More companies are turning to digital B2B sales as a sales channel alongside their other sales. But if you're considering implementing an e-commerce solution, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Today, two-thirds (68%) of Nordic B2B companies use digital channels to do business. This includes a variety of solutions such as e-commerce platforms, client portals and digital product catalogs.
In this article, we look at how to get started, develop, and succeed with your B2B digital sales.
The evolution of B2B sales is incremental
No matter where you are in your digitalization journey, it is important to remember that all development processes take place in several small steps. This is also true when implementing an e-commerce solution in your business.
If your business doesn’t yet have B2B digital sales, a good first step would be to create a digital product catalog on your website, and an option for customers to request a quote via a web form.
If you've already made some progress on your digital sales journey, there are also small steps that can take you further. For example, you could connect different sales data and start analyzing it in new ways, or invest in a PIM system to get a better overview of the digital information available about your products.
READ MORE: How to succeed in B2B e-commerce
When considering e-comment solutions, it is important to stay focused on progress rather than solely on the end goal. Focusing too much on the final outcome can feel overwhelming, and you may risk creating obstacles for your organization. Instead, look at the next small step you can take. Complete that step, and then determine what the following step should be.
Have one or two people driving digitalization
When you start your B2B digital sales, it's important to maintain momentum . Therefore, make sure that one or two people have this as their main responsibility. If it is handled alongside other tasks, there is a high risk that it will be deprioritized.
When a few people focus on digital commerce, they can more quickly identify areas for streamlining, drive internal training, and share suggestions and ideas from the organization.
See B2B sales as a complement – not a competitor
Implementing digital B2B sales does not mean changing traditional sales methods. Instead, it's about reaching new customers or segments that were previously out of reach, expanding your market potential.
There are many benefits of digital commerce in B2B. Salespeople are freed from routine administrative tasks when existing customers handle some of their own orders. They then have more time for customer visits and follow-ups, helping with larger purchases, and presenting new or complementary products.
READ MORE: How to maximize your digital B2B business
In addition, when companies face a recession or are highly competitive, digital B2B sales can help them gain market share in new areas.
4 steps to succeed with your B2B digital sales
1. Determine your KPIs
When you start a digitization journey, you need to be clear about which KPIs you want to follow. Without a clear picture of what you want to happen, it will be impossible to know if you have reached your goal.
Some common KPIs for B2B digital commerce are:
- traffic to your digital commerce site
- number of online purchases made
- order value
- number of days in the sales cycle
Make sure this is clear from the start, and find out where you can find the data you want to look at.
2. Review how the internal processes will work
Often, the biggest challenge is not in the technical implementation, but the internal processes. Therefore, it’s important to review current sales flows, assess the systems being used, and think how these would function within a digital sales channel. Hiring dedicated staff to focus on the new way of working is also a good idea, as it’s easy to fall back into old habits.
The changes may not be that big, but if they are not in place, you risk creating unnecessary bottlenecks that reduce the effectiveness of your e-commerce.
3. Collect and analyze data
Digitizing your B2B sales also opens up new types of data collection. Unfortunately, few companies actually use this data to strengthen their market position.
By carefully analyzing the digital sales process and understanding customer behavior, companies can easily identify obstacles and make the buying process faster and smoother.
The most important thing is to have the courage to look at this data and interpret the numbers step by step. This way, you can continuously improve your processes and optimize your sales.
4. Find a stable and reliable partner
Perhaps the most important advice for getting started quickly with a B2B digital sales channel is to team up with a stable and reliable partner. It should be someone who has helped companies like yours make the same journey and understands every step of the digitalization process.
At Litium, we are available for an informal meeting to discuss your needs and goals for your B2B digital sales. Get in touch with us or take a look at previous customer cases from other B2B companies to get inspired. It's never too late to start investing in digital commerce.
Don't miss our latest report, Nordic Digital Commerce in B2B 2024, which examines digital commerce for B2B companies in the Nordics.