By biztree
Digital moves fast. Here’s how to keep up.
The future of online business is here right now. We’re in it.
People aren’t just living and working online, they’re doing most of their buying there too — something to the tune of 80 percent of all purchases is now happening online. And if brands continue operating under the old paradigm — prioritizing an in-store selling mentality — they’re going to get left behind.
I’m not saying any of this to scare you. Far from it. I see this shift as a big opportunity — especially for B2B brands.
Put Your Customer’s Interests First, Last, and Always
People don’t want to fill out forms. They don’t want to get the runaround. They don’t want to wait. I wouldn’t want that. And I’m sure you wouldn’t either. So why are B2B brands continuing to rely on long-lead sales forms and cookie-cutter email marketing campaigns? It may have worked in the past, but not in today’s crowded market. Buyers won’t stand for it. They want to feel the love. So, this one is really pretty simple: Treat your customers how you’d like to be treated. The Golden Rule, with a little twist.
Move Quicker Than the Competition
There’s a race for your customer’s attention. And in this race, you’re either winning, or you’re losing out on valuable revenue. This means engaging with buyers the instant they’re ready to talk to you. Sometimes that’s during regular business hours, but oftentimes, it isn’t. You can move quicker and be more available by hiring a lot of people or by tapping into emerging technologies — like A.I. This move can lead to unparalleled access and speed, at scale. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw chatbot engagement grow about 40 percent during off-hours. And this trend is here to stay.
Be More Human, Online
Sometimes I think we throw around the B2B acronym too much and forget what’s behind those two “Bs.” Really, it’s human-to-human commerce, and remembering that can make all the difference. When you know your customers better, they want to get to know you, too. And there’s tons of data out there that can be leveraged to make buying experiences more seamless and more human. Businesses can leverage this data to know what their buyers want and have the right things to say at the right moments.
I opened this article with a thought on the future of online business. Our world is going to continue changing, and if we want to succeed, then we have to evolve and change right along with it. So don’t get complacent. Always be two steps ahead. And never stop learning. It’s a tried-and-true formula that’s kept my company future-proof and can do the same for yours.
