Top 5 eCommerce mistakes that are sabotaging your B2B sales
If you own a brand selling wholesale and B2B, we know that you are working hard to get new retailers and more B2B sales. (You can read our blog post on how to get your product in stores here)
That is why it is also a pity to see all your hard work go to waste, sabotaging your B2B sales as a result of fundamental eCommerce mistakes that could otherwise have been avoided.
In this blog post, we’ve gathered the top 5 eCommerce mistakes we see wholesale and B2B businesses do.
B2B eCommerce is growing. So if you can stay clear of these mistakes, we assure you that your eCommerce B2B sales will flourish.
#1 Not being digital
If you have a business selling B2B and wholesale, the worst eCommerce mistake you can make is not utilizing eCommerce. Still relying on a manual B2B sales process in 2021 is a big mistake!
So why is it so crucial to digitize your B2B sales? Well, because it is one of the best ways to scale and grow your business.
The list of benefits of using an eCommerce shop for your B2B sales is long; Better customer satisfaction, less time spent on repetitive and manual tasks, increased B2B sales, etc.
If you want to read more on the many benefits of B2B and wholesale eCommerce, you can find our blog post dedicated to that topic here.
#2 Having an unorganized eCommerce shop
Assuming you aren’t guilty of the worst B2B eCommerce crime – not digitizing your B2B and wholesale – the second-worst mistake you can do is to have an unorganized eCommerce store.
One of the many advantages of a B2B eCommerce store is that it is a breeze for your customers to order. If you do not put any thought into the layout of your B2B store, that advantage is as good as gone. Then you might as well stick to order sheets and emails.
Here are some of the most common problems that can make your B2B eCommerce store appear unorganized:
- Bad UI / UX
- Complex navigation
- No logic in order of products in the store
- Poor use of product categories
If you can avoid any of these four eCommerce obstacles, you are well on your way to having a clean and organized eCommerce shop that your customers will value.
#3 Overcomplicating your processes
The B2B sales process is often quite complicated – especially compared to B2C. It is not uncommon for a B2B brand to have dozens of pricelists, product exclusivity, intricate discount schemes, and a plentitude of payment terms.
The level of complexity is often the reason why some B2B and wholesale businesses are reluctant to digitize their sales process. Many are worried about losing control over the complicated and manual processes that they have been building for years.
But instead of keeping the complicated processes and staying manual, we recommend B2B and wholesale businesses to scale down the complexity.
Even if you can digitize your complex processes, an overcomplicated process will keep you from scaling and increase the risk of errors. It is okay to have a complicated B2B process, but you should always avoid an overcomplicated process.
#4 Not utilizing the visuals of an eCommerce store
As mentioned in mistake #1, one of the main benefits of using eCommerce for your B2B and wholesale is increased sales. The visual element of an eCommerce store is one of the main drivers behind this.
Before going digital, B2B and wholesale brands often find that retailers are ordering the same products again and again. They are never trying anything new from the product line. The customer simply isn’t enticed to try anything new solely based on a new product name on a list.
When building a B2B eCommerce, store you should always make sure to use product images – ideally, both studio shots, packshots, and lifestyle shots. Also, you should make sure that your webshop is aesthetically pleasing and matches your branding in terms of color scheme and logo.
Utilizing the visual advantage of a B2B eCommerce shop is a sure-shot way to sell more to your existing retailers. If you are not using some crisp product shots, you might as well stick to the manual price lists. Almost.
#5 Not keeping track of stock levels
The fifth and last B2B eCommerce mistake in this blog post is not keeping track of your inventory. This is not only a big no-no in B2B and wholesale but something that you would want to avoid in all businesses.
There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than ordering something only to be informed later that their order is actually not in stock. Ultimately this can cost you sales.
And even worse; Labeling something as out of stock that is, in reality, in stock. This will definitely cost you sales!
You want to make sure that you use B2B eCommerce software that can keep track of your stock levels easily and efficiently to avoid any mistakes.
Avoid these 5 eCommerce mistakes and grow your B2B sales
That’s it. The top 5 eCommerce mistakes that are sabotaging your B2B sales.
If you think it sounds like a lot of work to avoid mistakes and ensure an efficient B2B eCommerce store, think again! Using Turis as your B2B eCommerce platform will help you avoid these mistakes and make sure that your setup is efficient.
Book an online demo of Turis and begin experiencing the benefits of B2B eCommerce right away.