{"id":87138,"date":"2021-02-04T07:02:57","date_gmt":"2021-02-04T15:02:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/?p=87138"},"modified":"2021-02-04T08:02:53","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T16:02:53","slug":"how-to-optimize-the-business-customer-journey-in-ecommerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oroinc.com\/b2b-ecommerce\/blog\/how-to-optimize-the-business-customer-journey-in-ecommerce\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Optimize the Business Customer Journey in eCommerce | OroCommerce"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post was contributed by Stefan Debois, Founder and CEO of Survey Anyplace<\/a><\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n

How do other businesses find your website?<\/span><\/p>\n

How do they decide that you are the one product or service they want to pursue?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you ensure that, once on your website, they journey toward a purchase?<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s one thing encouraging an individual customer to make a purchase. It\u2019s another thing entirely to accomplish the same feat with a business for a customer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why?<\/span><\/p>\n

Because those making these decisions within businesses are so, well, <\/span>busy<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They are probably juggling a myriad of responsibilities at any given time. Also, they need to answer others about their purchases and prove ROIs.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s your responsibility to guide them through the business customer journey. Basically, a business customer journey outlines the various steps it takes for the business to go from the awareness phase to the purchase and evaluation phases.<\/span><\/p>\n

In all, there are <\/span>six phases<\/span><\/a> we will cover in this post:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Awareness<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Consideration<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Assessment<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Preference<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Purchase<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Evaluation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In this post, we will break each of these phases down and share advice and insight into ways to optimize your B2B customer journey in eCommerce.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Optimizing Before the Purchase<\/h2>\n

    As we covered above, there is a lot that goes into the time before businesses settle on a decision and make a purchase. Businesses have so many options when they are looking to buy something, so you need to make sure your strategies for capturing decision makers’ attention are successful in cutting through all the noise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    During this time, you are responsible for <\/span>creating solid strategies<\/span><\/a> for the awareness, consideration, assessment and preference phases.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"customer<\/p>\n

    Awareness<\/h3>\n

    This phase is exactly what it sounds like\u2014creating awareness around your products. During the awareness phase your target audience is searching for a solution to a need they have identified. For example, maybe a coffee shop needs a new espresso machine, or a factory needs a new machine.<\/span><\/p>\n

    These business decision makers know they need something, but they have no idea where to go to fulfill this need. Plus, they need to make a decision soon and find a product that produces a solid ROI.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    As a business, it is your responsibility to help your audience better understand their needs. For example, maybe they know they need a new espresso machine, but they don\u2019t exactly know what kind of espresso machine or all the capabilities they are seeking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    One way to help guide them through the awareness stage is by creating content. Blog posts that help them understand exactly what they need in detail\u2014focus on being more educational and less promotional\u2014will help them grasp exactly what they are looking for. It will also help your business gain their trust.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Consideration<\/h3>\n

    Decision-makers are responsible for their business\u2019s budget, so they need to be savvy. They can\u2019t simply go for the first option\u2014or possibly even the first three options\u2014that they see while researching. They need to dig deep, fast.<\/span><\/p>\n

    As a business selling to other businesses, it\u2019s important to remember that they are also privy to the tricks of the trade. So you need to up your game in order to impress them. You must make sure your business cuts through all that noise and finds a way to stand out from other businesses looking to sell similar products.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"semrush<\/p>\n

    [<\/span>Source<\/span><\/a>]<\/p>\n

    Content is also helpful here. You can write about how your product differs from others. Be as clear as possible\u2014why are you the best option?<\/span><\/p>\n

    Other tools such as free trials or even just demos provide decision makers with opportunities to dig deep into your offerings and ask detailed questions that will guide them even deeper into the funnel.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Assessment<\/h3>\n

    The assessment phase is when things get even more competitive. At this point, your buyer has selected a few of the \u201cbest\u201d options available, and they are trying to decide which one is going to win. You are no longer with the chumps now, and you need to up your game even more in order to claim victory. <\/span>But how? <\/span>A Product Assessment.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Conveniently, a product or a service <\/span>questionnaire<\/span><\/a> is helpful during the assessment phase of the B2B buyer\u2019s journey.\u00a0 Assessments are an interactive way for you to guide a buyer into fully understanding the benefits you provide with your product. Include questions that lead to personalized responses, so you make sure the buyers can share their specific pain points, and you can show why your product is the best option for alleviation.<\/span><\/p>\n

    For example, if you are selling industrial air conditioning parts you may want to ask questions like – how big is your enterprise? What type of business are you? if the answer is – a manufacturer, check what kind of products you produce… etc. Based on their answers you can provide personalized recommendations to improve their air conditioning and how your business can help with that. This way, you have:<\/span><\/p>\n