Top 5 Reasons Your Buyers Aren’t Using Your B2B E-commerce Portal

You've spent time, energy, and money on building a B2B e-commerce portal, but you don't have any traffic. Or, perhaps you do have some traffic, but not nearly as much as you had anticipated.

Rather than sit back and hope for the best, it's time to face the facts and decipher what's causing your poor results. It may not be pleasant at first, but you'll be glad you put in the effort to improve.

Keep reading to understand five possible reasons your buyers aren't using your B2B e-commerce portal.

#1 Your Buyers Are Resistant To Change

Not all buyers are early adopters. Some buyers are actually more comfortable with your previous ordering process and may not want to attempt ordering via your online ordering portal.

In order to capture this segment of buyers, it is critical to provide adequate education and training on your B2B eCommerce portal. This will give them the opportunity to feel comfortable with the new processes and also see the overall value.

Typically, buyers are convinced of the new system once they see the ease and intuitiveness that the B2B portal offers.

#2 Your Products And Pricing Are Inaccurate

Your B2B eCommerce portal should be the source of truth for your customers.

Your buyers may browse the catalog in your portal but don’t see the customer-specific pricing they expect. Or, they might be led to believe a product is in stock only to find out later it was on backorder.

A portal with inaccurate information will not be tolerated nor adopted by buyers and executives. It’s like the old adage says: you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and it’s important that you set up and maintain your portal with this in mind.

#3 You Are Not Providing A Good Buyer Experience

Online ordering is meant to be easy and convenient, that’s what buyers want. Using fax machines, phones or email are considered outdated forms of placing orders.

Buyers using your B2B portal should be able to easily find answers to product questions and seamlessly create and submit orders on the web or a mobile device. If your buyer experience is not intuitive or familiar, they will either revert back to their previous submission methods or order from a competitor with a more compelling user experience.

Audit your current buyer experience to determine some quick wins: make sure your data is accurate, your product and marketing collateral is comprehensive, and that your buyers know where to go when they have questions or feedback.

#4 You're Losing Out To The Competition

Have you observed what your competitors are doing in the world of B2B E-commerce? It’s wise to be aware of what’s happening in your industry, and the best practices corporations like yours are practicing.

Chances are, if your competition is offering a better buying experience, then you’re going to be left with a decrease in clients.

This is especially true in distribution, where competitors are often selling the exact same products and customer experience is one of the best ways to differentiate.

Do your homework and complete a full review of your buying experience. Then, determine whether your site is lacking, and make the necessary changes to win back customers.

#5 You Don't Have Mobile Ordering

Your clients are busy and constantly on the go, just like you, so if you want to make more sales you simply must have a platform that allows mobile ordering. You could be losing a large audience if you don’t offer this important aspect. Think of it as a must-have, rather than a nice-to-have, so invest in this important feature.

So, it's time to ask yourself... is your business guilty of any of the issues mentioned above? Once you assess, take time to create a comprehensive plan on how to overcome these hurdles, then take action.

Brown Hare is here to help you with your B2B E-commerce business needs. How can we help your business succeed? Contact us today at 817-283-3324. We look forward to working with you.