Much like their counterparts in the retail industry, operators of business-to-business e-commerce sites may sometimes find that a lack of pertinent product information on their sites can result in a poor customer experience that can negatively impact their business. To combat this, they can borrow a page from the B2C playbook and take a closer look at their websites to get a better understanding of exactly what information may be lacking.
Missing content can be anything from multiple product images or technical product specifications to search engine optimization keywords. Leaving out any of these can be hugely damaging when customers are looking to place large orders and need specific information before they can pull the trigger.
An online seller of complex technology and services, for example, can run into problems if content gaps are leaving customers with specific questions about highly technical products. The customers often end up inundating the seller’s managers with phone calls and taking their focus away from growing their business.
But there are a few key ways companies have tackled these issues, and in the process boosted web traffic, conversions and the overall customer experience. I’ll summarize three of these methods here.
- Analyze existing content. A good first step is to analyze existing online product content to identify gaps. The most scientific method is to to a control group to identify how certain content updates may make a difference.
- Research popular keywords. After observing and analyzing the existing product content, identify popular keywords for each individual product. Google AdWords is a good place to start collecting this information. Armed with three to five popular keywords per product, you can then develop product content that includes these terms. This can help content managers display more universally recognizable product names, assign particular keywords to individual SKUs, and identify related images, videos and even user manuals that can complement product content. Overall, this can also increase your chances of being listed in the top 10 results on Google.
- Adjust and measure the impact. The analysis of product content often reveals product pages in need of significantly more detail to help customers make their purchase decisions. It can also reveal that product names are not following a consistent syntax, making it confusing for the customer when they’re looking for particular product specifications.
After making the necessary content improvements, the next step is to monitor specific traffic and conversion metrics, including product page views, page exit rates, conversion rates, and order rates, as well as Google page rank. The time and effort put into improving page content and product descriptions, and adding the missing images, specs and keywords, should push those metrics in the right direction.
To ensure your business delivers the shopping experience your business customers deserve, take a deeper dive into your own website’s content to see how you can improve. Don’t underestimate how even small tweaks can drastically impact the overall customer experience. One adjustment to a product description or feature can truly have a noticeable influence on revenue and profits.
Mihir Kittur is co-founder and chief innovation officer at Ugam, a global managed analytics firm serving online brands and marketplaces, retailers, and market research companies. He is primarily responsible for developing new engines of growth and fostering a culture of innovation within the company.
Favorite