B2B eCommerce in China has been growing strongly in China. With more and more players getting in on the action simply having an online store isn’t enough anymore. Business customers expect the same user experience from the B2B purchasing process that they enjoy in their regular, B2C lives. It means companies need to step up their game if they want to capture more business. To reach your goal, there are four areas that B2B enterprises need to focus, especially in China:
Mobile
By 2022, you’d be hard pressed to find a customer in China, who is not “mobile savvy”. About 800 million people are making purchases online, 80% of the country's 1 billion internet user population. No wonder that mobile's has a huge impact in B2B eCommerce. While B2B consumers are not spending more time with online commerce on mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) than desktop and laptop PCs, it is a force to be reckoned with.
In the years to come, you can expect an even further shift to mobile-based eCommerce in B2B. From simple responsive websites, to mini-programs, to apps - presence in the mobile ecosystem is now a crucial factor to keep ahead of the competition.
Multi-channel
In the last few years consumer behavior in B2C has significantly changed due to innovation in technology. Consumers are now used to being able to buy any product at the moment they want, using the channel they want and platform they want.
B2B businesses also need to adopt a multi-channel approach that enables them to fulfill customers’ different needs. Companies need to optimize the buying experience around the departmental and individual needs, adjust that to each channel through which orders are coming in.
With a B2B eCommerce platform that supports multi-channel, B2B sellers can provide an optimized buying experience for each of the channels.
Payment
In major Chinese cities someone paying with cash is a rare sight. Online payment systems became the norm of everyday offline life - and even more so – online.
Same gradually happens in B2B eCommerce. The mobile wallet is on its way to becoming a key element of the B2B eCommerce experience. It is not just a new payment option: it is on the path of becoming one of the major contributors of a seamless shopping B2B experience.
China has developed the whole ecosystem of payment options, that ranges from traditional bank transfers, to mobile payment options, to complex solutions that combine payments, financing and ensuring smooth flow of funds for both parties.
Content
Content is the king for B2C – but it is the king for B2B too. When it comes to converting the B2B customer, endless spreadsheets of dry specs are no longer going to cut it.
If you’re going to be successful in B2B marketing, you will have to learn the art of storytelling and producing high-quality, high authority content. The reason is simple: customers need much more details to help them make the purchase decision. Abundant details, deep industry knowledge, openness to change, will build trust between you and your customers.
Apart from driving sales, this opens up a lot of expansion opportunities to B2B sellers: your B2B platform becomes a tool to educate and inform your customers. It can be a go-to place to get your customers up-to-date on all your industry-related information. This approach, apart from the way to build long-lasting relationships with customers will result in huge SEO bust bringing new customers to you in droves.
The future of B2B eCommerce in China is quite bright. More businesses than are going online, pushing costs of managing orders to new lows and customer satisfaction to new highs. Centralizing B2B strategies around the customers and their needs is the key to your success.
Right now, integrated eCommerce platforms have become an increasingly profitable sales channel for B2B enterprises. If you’re ready to boost up your B2B eCommerce, contact TMO Group and take advantage of our wealth of experience working with a wide range of B2B companies across a diverse range of industries.
We are about to published a comprehensive guide on B2B eCommerce in China - that will address all of the areas mentioned in this article in much more detail. Stay tuned to be the first to get a copy.
