Digital business buyers increasingly want a business-to-consumer, or Amazon-like, experience when making B2B purchases online. But for many manufacturers, offering business buyers that B2C ecommerce experience is much easier said than done.
In fact, if the results of a new mystery shopping survey of 250 manufacturing ecommerce sites from product configuration and ecommerce services developer Logik.io and Sinclair Customer Metrics are an indicator, manufacturers as a group are not even close to providing their digital business buyers with a B2C user experience.
Business buyers yearn for B2C experience
Unlike making a straightforward purchase on a retail web site, digital business transactions are much more complicated and complex. Still, “the global pandemic has only accelerated the shift of B2B buyer preferences, where buyers now expect the same speed, convenience, and customization out of their B2B buying experiences as they do in their personal lives with consumer goods,” the report says.
81% of B2B mystery shoppers reported that it was not easy to make a purchase through a manufacturer’s website. 51.5% of B2B mystery shoppers rated their B2B manufacturing ecommerce purchase experience difficult to navigate and complete.
58% of the websites required three or more clicks to land on a product details page, according to the survey.
“Not providing a direct route to the product information itself is a fatal flaw for buyers favoring the quickest, most accessible paths to educating themselves and selecting their ideal option,” the report says.
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