The year 2021 was no doubt a promising year for the eCommerce sector, now it is 2022 and the best time to look at the business-to-business (B2B) industry that has also embraced eCommerce as its must-have. The explosive eCommerce growth over the last two years has intensified the need for B2B businesses to shift their focus to the online platform. A recent study shows that in 2021, online sales on B2B eCommerce sites, log-in portals, and marketplaces increased 17.85% to $1.63 trillion. In 2022, B2Bs are more likely to offer eCommerce over in-person sales.
Yes, that’s true. It is mainly because eCommerce drives more revenue. A study from Mckinsey & Company shows that about 18% of revenue for B2Bs is driven by eCommerce. So, if want to stay ahead of your competitors, hire the best Ecommerce Development Company to keep up with the latest trends and satisfy the needs of your customers by building a robust digital channel.
2021 B2B Trends Recap:
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the entire world for the last two years and the effect continues today in every aspect of our life including the business sector. The lockdown and restrictions have completely changed the way people were used to shopping. Now people mostly prefer to purchase their products through the online store.
Along with the steady growth in online sales, businesses are more likely to adopt the latest digital marketing trends. Yes, eCommerce is now a hot topic even for the B2B businesses. The year 2022 has introduced some new B2B business trends, while most others are the extension of the 2021 trends such as:
- Access to a New Marketplace- The Metaverse
- Al-Driven Personalization
- Fast & Easy Order Fulfillment
- Self-Service Buying
- Real-Time Inventory Availability
Top B2B Ecommerce Trends to Follow in 2022:
Here is the list of the top emerging B2B eCommerce trends that will continue to accelerate in 2022 are:
1. The Rise in Business Consumers:
Do you know that B2B buyers are now increasingly looking more like B2C consumers? Yes, unlike the professional buyers, these buyers are looking for B2C online retailers to buy when they wish. Again, the professional buyers are mostly looking for a more seamless buying experience. So, now the B2B businesses must come with buying power which is considered a key factor to follow several B2B eCommerce trends of 2022.
2. Customer Journey Analytics:
You must analyze customer behavior at multiple touchpoints through Customer journey analytics for measuring the impact of customer behavior on your business outcome. It will help your B2B eCommerce business to improve the way your customers desire. It will enable you to collect data helping you enhance your supply chain management. According to a react study, more than 35% of B2B companies have already started using customer analytics tools.
3. Developing a Digital Transformation Strategy:
If you wish to deliver a better, more B2C-like experience to your customers, make sure you opt for the right systems in place. It is not enough to upgrade your system as needed; rather you must develop a digital transformation strategy along with your technology needs.
4. Choosing the Best eCommerce Platform Technology:
B2B eCommerce platform is no doubt the center of a digital ecosystem. So, investing in an eCommerce platform is a wise decision. But make sure you choose the right mobile-friendly platform that offers you robust security, speed to innovate, lower ownership cost, and exciting features to suit your B2B business complexities. So, it is always recommended to opt for the best Mobile App Design Company to build a robust B2B eCommerce platform to offer exclusive flexibilities to their B2B customers.
5. Personalized Online Shopping Experience:
Sever researches prove that more than half of the B2B buyers prefer improved personalization while searching for online suppliers to build a business relationship. This is the reason there is a growing demand for B2Bs to choose headless commerce that is effective enough to build and deliver personalized shopping experiences to the customers. In addition, several other solutions offer personalized shopping experiences by leveraging AI and machine learning for building customer segments.
6. Effective Way of Discovering Product & Information:
Most B2B buyers look for the best way to find products along with up-to-date information. But as a B2B business owner, you can solve this issue with several effective tools and technologies; one such is product information management software (PIM). It is capable enough to collect, manage, enrich and distribute product information through various channels. Again, if you want to automate your manual processes, back-office technology can be the best option for you. In addition, there are easy options such as a chatbot that can help the shoppers to land on the product page directly and encourage them to start a conversation with you and your team.
7. Opt for Third-Party B2B Marketplaces:
There is a growing trend of the B2B buyers especially the new buyers to look for their products through marketplaces such as Amazon Business, one of the most popular B2B marketplaces. So it is obvious that if you sell across third-party marketplaces, you can attract new customers resulting in more sales and revenue. Again, you can integrate your business with various marketplaces through B2B merchants to offer various discounts and facilities to your buyers.
8. Make Use of Social Media Platform:
Though social media platforms are a popular medium for B2C business owners to sell their products, nowadays B2B is also taking advantage of it. It is because more than 45% of the B2B buyers now look for their desired products through social media platforms. It encourages the B2B businesses to set up their online store selling and offering checkout through social media by advertising their products and creating various posts such as videos, images, quotes, client feedback, and many more.
9. Utilize Order Management Software:
With the digitalization of businesses, customers now demand a fast and efficient fulfillment process. To meet this growing demand, various technology trends are emerging each year. One such technology trend that is helping B2B businesses to streamline their entire process is order management software. It helps the B2B business owner to manage orders across different sales platforms, centralize information, reduce supply chain complexity, turn to third-party fulfillment, and many more.
10. Growing B2B Pricing Personalization:
The year 2021 has already pushed the trend of involving software solutions for automating the payment procedure, 2022 is going to make this trend not as nice-to-have but a must-to-have feature of B2B business. There are different payment options now considered vital to B2B eCommerce such as Credit cards, checks, purchase orders, mobile wallets, etc.
Additional Things That Can Stimulate Your B2B Business Growth in 2022:
Before jumping into the emerging trends, it is important to understand what trends will add value to your specific business niche. Again several additional things can stimulate the effects of utilizing the latest trends in your business. Here are some tips for you to make the proper move to your business.
- Importance of Utilizing the best UI/UX Practices in Your B2B Business
Similar to retail marketing, user experience plays a vital role in B2B businesses. It is because of the growing use of mobile phones by people of every age and demographic group. So, now everyone is expecting high-quality user features especially on business websites. It encourages B2B businesses to customize their website with special designs, varying levels of functionality, interactive characteristics, architectural details, high-resolution images, videos, and several other features. So, if you want to satisfy the greater demands of the consumers and at the same time connect with third parties, make sure you opt for the best UI UX Design Services.
- Understand Your Customers’ Behaviors:
B2B businesses must gather more information about customer behaviors by reaching out to their customers and getting feedback from them. It will help you to get an insight into what your customers think about your business.
- Find Out Your Potential Competitors:
Have a look at your potential competitors about how they work, which trends they follow, and many more. But make sure you are not copying your competitor; rather learn from their strengths and weaknesses.
Discover the Best B2B Ecommerce Trends for Your Business & Get Started:
So, if you want to provide the best experience to your existing and prospective B2B buyers, you must invest in the latest B2B eCommerce technology trends. It is because B2B eCommerce is constantly evolving and the year 2022 is hiding an immense array of opportunities for the B2B business to grow your business as bright as ever!
