b2b ecommerce: design principles and best practices to boost sales
DESCRIPTION
Smart B2B Design: Strategy and User Experience Principles that Boost Sales. Presented at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE) 2014 by Alex Schmelkin, CEO of Alexander Interactive, and Girisha Chandraraj, Head of Digital of United Stationers.TRANSCRIPT
June 12, 2014
Smart B2B Design: Strategy and Experience Principles that Boost Sales
Girisha Chandraraj
Alex Schmelkin
Hi, I’m AlexFounder, CEO
Founded 2002Independent
Manhattan
Transactional Expertise
IMA Top 10 Agency
End-to-end Ecommerce Design & Development
Hi, I’m GirishaHead of Digital
At United since 2013
Former Management Consultant
Chicago
B2B/B2C Digital and Commercial Strategy
Fortune 500
Leading Wholesaler of Business Essentials Office, Janitorial, and Industrial Supplies
Preparing for B2B Site Design
B2B Experience Principles
Today’s Topics
Preparing for B2B Site Design
Before site design comes commercial
strategy
Site strategy is a function of your commercial strategy
Driv
ing
Awar
enes
s
Driving Commerce/Transactions
Businesses that strictly sell to resellers !Examples: Distributors (United Stationers, Broder Bros, Alphashirt)
Businesses that sell to businesses and consumers !Examples: Amazon, Staples
Businesses that provide services to other businesses !Examples: Consulting firms, Agencies, Law Firms
Businesses that sell to businesses that then sell to consumers !Examples: Manufacturers (MSA, Stihl), Distributors (Audi USA)
Yes
No
Yes No
Driv
ing
Awar
enes
s
Driving Commerce/Transactions
Businesses that strictly sell to resellers !Examples: Distributors (United Stationers, Broder Bros, Alphashirt)
Businesses that sell to businesses and consumers !Examples: Amazon, Staples
Businesses that provide services to other businesses !Examples: Consulting firms, Agencies, Law Firms
Businesses that sell to businesses that then sell to consumers !Examples: Manufacturers (MSA, Stihl), Distributors (Audi USA)
Yes
No
Yes NoComplex B2B transactions (quotes, holds, on account
ordering, split shipments, etc.)
Site strategy is a function of your commercial strategy
Driv
ing
Awar
enes
s
Driving Commerce/Transactions
Businesses that strictly sell to resellers !Examples: Distributors (United Stationers, Broder Bros, Alphashirt)
Businesses that sell to businesses and consumers !Examples: Amazon, Staples
Businesses that provide services to other businesses !Examples: Consulting firms, Agencies, Law Firms
Businesses that sell to businesses that then sell to consumers !Examples: Manufacturers (MSA, Stihl), Distributors (Audi USA)
Yes
No
Yes NoProduct information for businesses or consumers, lead
generation for businesses
Site strategy is a function of your commercial strategy
Driv
ing
Awar
enes
s
Driving Commerce/Transactions
Businesses that strictly sell to resellers !Examples: Distributors (United Stationers, Broder Bros, Alphashirt)
Businesses that sell to businesses and consumers !Examples: Amazon, Staples
Businesses that provide services to other businesses !Examples: Consulting firms, Agencies, Law Firms
Businesses that sell to businesses that then sell to consumers !Examples: Manufacturers (MSA, Stihl), Distributors (Audi USA)
Yes
No
Yes No
B2C in B2B drag
Site strategy is a function of your commercial strategy
Driv
ing
Awar
enes
s
Driving Commerce/Transactions
Businesses that strictly sell to resellers !Examples: Distributors (United Stationers, Broder Bros, Alphashirt)
Businesses that sell to businesses and consumers !Examples: Amazon, Staples
Businesses that provide services to other businesses !Examples: Consulting firms, Agencies, Law Firms
Businesses that sell to businesses that then sell to consumers !Examples: Manufacturers (MSA, Stihl), Distributors (Audi USA)
Yes
No
Yes No
Intellectual property, lead generation
Site strategy is a function of your commercial strategy
Process to prepare before designing a site
6. Determine appropriate metrics
5. Plan your site experience
4. Prepare for Pricing
3. Determine your online marketing
strategy
2. Deconstruct your customer service
process
1. Deconstruct your sales process
Deconstruct your sales process
Source: UPS purchasing insights study
In the industrial space Survey of 1,500 - 63% purchase from their suppliers website and
over 2/3 prefer going to their supplier website for information
The importance of a commercial site
Buying vs. Procurement
Importance of triggers in procurementVisual Search Category
No Promotional Banner
Featured Products Window
Limited Assortment
Featured Products Window
Informational content to drive awareness
50% of all tools utilized by marketers to generate
leads are derived from the company’s website
The importance of digital tools to generate leads
Source: IDG Enterprise 2013 Survey
Deconstruct your customer service
process
• Multiple DCs
• Inventory Holds
• Bulk ordering
• Bulk Pricing / Quotes
• Drop Shipments
• Split Shipments
• On account vs. Credit card
• Returns
• Previous orders / frequent orders / subscriptions
B2B Complexities - transactional sites
Determine your online marketing
strategy
57% of all B2B buying decisions are made before a person ever contacts a company’s sales force
The importance of a B2B Informational site
Source: Half a bubble Out
Marketing budgets at B2B companies expected to
rise by 6% in 2014
The importance of the site to drive traffic
Source: Forrester and BMA
1.How will traffic be generated for your site?
2. Is your salesforce responsible for customer acquisition? Lead Generation?
3.How much can you afford in digital marketing?
4.Will your site be “open” or “closed” and how will that effect the experience?
5. Is your site aimed at conversion or information?
Acquisition Related Questions
1.How will you use your digital tools to drive customers back to your site?
2.How can you drive assortment awareness through a procurement mindset?
3.How will customers respond to traditional site promotions?
4.Will customers using smartphones require different functionality?
5.What content is required beyond product details to keep customers coming back?
Retention Related Questions
Determine the role of the site
Prepare for pricing
Driv
ing
Awar
enes
s
Driving Commerce/Transactions
Price differentiation based on preferences, customer size, channel rules, etc.
Price Transparency
Establishing the value prior to the manual sales/biz dev process
Focusing on retail/list pricing, MAPYe
sN
o
Yes No
Price Transparency vs. Price Opaqueness
Plan your site experience
B2B Experience Principles
Where are B2B ecommerce sites spending money in 2014?
B2B Experience Principles
5. Test & Iterate4. Service Sells
3. It’s All in the Details2. Keep it Simple: Products & Prices
1. Know Your User
Know Your User
B2B Users Are People Too!
But even if they are a scary dinosaur…
Learn everything you can about them.They’re your customer.
Commercial analysis
Formal personas
Mental models
User journeys
Hire an Agency
Surveys
1:1 sessions
Pilot group
Customer council
Do-it-yourself
Involve users as you design and build
Think
Check
MakeGather requirements and invent
Design the experience in the browser
Validate with users
DROP YOUR SCREEN RIGHT UP IN HERE
Paper prototypes help identify content and functionality.
Only 5 Participants are needed.
Mobile isn’t optional.
Prioritize for your users.
Prioritize for your users.
Keep it Simple: Products & Prices
Fast access to products and pricing
Priority #1
• search sahoy
• asdfhkjhasd
• asdfjkhasdf
• adsjfh’
Promintne tseach
Prominent & predictive search
Show exactly what you sell in your nav!
? ? ?
Robust filtering
Shop by brand
It’s all in the Details
Great photography increases sales
Invest in 360s for key products
Videos demonstrate authority
Invest in specs and manuals
Show availability and shipping speed
• Auto-Forwarding Carousels and Accordions Annoy Users and Reduce Visibility
• Reason #1: Human eye reacts to movement (and will miss the important stuff)
• Reason #2: Too many messages equals no message
• Reason #3: Banner blindness
Homepage rotators don’t work
Source: JAKOB NIELSEN, Auto-Forwarding Carousels and Accordions Annoy Users and Reduce Visibility
Create a consistent system to establish familiarity
and remove the need to relearn things
Focus on the Transaction
Payment and order options.
Service Sells
Shipped
Shipped
Shipped
Shipped
Customer Service
Use your humans!
Test & Iterate
Monday–launch a promotion Tuesday–monitor & test
Wednesday–deploy site-wide
Act like a retailer:
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Microtransaction Analysis
Good ‘ole analytics
Key Takeaways
What type of B2B business are you?
Deconstruct your processes
Know your user
#1 Priority is finding products
Service sells
Key Takeaways:
and if you think you can wait…
Thank you!
United StationersHead of Digital
Girisha ChandrarajAlexander Interactive (Ai)
Founder, CEO [email protected]
Alex Schmelkin
Come visit us at booth #2116
We’re hiring!
We’re hiring!