship. The enriched data could show the direction on enhancing customer experience online/offline in-order for you to take to achieve this.

Lead scoring

Enriched data gives you more insights on leads. This helps you understand who they are and what did they last do on your site- online/offline. Focussing on existing customer’s buying behaviour help you gauge the missing factor and therefore prioritize the same to gain new customers. To a large extent web scrapping also helps you in providing information with regards to leads.

Personalization

Regardless of B2C or B2B, a customer likes to be treated well and approached in a personal way. He does not like mass advertising, nor is he influenced by it. The learning here, know your customer inside out. Not all customers think alike. Everybody is different. Yet they can be grouped in different sets, based on a certain set of values. Data enrichment can give you a deep understanding about who your customers are, their demographics, location, likes and dislikes etc.,. This data can help you curate campaigns to target a specific set of customers. The perks of getting your lead & existing customer data enriched Most B2C companies make sure that their marketing team understands their customers. Customers evolve over time. The same can be expected for B2B customers as well. Everybody is unique and change is constant. Understanding this evolution over time is very important for every business. Having a deep- rooted insight of your leads and existing customers can help you plan your business better.
  • Increase the conversion rates on your landing page
  • Improve your product sales
  • Score your leads
  • Develop a personal approach to your lead
  • Categorize your data
To get optimal result out of your data post enrichment, it is very important you choose the right partner for the job. With many entities out there promising an undistinguishable plethora of data, you need to understand if their source is reliable and if the team is dependable. Getting to work with junk data or wrong or bad data will result in a no hope result. Experts at Altius Technologies have proven efficient in working with old data and finding a way to correct wrong data. The teams focus on finding a solution instead of finding a faster way out of the problem. Make sure your make the right choice now. Book a demo and learn more about how we could help you.

Ravinthar R

Asses e-stores and recommend revenue generating SaaS solutions
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Improve your online product content for conversion

With B2C marketplaces setting a benchmark for seamless shopping online, B2B e-stores are in the journey of picking up a thing or two from their B2C counterparts. A flawless and highly enjoyable shopping experience leads to final sales and in some cases repeat sales as well.

The focus has always been on the purchase journey. B2B customers now expect a B2C shopping experience. Here are a few tips that could improve your online product content and lead to conversion.

High-quality images

Customers buy what they see. Without a touch and feel experience, customers rely on pictures to make the decision to buy.

High-quality images and videos of the product can help the customer visualize the product.

Sometimes even videos explaining how the product would look when a user uses it can be uploaded to give the customer an unfiltered experience of the product without touching it in real.

Competitive pricing

Pricing is everything in businesses. Online shopping is no exemption. If you are in the business of selling branded products, make sure you sell them at/below the average price to induce sales.

The quality of the product along with your marketing will heavily influence the customer into buying the product.

Well structured webpage

Make sure your e-store has a well-structured home and related pages. Structuring your products in a logical manner but easy to the eye design will keep your visitor hooked to your page.

Also, focussing on easy navigation through the site gives a richer shopping experience.

Detailer product descriptions

Product descriptions are everything in this business. It is important you display the required fields of any given product properly in order to induce sales.

You should know by now, the kind of people who visit your site. Keeping them in mind, make sure you add all fields that would answer their questions regarding the product.

Accept product reviews

When was the last time you did not look for product reviews before buying the said product?

I bet you did.

Reviews play an important role in the decision-making process of your customers.

Make sure you follow up with your past customers for the review regarding the sold product.

Always make “Add to cart” button visible

Sometimes as the visitor browses through the product specs, he may be inclined to buy the product right away.

For this, an “ADD TO CART” button needs to be placed in the right place.

Placing the button at the bottom of the page may not be of any use. The button needs to be placed right after the product specs.

Search Engine Optimized Content

The content you add to your page has to be SEO friendly. You must use words that your visitors would normally use to search the products they need.

Not having an SEO optimized page is as good as not being present at all.

Personalized content

Creating personalized content for your visitors will shorten the path of purchase. Understanding your customers is key to achieve this.

Speaking the language your customers speak highly influences them to make the purchase.

Be it product content within the e-store or even the central messaging of the e-store, when you speak their language and provide solutions for their problems, there are higher chances of conversion.

E-store messaging

What does your e-store stand for? Come up with a unique selling proposition that resonates with your brand.

Trustworthy, approachable, 24/7 service, discounted price, etc., could be a starting point.

You need to position yourself differently in comparison to your competitors. Why else will a visitor buy from you instead of somebody else?

Live chat and 24/7 support

Having a Live chat is like having a salesperson to go to at any given time during the purchase journey for the visitor. With the advent of chatbots, now you can be present to help a visitor in a different time zone.

When you have a B2B e-store, make sure the purchase journey is rich and articulated well. Speaking about your customer language is key.

Make sure you have what it takes to present yourself in a unique way and still be relatable to your customers.

Looking to start your very own e-store or give a facelift to your existing e-store?

Altius Technologies can help you with this.

Get in touch with us and let’s start talking.

 

Govindaraj L

Responsible for Data Quality and Revenue Generation

Akeneo-PIM-Summit-1

Akeneo PIM Summit since Its Inception

Within the next few weeks, Akeneo PIM Summit will be held for the third time in Paris. Like always, the year 2020 will also gather all the PIM implementation partners, marketing teams, IT product managers, and eCommerce teams, and discuss the various trends in Product Information Management (PIM) industry.

In the year 2018, on January 17 & 18, Akeneo conducted its first annual summit. This was the first time when customers, partners, and experts from the industry came together to network, discuss, and of course, party.

Visitors from more than 17 countries were part of the 2-day summit. It had a highly engaging and informative agenda for the visitors, which made it a grand success. Likewise, the summit held on 6 & 7 February, 2019 was also successful and was dedicated to Akeneo’s customers and partners.

Every year, during the summit, Akeneo also makes new product announcements, and at the end of the 2-day summit, Akeneo awards some of their customers and partners prizes for the best B2B and B2C Akeneo projects.

This is to encourage innovation and promote better business ideas and opportunities. They also give away the Rookie award and the Audience award.

Over the years, Akeneo has had a simple aim of offering a platform to their customers and industry experts wherein everyone can learn about Akeneo’s vision for PIM, the role of PIM in product experience management, and discover the latest trends in the PIM industry.

Altius Technologies is excited to be a part of the Akeneo PIM Summit 2020. We have been one of the PIM implementation partners of Akeneo and are eager to network and exchange our knowledge with customers and industry experts.

Altius Technologies offer customizable B2B and B2C eCommerce consultancy services. Akeneo PIM Summit 2020 is a unique opportunity for our customers to meet us and discuss their eCommerce requirements.

With so many offerings and a platform to learn and engage, Akeneo PIM Summit is an event to look forward too.

No matter if you are a CMO or the head of eCommerce, register yourself for the summit now and let’s meet up to discuss more on eCommerce marketing strategies and PIM trends.

 

Arun Venkatraman

Helping CXOs succeed in the digital era by helping them capitalize on data and technology

Industrial-Tool-Show

E-Commerce for Industrial & Machine Tool businesses

Regional Industrial & Machine Tool show like the upcoming expo in Tulsa, Oklahoma is great for businesses to stay relevant and updated with the latest trend in the industry. It is a great opportunity for distributors, retailers to gauge their client expectations and needs.

E-Commerce is extending your existing physical business to supply your products & services to a global audience of the small, medium, large businesses. In order to scientifically organize and set-up your business on an e-commerce platform, expert assistance may be required.

Altius Technologies is a leading e-commerce solutions provider for businesses in need of expanding their business interest online, increasing conversion rate, lead count or improving customer satisfaction.

Keeping in mind the following trends may lead to the successful inclusion of e-commerce for your Industrial & Machine Tool business.

Customers desire personalization of services

An interesting trend that has come out is that B2B customers are now expecting B2C services only with lesser time to spare.

Businesses can personalize services by offering product recommendations in the same window, options for dynamic B2B pricing for bulk orders, accessibility of delivery options when specific products are clicked, payment & transaction history are some of the emerging trends in e-commerce for B2B such as Industrial & Machine Tools.

Improve connect with the global audience

Having a multi-lingual User Interface is a good option to have if your e-store is eyeing for a global audience.

Often the ‘privacy policy’, ‘terms & conditions page’ & ‘about us’ pages are least cared for but are increasingly becoming important to make it more visibly crisp and short to gain legitimacy among the global audiences.

Multiple Product attributes

Having multiple product attributes on a single product with genuine information can make a regional player evolve into a major supplier of industrial & machine tools.

Also, the demand for refurbished or obsolete machine parts to manufacturers around the world is only to be increased with E-Commerce.

We would love to invite you to come and experience our various tools and techniques like product data enrichment, product data cleansing, enriched segmentation, personalization, etc. at the upcoming Tulsa Industrial & Machine Tool Show at Expo Square – Central Park Hall, Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 6-7, 2020.

 

Arun Venkatraman

Helping CXOs succeed in the digital era by helping them capitalize on data and technology

Home-Builders

Opportunity for Home product & service distributors to prioritize their eCommerce essentials

There are specialized conventions for almost every trade. Businesses dealing with home products & services like flooring, kitchen, bath designs, and fixtures, window treatments, decks, fencing, windows, siding, doors, gardening tools, other building materials and so much more can prioritize their eCommerce essentials in an exclusive convention organized by the Home Builders Association of St.Louis and Eastern Missouri. 

The annual Building & Remodeling Show from September 25-27 2020 will be held at St. Charles Convention Centre in St. Louis.

The show is regarded as the Area’s Largest Fall Home Event that offers the local retailers, distributers to acquire newer ideas & receive expert advice from consultants to improve business. 

The previous editions of the show have claimed to have converged the interests of local distributors, retailers in finding the latest products and develop themselves both personally and professionally.

The upcoming 40th edition of the Building & Remodeling Show in St. Louis will showcase various eCommerce solutions from Altius Technologies for targeting online customers more efficiently.

Must have eCommerce essentials

The increasing base of online customers has encouraged companies to re-platform their B2B eCommerce platforms to improve their improve customer service. 

Altius Technologies recommends the following checklist to keep in mind for full digital integration that could lead to a seamless account, warehouse, sales, and inventory management. 

Improve product discoverability Using Fully-Faceted Search

Maintaining a large product catalog can be cumbersome and it is essential to make their discoverability as simple as possible. In such a scenario, a regular site search system becomes redundant.

However, using a full-faceted search index that includes comprehensive product attributes, filters, comparison feature, etc. will improve your product discoverability for your customers. 

Include Multi-Lingual Product Selection

Go international by having your products and information available in different languages online.

This will dramatically expand your business reach while giving you a competitive advantage.

Improve Back Order Management

Make use of the backorder management tool to ensure that you always have the required stock.

It will also enable you to give your customers the option to receive an automated backorder report on a specified schedule, track deliveries and monitor delivery statuses to provide an accurate ETA. 

Personalize Content with Targeted News

Segmenting your customers into groups will make the content and features of products more relevant to the customers.

The functionality will then allow accurate targeting of news, banners, and other content to improve visibility and enhance customer satisfaction.

Meet the representatives from Altius Technologies and get the first-hand experience of its various eCommerce solutions to boost your business at the upcoming Building & Remodeling Show on September 25-27 2020 in St. Louis.  

 

Arun Venkatraman

Helping CXOs succeed in the digital era by helping them capitalize on data and technology