In a study of more than 6,500 buyers, well over 80% of respondents stated that they expected their business purchasing journeys to follow along similar lines to their personal shopping experiences.
This conforms to Gartner’s prediction, made in 2014, that over 70% of B2B customers would be looking for a personalised buying experience within the next four years. Those figures have turned out to be highly accurate, although 77% of businesses surveyed believed that they could still be doing more by way of offering personalised experiences to their customers.
Personalisation for a faster purchasing journey
A personalised experience covers a host of options, from giving buyers details of previous orders and transactions, through to storing payment and delivery details for faster access on subsequent visits. Some companies also offer customisable ordering processes and dynamic pricing options, which also serve to speed up the purchasing journey.
Customers want self-service transactions
Over half of buyers surveyed said that they were on the lookout for self-service options, citing it as one of the most crucial factors in their online purchasing experience. Almost 90% of buyers stated that their preference was for self-service transactions, which is good news for the sellers. They can focus the attention of their sales teams on more urgent matters, saving both time and money. Depending upon your business model, you could allow customers to change or modify their delivery options, arrange for recurring orders and even reschedule deliveries.
And don’t forget chatbots, which can greatly enhance your customers’ online buying experience. These automated bots can be as simple or as sophisticated as you need them to be, answering questions, upselling and dealing with minor queries, without interrupting your sales teams.
Great content adds value for customers
Your website content can do a great job of selling your products or services when approached in the right way. The key to success is in finding the correct ‘voice’ with which to address your web visitors, ensuring that you deliver relevant and useful content that adds genuine value to the purchasing journey.
Well-written content addresses the pain points of your site visitors, speaking directly to them in language that resonates. The aim is to make your sales pitch simply irresistible, so spend as much time as necessary to ensure that all web content fulfils its role to perfection.
Voice of the Customer (VOC)
VOC has been around for a while now, but it’s currently more important than ever in the business world. Understanding your customers’ needs is key to success, but you need to make sure that your entire site resonates with your web visitors at all times.
Use surveys, meetings and focus groups to identify what your potential customers are searching for and then make sure that you give them the experience that they crave. This approach will keep them coming back for more, creating a long-term link with your products or services and thereby ensuring the continued growth and success of your own business.
Modern-day innovations continue to fuel the daily challenges faced by management teams. Why not get in touch with us at RC&A and find out how we can help.
