It’s not easy to make your e-commerce store stand out in the digital environment, especially when it comes to the office supplies sector. Competition is quite high in the industry and the online space in general, not to mention that many businesses might already be loyal to certain sellers and brands. To differentiate your office supplies company from the competition, you will need to attract the right B2B clients and retain them by offering an outstanding experience. Here are some ways you can do just that:
Invest in Your E-Commerce Site
A functional, fast, and well-designed website that’s easy to navigate can go a long way when it comes to e-commerce stores. Invest in this important aspect to ensure a positive customer experience. Along with listing your office supplies and any other products and services you offer, don’t forget to write detailed product descriptions and include other text content on your site as well. This will allow you to take advantage of search engine optimization (SEO) and improve your online rankings, consequently attracting more clients. Don’t make the mistake of locking your website to only the registered customers – this can hinder your online success.
Highlight Available B2B Features
Many office supplies businesses decide not to actively promote the B2B opportunities they provide on their website and product pages. This makes sense if your goal is to attract a general audience, but it can significantly delay your growth when attracting B2B clients with greater spending power. To capture B2B clients with unique needs and priorities, consider including effective calls-to-action at specific places on your website pages to lead B2B customers to experiences that meet their procurement requirements. For instance, you could direct them to a section on your site where they can learn more about your B2B pricing models or set up a business account.
Provide Bulk Ordering and Pricing
Although volume pricing is generally expected from B2B wholesalers, only a small percentage of companies actually provide these discounts to their consumers. Bulk ordering options are slightly more common on websites, but still not as widespread as presumed. Take advantage of these facts. When offering a1 size paper, for example, make sure the product page clearly states the discount clients will receive with a bulk purchase. Offering bulk ordering opportunities and volume discounts in such a way can drastically increase your sales volume, boost customer retention, and improve client lifetime value.
Support Account Management
Most B2B clients prefer managing their accounts through around-the-clock self-service portals. Your e-commerce website should offer suitable account management services that streamline the process of partnering with your business. Since repurchasing the same office supplies is common for B2B customers, you can provide a re-order list filled with past purchases to improve customer experience. For businesses with several buyers and different spending limits, pre-approved quotas for every user can be of great help as well. Other features beneficial to customer retention include subscription services, SMS and email reminders, account balance management, etc.
Offer Various Payment Options
B2B clients tend to have different financial priorities and needs compared to B2C customers. B2B companies might prefer using a number of different payment methods in an effort to reduce their expenses. Many businesses may even want to integrate your e-commerce platform into their internal systems in order to automate purchasing processes, minimize paperwork, and reduce errors. For that reason, you should aim to provide various payment options to satisfy the needs of your clients, such as purchase orders, eCheck/ACH, extended credit, and e-procurement, along with conventional credit and debit cards.
Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
B2B customers are quite similar to B2C buyers in one regard – a large percentage of them regularly use mobile devices to work and make business purchases. Making sure your website is mobile-friendly can be quite effective at attracting these clients, while also helping to accelerate purchase processes and improve repurchase rates. For a mobile-friendly approach, you should aim to leverage a mobile-first framework, simplify navigation, optimize loading speeds, prioritize user experience according to device usage, and implement mobile-specific features such as location services and tap-to-call options. You could also develop a mobile application for your B2B customers to simplify account management, purchases, and payments on mobile devices.
Integrate with Your Physical Stores
If your office supplies company has some physical locations as well, integrate them with your digital channels to offer a streamlined omnichannel experience to your B2B customers. For instance, you can leverage geofencing technology to allow your customers to easily find the nearest store locations or choose in-store pickup solutions. This could be particularly helpful in terms of time-sensitive purchases. Another option you could explore is enabling B2B clients who visit your physical store to take advantage of digital invoicing and discount pricing that you provide with their accounts on your mobile application or e-commerce website. Convenience is key to customer satisfaction.
Evidently, there are a number of methods you could use to attract B2B clients to your office supplies business. Providing an exceptional customer experience is essential in any case, so use the tips mentioned above to ensure success.
