Running a successful B2B eCommerce business requires a lot of teamwork. From marketing and product development to fulfillment and customer service, each role is critical to the success of your online shop. In our previous blog, How to Build a Successful B2B eCommerce Team, we analyzed the strategy for building a team. In Part 2 of this series, we’ll look at who to staff on your B2B eCommerce team so that your vision can be executed. 

Without further to-do, here are five key roles you need on your B2B team to make your eCommerce business thrive.

Manager!

The old saying goes, “a business is only as good as its management.” Old sayings and clichés become so ubiquitous and a part of our day-to-day lives because they are often true. And this is no different when it comes to managing an eCommerce team. A competent eCommerce manager is essential for ensuring that a business runs smoothly and efficiently. No matter what staff or plan you have in place, it will be for nothing if you fail as a manager or select the wrong team leader. A good manager must plan and organize work tasks, delegate responsibilities, and keep track of progress all while strategizing and keeping an eye on the long term. A successful manager must be able to spot potential problems and take steps to resolve them before they become serious. In short, a successful manager is essential for ensuring that a business runs smoothly and meets goals. In this current marketplace with all its unique challenges, finding and retaining a manager who can be all these things for you may be the toughest HR test to complete. Let’s be frank; it’s much easier to fill many other roles we’ve discussed through gig sites like Fiverr or Upwork, staffing firms, networking, or simple outreach. But you can’t afford to have a revolving door or an incompetent person in your manager role and still expect your eCommerce store to run well. This role is your highest priority.

Digital Copywriter

When it comes to B2B eCommerce, a qualified and experienced copywriter is truly crucial. These professionals understand the language and selling points that appeal to online businesses. More importantly, they effectively communicate these points through website content, product descriptions, advertisements, emails, social posts, and more. For the sake of conversation, let’s say you are in the financial services industry and require a copywriter. You may have a financial services copywriter at your disposal with a long track record of traditional marketing, but if they lack experience writing in the digital space, their financial services expertise may be lost on your audience. Writing for a digital audience differs entirely from writing for print or other traditional marketing avenues. The strategies that work in a mailer or a brochure do not always translate to social posts and subject lines. 

A skilled B2B copywriter also knows how to incorporate essential keywords for SEO purposes, helping your eCommerce site rank higher on search engines. In addition, they provide insights on how to engage B2B customers through email campaigns, social media strategies, and other digital marketing tactics. Overall, having an experienced B2B copywriter on your eCommerce team can increase sales inquiries and conversions in a highly competitive market.

Web Developer

For any business working in the digital space, having a highly skilled web developer on your B2B eCommerce team isn’t just a significant asset; it’s a must. Your website is often the first point of contact for potential B2B clients, and a well-designed site with smooth functionality can make all the difference in closing a sale. An experienced web developer also helps you stay ahead of current trends and technologies, ensuring that your own B2B eCommerce efforts are modern and effective and can be applied to your clients. Developers also see a unique set of problems and pain points than creative types since they are the ones working the back-end of websites. They see for themselves what logistically works and what doesn’t. They provide valuable user experience insights, helping improve customer satisfaction and increase conversions. Their unique insights can be used to build better sales campaigns, troubleshoot problems, and present a greater image of your company. Also, having a developer on staff will make your digital life much easier. There will always be functionality and programming issues arising from your site and its various appendages, and you’ll need a developer to fix them.

Designer

When it comes to B2B eCommerce, having a talented designer on your team makes a huge difference in your status and public perception. A good designer has the skills and experience to create visually appealing and professional web pages and promotional material. They understand the importance of functionality, ensuring that your company’s visual messaging matches the intended audience and your own internal standards. The odds are that the first exposure potential clients have to your brand will be created by your designer. Whether that’s a display ad, a social media post, or the header image on an email, your designer will have had a hand in creating that. As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The branded material you share with the world needs to make a strong impression that informs and directs your audience to take action. You can’t expect clients to put their faith in you if the elements that bear your company name aren’t good enough.

Marketing Director

Having a strong leader at the helm of your team is crucial. This level of leadership goes for any organization in any line of work. An experienced marketing director understands the intricacies of B2B sales and how to navigate the digital world. They also bring a wealth of expertise on how to reach and communicate with other businesses effectively. Furthermore, a skilled leader will know how to guide their team towards success, ensuring that all efforts are strategically aligned with overall company goals. In short, B2B eCommerce is a unique and ever-evolving space, so take notice of the value of an experienced marketing director as your team’s captain.

As a business-to-business company, a marketing director needs to think and plan for the long term. They need to have a strong understanding of current trends in eCommerce and how they may change in the future. This level of experience requires not only being able to analyze data and consumer behavior but also having creativity and foresight when it comes to developing marketing strategies. In addition, the marketing director must serve as a leader within the company, inspiring and guiding their team towards successful campaigns that drive profits and meet our long-term goals. A successful B2B marketing director must think about more than just the here and now but envision where we want to be in the future and create a plan to get there

Bringing it all together

Now that you know what your B2B eCommerce team needs and who they need, it’s time to get to work! We hope this guide comes in handy. But remember, there is no better teacher than ‘doing.’ So go find your eCommerce all-stars, put our strategies to work and always be nimble.

If you’d like a little more guidance on the B2B marketplace and how to succeed, book a chat with one of our team members today.

We’ve been in the B2B eCommerce business for some time now, nearly 25 years, to be exact. And we’ve learned a thing or two about the industry, but we’ve also banked a couple of lessons about internal success as well. The B2B eCommerce world comes with its own unique challenges. You need to have a team and structure in place that is capable of overcoming them. Part 1 of our B2B Team Building series will explain how to fill, support, and manage a successful B2B eCommerce team in today’s digital, remote age.

Seek Talent with Digital Marketing Experience

While there’s no doubt that traditional marketing has its place, the truth is today’s digital world, experience in digital marketing is becoming increasingly important. For one thing, how consumers interact with brands has changed dramatically in recent years, with more and more people using digital to research products and make purchase decisions. To reach and engage these consumers, businesses must have a solid digital presence. Additionally, digital marketing offers several advantages over traditional marketing, including tracking results and measuring ROI more effectively. As the importance of digital marketing continues to grow, experience in this field is becoming increasingly valuable.

Don’t be Afraid of B2C Talent

When it comes to business, there are two types of customers: business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B). Each type of customer has its own needs and wants, and it’s important to understand the difference when it comes to marketing and sales. Too often, B2B businesses overlook people with B2C experience, thinking they can’t transfer their skills to the B2B world. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, B2C experience can be precious in a B2B setting. B2C businesses are experts in understanding customer needs and desires, and they know how to craft messaging that resonates. They’re also skilled in managing customer relationships, using data to drive decisions, and creating loyalty programs. All of these skills are transferable to the B2B world. Businesses that overlook people with B2C experience miss out on a real asset. And, let’s be honest, B2C employees use the same platforms and strategies as B2B employees – Salesforce, Mailchimp, Dropbox, Hootsuite, Hubspot, and all of their competitors are used by both B2B and B2C brands alike. None of their offerings or capabilities are exclusive to either B2B or B2C.

Filling a Team via In-House or Outsource

There are many factors to consider when deciding whether to build an in-house team or outsource team-building services. An in-house team requires a significant initial investment, including the cost of hiring and training staff. Outsourcing team building can be a more cost-effective option since you won’t need to cover overhead expenses.

If you’re looking for team-building services that are highly specialized or cutting-edge, you’ll likely need to look outside of your organization. On the other hand, an in-house team may be a better option if you have a vision for your team-building activities. With an in-house team, you’ll have more control over the direction of the team-building process.

Finally, you’ll need to consider the size and scope of your team’s needs. If you have a large, complex organization, opting for an in-house team may make more sense. However, outsourcing may be the more practical solution if your team-building needs are more modest.

Be Flexible with Remote Employees

Working from home has become the new normal for many people, but that doesn’t mean it’s been a smooth transition. As an eCommerce employer, it’s essential to be flexible regarding remote workers. If you’re not open to Remote Employees, you will limit your talent pool severely. Your perfect, most ideal, most punctual, and productive employee is out there and is ready to join your team, but if you can’t get over the fact that they are in a different time zone, then you’ve already lost that resource.

Simply put, our digital eCommerce space gives us the ability to allow for more flexibility and  give our employees the time and space some of them need to be their most productive. Some people may prefer to work early in the morning, while others may choose to work late at night. Some people may need regular breaks to take care of family members, and others may need to juggle childcare responsibilities. The key is to provide employees with the freedom to work when and how they need to be productive. It may be hard to let go of the reins as an owner or manager, but it’s a must in today’s job economy. You can still schedule regular meetings and check-ins. There is no reason your deadlines or expectations need to shift just because your eCommerce employees are working a schedule considered ‘non-traditional.’ 

Additionally, it’s essential to make yourself available for questions and concerns. Remote workers often feel isolated, so it’s important to check in regularly and create a supportive environment. By being flexible and understanding, you can create an extremely productive and happy workforce.

Make Purchases as Easy as Possible 

According to a recent study, even B2B customers prefer to do their business online versus through a sales rep. This mindset is a shift from previous years when the personal touch of a sales rep was seen as essential in B2B transactions. However, the study found that B2B buyers now see the Internet as a more efficient and convenient way to purchase products. In addition, buyers believe that they can get a better deal by purchasing online. As a result, B2B eCommerce companies that do not have an eCommerce presence are at a significant disadvantage.

There are several reasons for this shift. First, the Internet has made it easier for all buyers to research products and compare prices. Buyers can also read reviews and get insights from other customers. Second, the rise of social media has made it easier for buyers to connect with each other and share information. Finally, the growth of mobile commerce made it possible for buyers to purchase products and services anytime, anywhere. It can’t be overstated how phone-adverse many people have become. They prefer to have their interactions be digital rather than face-to-face. 

This shift to online purchasing is likely to continue as more buyers prefer the convenience and efficiency of the Internet. B2B. Companies that do not have an eCommerce presence will need to adapt or risk being left behind. What does this mean for your B2B eCommerce business? It means that your website needs to do more than host case studies. Your website needs to present prices, details, and timelines of your products and services. You need to design it so potential companies and partners can click PURCHASE on your Content Creation offerings just as easily as they would on Amazon. If clients want to reach out to a Sales Rep and do business the ‘old fashioned way,’ then give them that option. But just as your eCommerce brand wants to remove barriers to purchase for your client’s websites, you need to do the same to yours. Applying a little bit of B2C ease-of-purchase to your B2B site could go a long way.

Bringing it all together

This all may seem like a lot, and a tad overwhelming. If you’re feeling that way, it’s ok, because this is a lot and it can be very overwhelming. Staffing and leading a successful B2B eCommerce team will be one of the deciding factors in your success. Check back in next week as we break down the most vital roles for your B2B eCommerce team.

We’ve learned a lot about building and eCommerce team in our 25 years. We’ve also learned a lot about eCommerce as well. We’re more than happy to share our knowledge and experience with you, but you have to let us know you’re interested in learning more. Click here to contact us or use the form below.

Every merchant has unique needs and with so many specialized apps to choose from, finding the right one for your eCommerce business can be challenging. That’s why the Shopify community of app developers has been busy building flexible solutions to help grow your B2B business. 

As part of a new avenue of attack against one of the big tech giants, Amazon, Shopify is launching a line of 100 brand new or updated apps all intended to bolster B2B businesses. The launch of these new or updated apps will consist of bountiful tools for your team, designed to scale up B2B sales. some through collaboration with Twitter to boost social commerce and their DTC eCommerce revenue.

This offering will provide merchants with the option to sell to both DTC and wholesale customers from the same online store in Shopify Plus or a separate ‘expansion store’ for B2B. Both options will be baked in with the ability for your team to create company profiles, price lists, payment terms, and customer accounts.

“We’ve long heard from our merchants that they’d like to be able to sell wholesale and direct from one online store,” said Shopify merchant success manager Shakir Gill in a blog post. “To meet this growing demand, we’ve worked to build the most foundational and powerful features B2B merchants need directly into the heart of Shopify.”

Not only will your team be able to sell from one online store, but the integration with Twitter provides the opportunity for you to connect your business profile to your Shopify store. What is the advantage of this strategy? It makes items on your site shoppable through your feed, including a carousel feature that can rotate up to 50 different products at once.

A separate marketplace kit includes API hooks into Spotify, Google, Facebook, TikTok, and others, while Linkpop creates a shoppable landing page connected to social accounts, web stores, and media like music and videos.

Shopify President Harry Finkelstein stated that he believes B2B eCommerce represents billions of dollars of untapped revenue for Shopify to take advantage of and might be the reasoning behind another new app, Shopify Markets. 

Shopify Markets will give your team additional revenue opportunities by tapping into cross-border eCommerce through the creation of localized currencies, translation services, domain names, and payment methods.  

“This is the next phase of retail,” Finkelstein told Reuters. “In many ways, shopping has become a vote with your wallet to support that brand…and that’s what I think connect-to-consumer is all about.”

Imagine if you could read the minds of your customers. You’d know exactly what they need to hear or see to make every sale. Theoretically, you could tailor your advertising to their specific needs and your conversions would go through the roof. But when you consider some of your best customers, how do you define them?  For most eCommerce businesses it’s safe to assume that the best customers are the ones who not only champion your brand but who have the highest level of purchases.

In this blog, we will highlight some strategies to incorporate to give your customers something extra to not only set them up for long-term engagement with your brand but long-term sales and value to your overall business.

Build your brand by building your customer base

Once you’ve identified who your customers are, you can begin to intentionally build emotional relationships with them. These relationships go beyond simply making a purchase and have the power to supercharge the valuable interactions they already have with your brand.

Go above and beyond with customer service

To survive in this cut-throat eCommerce environment you have to think out of the box. And, at times, it can be as simple as reflecting on the customer experience you provide.

It’s a big, crowded marketplace out there, full of consumers that want different things at different times via different channels and they all expect access to businesses all the time whether on social media or their website. If you don’t have a direct way for customers to get in contact with you when they need it most, you can’t compete with other companies nor give your customers exactly what they want. For instance, when a client has an issue with your business or an issue with a shipment, they need you to sort it out fast and if you are not available to help them out, you will frustrate the customer or perhaps generate a negative review that is visible to other customers. How do you solve this issue quickly?  A dedicated customer service phone number for your business or a live chat system. Having either or both of these options allows your loyal customers to contact you when they need to do as long as they have a good experience and quick resolution.

Research shows that customers who receive a competent and knowledgeable service are more likely to remember their experience. Even 73% of shoppers say they remain loyal to them because of friendly customer service.

Therefore, it is important to empower your front-line agents so they have the ability to resolve customer issues with ease. With each transfer, subsequent call or email, customers lose patience with your business, resulting in a loss of goodwill. Being consistent with solving customer problems and making yourself available the first customers reach out is a sure-fire way to avoid issues down the line.

Give them something extra

Though we live in a seemingly anonymous culture — where ‘self-service’ is so prevalent — customers increasingly want a personalized experience when it matters most. Remember; everyone likes being recognized, and your customers are no exception. Below are some ways to help your customers feel like you know them on a personal level. 

Personalization is powerful: To prevent “analysis paralysis” caused by the countless options available to your consumers at their fingertips, you should consider implementing personalized solutions and experiences for your customers, such as knowing their name or purchase history to make future buying recommendations. Not only is it important to know your customers’ names when reaching out to them, but it is also important to recognize them on a continual basis to keep the relationship going. For instance, you can offer them a free gift during their birthday month or anniversary.  

Set up a referral program: There are a number of ways you can turn a shopper into a loyal customer.  Throughout the buyer’s journey, you have the opportunity to engage with them one-on-one in a number of different ways, including post-purchase emails and social media.  The most effective way, though, is definitely a rewards program. A rewards program will help you to attract new customers and motivate existing ones to shop with you more often.

Offering either of these options are the types of interactions that will encourage repeat purchase behavior and keep your customers happy.

Tell a story with your brand to connect with customers on a personal level

Storytelling has the incredible ability to connect with your customers on a deeper, emotional level; which figures and stats fall short of doing. And, in the world of marketing, brand storytelling can have a massive impact on your company and the following you receive. 

Getting your story right, however, is going to depend to a large extent on the type of business you run. So much of how you tell your story depends on who your customer is and the message you have to sell them. Do they want to be told the story visually such as through a YouTube video? Or do they prefer written content, punchy infographics, or quirky animations? 

Take this YouTube example from Chipotle Mexican Grill – who we think got it right and then some. Although they are a fast food restaurant, their brand story is all about grasping an emotional connection to their customers and creating a bond that might be hard to break after watching, by sharing the captivating history of their reason for being.

Like the above example, there are certain ingredients that you should have in place if you want to deliver on expectations to your clientele when it comes to your brand story. These include:

• Knowledge of your audience: The more you know, the more you can tailor your individual messages.
• Be authentic: Millennials and Generation Z are pretty keyed in to recognize blatant selling and filtering what is useful to them and what isn’t.
• Create a positioning statement: Once you know who your target audience is you can decide what words and images will resonate with them to help build this out.
• Be consistent: You need to tell the same story wherever you are. If you start diverging from it, you risk confusing your customer’s emotions or dampening expectations of your brand.

When you stay consistent with your story on who you are and what you represent, you gain the competitive advantage to last longer, grow faster, and drive more revenue. Take note though, that as the times change, so can your story, but be sure you always keep your roots in the ground.

Listen to customer feedback

Listening may seem to be a passive process, but it also leads to active improvements for your business. Listening to customers may be a great way for you to gather enough business-important information. After all, the best business decisions are based on data and not guesses. And customer testimonials are one of the best ways to gather business-specific data that lets you understand how your customers really feel about the product or service you deliver.

Testimonials your customers leave are key content elements because they are unbiased comments that prompt visitors to buy. They help establish credibility and gain trust with your prospects. However, just publishing your customers’ testimonials on your website is not enough to attract more customers. To convert more leads on your website when it comes to testimonials:

• Make them eye-catching by adding an image
• Record an in-store video with a customer
• Tell the truth
• Use your customer personas
• Show testimonials everywhere

It is key to use this feedback to guide your business and marketing decisions. By measuring customer satisfaction, you can determine whether you meet, fall short of, or surpass your customer expectations.

Bringing it all together

Knowing what your customers need and want is a competitive advantage and it can determine the customer’s choice of purchasing your services over others. Are you ready to focus on putting your customers first? Connect with one of our experts today to discuss your needs!

There is no doubt that the Covid-19 virus is affecting many aspects of our lives. Most non-essential places of business including many traditional brick-and-mortar locations are shut down partially if not completely at this point, and the eCommerce world is bracing for even more uncertainty. There are a lot of pontificators out there offering theories on what’s next for eCommerce but here’s what we know for certain.

Here is what we know

People are leaving their home less.

Whether due to personal fears or because of mandatory “shelter in place” quarantines, fewer and fewer people are leaving their house. In a study released last week by Coresight research, 47% of US internet users said they were avoiding malls and shopping centers. When asked if their behavior would change if the outbreak worsens, 74.6% confirmed they would avoid shopping centers and malls altogether. 

And it’s not just centralized shopping centers that people are avoiding. 32.7% of poll participants said they were avoiding any physical store with 56% of confirming that they would take these same actions if the COVID threat spread.

People are shopping online for the essentials

Adobe analytics monitors the eCommerce trends and transactions of 80 of the US top 100 retailers. And while many retailers are seeing their foot traffic come to a complete halt, others are seeing surges in their online shopping. Grocery chains have seen an increase in online and home delivery orders. Amazon has seen a surge in online shopping, so much so that they have an increased demand for employees and are one of the few companies in American actively hiring at the moment.  The grocery chain Stop & Shop is seeing a surge in demand for its online order and delivery service Peapod. Stop & Shop spokeswoman Jennifer Brogan said Peapod orders during the first week of March were 33% higher compared to the same week last year.

Ecommerce activity, particularly related to health and grocery, is booming in the US in general. According to data from ecommerce ad tech provider Pacvue, there have been spikes in Amazon searches for products like hand sanitizer and antibacterial soap.  Adobe’s analysis of eCommerce transactions found that purchases for cold, cough & flu products have increased 198%, while online purchases for pain relievers increased 152%.U.S. consumers are stocking up on over-the-counter meds, most likely to be prepared in case they do catch the virus and need to self-quarantine.

Hierarchy of Needs

Non-essential items experience the most sales during stable times and times of growth, as we’ve seen over the last several years. But with the economic downturn and way-of-life uncertainty currently permeating all of western civilization we would expect to see a drop in these industries. While actual sales numbers are yet to be reported a Contentsquare report from March 20th brings light to some interesting statistics. Web traffic has decreased to eCommerce sites dedicated to apparel (-14%) luxury goods (-19%) and jewelry (-25%) compared to the same time period last year. Traffic over the last 4 weeks clearly shows that online shoppers have been most interested in fulfilling products in the most pressing categories among the hierarchy of needs. But as the COVID quarantine continues and people are stuck on their couches for a longer period of time it will be interesting to see if this trend begins to reverse itself. Stay tuned to InteractOne for more updates as the eCommerce marketplace continues to evolve and we adapt.

Expect shipment delays

Many Amazon customers have received notifications stating: “We’re very sorry your delivery is late. Most late packages arrive in a day. If you have not received your package by tomorrow, you can come back here the next day for a refund or a replacement.” What’s more, those hoping to order groceries or essentials from Amazon Prime, Peapod and others can also expect  delays. While chains are currently saying that the problem, ‘is a demand issue, not a supply line problem’ these are all unique stresses being put on systems that have never been tested to this degree before. And if interstate or local commerce is limited even more, then customers can expect shipment delays no matter the location or product of purchase. 

Will Any of These Trends Be Long Term?

It’s fairly safe to say that once the COVID panic calms down that the public’s purchasing behavior for toilet paper will return to pre-COVID levels. But what other new behaviors and consumption patterns that emerge during this time will have long term staying power? This crisis could cause permanent changes in the way people consume media, shop, as well as overall public perception of brands. People who normally wouldn’t purchase clothes or perishables online will be forced to rethink their approach when the need arises. The more customers are forced to do their shopping online in the coming months, the more likely that it will become a regular part of their routine. Especially if the threat and worry over COVID becomes something long-term. 

We’re already seeing changes in the entertainment industry, with Disney making their recent theater releases available on-demand and other companies following suit. Once the public becomes accustomed to ‘social distancing’ and purchasing habits that are more eCommerce centric, it may be next to impossible to put that horse back in the barn.

Conclusion

There aren’t many certainties about life or the economy right now, but as US consumers increasingly look to digital methods to conduct daily business, order essentials and prepare for an emergency, retailers will be required to ensure positive, frictionless experiences via their websites and mobile apps. 

We here at InteractOne are dedicated to protecting our employees. Thanks to a work-from-home policy that we instituted more than one year ago, we have been able to transition to our new reality with relative ease while continuing to provide support and meet all of our clients’ needs.