Nowadays, all leading businesses are looking for ways to explore the B2B e-commerce scenario and how they can take advantage of the emerging trends for the same. The year 2020 is expecting a huge digital transformation in the way B2B eCommerce trade is conducted across the world. So, it goes without saying that the key to surviving in this rapidly changing environment is adapting. It is the edge that is needed to survive in this digital marketplace.
With so many trends emerging every day, a business needs to prioritize the trends which would suit their type of work the best, given the time and resources that are there at their disposal.
Top B2B Trends to Watch Out For in 2020
Acceleration of B2B voice commerce
The voice recognition feature of a B2B e-commerce business has seen a significant rise in its use over recent years We believe that this feature will become a necessary trend in 2020 as most businesses today are experimenting with features that would enhance the customer experience. Adopting the voice recognition technology is not as easy and most businesses initially struggle when it comes to complying with this feature. However, in today’s scenarios, businesses are willing to leverage this trend to make the whole order processing and payment processes, as well as looking for the required product more convenient for the users to ensure the repetition of orders on their e-commerce site.
Anticipating customer needs
This is one of the most important trends in B2B e-commerce. B2B businesses are now giving the customers, a readymade list of everything that a customer is expected to look up online based on their browser history, search results, the apps they use, previous orders placed and various such demographics. The businesses now are already able to showcase to the customer a product they could be potentially interested in even before they look up the said product online. This predictive analysis allows businesses to essentially give the customers a tailor-made list of their current or expected needs.
AR and VR capturing the B2B market
B2B e-commerce is not just about recognizing the needs of the customer and accordingly supplying the product. It is also about providing a mesmerizing and immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression in the minds of the user. This is where the role of augmented reality and visual reality are of immense importance to any B2B platform. So, how are these features beneficial to a business? Buyers will be able to virtually see for themselves and identify the products that they would like to purchase a lot better and quicker as well. This is extremely useful in cases where the products consist of various spare parts or are complicated in nature.
Possession responsibility is taken by product owners
Before B2B eCommerce gained its momentum, producers sold their product through agents, distributors, sales representations, wholesale sellers or even dealers. This process ensured that no concern was placed on the packaging, content, and presentation of the product on the part of the producers. The manufacturers did not have to bother about sharing information about the product during the entire buying process. Now, manufacturers must take complete ownership of the products that they sell. They now have to present all the information that a customer would consider important in order to complete the transaction.
Ecologically aware
This is a trend that has only recently made its presence in the e-commerce ecosystem. Many B2B e-commerce sites are making environmental impacts a top priority of their business dealings. They do so by:
- Ensuring that customers are aware of the impact of certain actions during the purchasing process.
- Creating awareness about how short delivery periods have a high level of CO2 impact as compared to broader ones.
This trend may not see a rise now but is sure to reach its peak in the coming years since businesses are required to submit reports on their emissions and the impact it has on the environment.
B2B e-commerce has been revolutionizing the way we conduct our business. We hope that these trends will help you in strategizing your business better. If you have any comments or feedback, do let us know!
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