How Can Distributors Keep Up in Todays Market?
eCommerce giants like Amazon have become formidable forces in our marketplace, disrupting business strategies all over the world and burdening traditional distributors attempting to keep up. Until recently, eCommerce platforms could only be implemented through expensive and complicated projects–but that is no longer the case.
Several vendors, like Magento eCommerce, have made it possible for companies of all sizes to launch an online business. That being said, distributors remain painfully behind in adopting this software to conduct online B2B transactions. That’s why we put together this post outlining how distributors can implement eCommerce to widen their influence in the industry.
Distinguish Your Business
Distributors can win buyers with specified needs by capitalizing on what sets them apart from eCommerce giants. By making your added services visible and clear throughout your site, you can tell the world that you’re the best at what you do!
This is where your content comes into play–rather than just posting your products with no context, we recommend providing landing pages, downloads, blogs, etc. to highlight your products and services. Plus, this is a great opportunity to make yourself a leader in your industry! By showing your customers that you know the industry inside and out, a cutting-edge content strategy will also boost SEO ranking, so you experience more website traffic. Use strong keywords that are relevant to your target audience to bring them to your site and convert them into your newest customers!
Create a Quick and Easy Shopping Experience
Customers are looking for an easy and fast shopping experience. Building a robust eCommerce site that meets customer expectations requires considerations of online standards and customer needs. Some of the necessary features to drive traffic and revenue include:
- Shipping: Customers want options, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to shipping. Some want your product ASAP, while others can wait until the next week. Include an array of shipping options to meet each buyer’s needs. Also, include order tracking to keep consumers aware of shipping progress.
- Site functionality: Visitors to your website won’t stay long if they can’t find what they’re looking for. Magento eCommerce helps users maintain a functional site by providing customizable templates. These enable businesses to easily organize their website and provide a cohesive, enjoyable experience. It’s also critical to include a search feature on your eCommerce platform. Depending on your merchandise, you might want to offer advanced search categories that allow visitors to drill down into specifics that get them to the right product quickly.
- Customer service: Distributors can’t create a site without including some form of customer service. With artificial intelligence gaining prevalence in enterprise technology, sites are increasingly employing chatbots that can automatically answer basic queries or get visitors in touch with professionals. At the very least, distributors must include easy-to-find contact information and forms throughout their online store.
By leveraging eCommerce tools, like Magento, distributors can accomplish the above tasks to streamline their online B2B shopping experience.
Nail Down Your Supply Chain
Supply chains are at risk of disruption. Supply chain disruption can cause delays if there aren’t flexible plans in place that address demand changes. Customer experience is at the heart of all enterprises- if a customer isn’t happy with their service, they likely won’t come back, and they may go as far as leaving poor reviews that deter prospective customers. When push comes to shove, if businesses don’t deliver reliable goods in a timely manner, they’ll lose profits and be left behind.
Robust, industry-specific enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can deliver cutting-edge supply chain management. By monitoring production stages, adding agility, optimizing data, and increasing visibility, you can streamline the supply and demand balance and embrace demand-driven manufacturing.
Wrap Up
It’s not easy to stay up with the fast changes in our digital environment, but sophisticated software solutions certainly help distributors modernize their processes and customer journeys. To position customers at the center of your distribution enterprise, it’s critical to launch an eCommerce site.
Datix is an eCommerce expert, and our consultants know the tips and tricks to get your online store up-and-running to become a top seller in your industry. Our 20 years of experience with distributors equip us to provide premium software solutions that steer your business in the right direction. Plus, with our Unity integration, we can instantly connect your eCommerce and ERP systems to optimize your business.
For more information, contact Datix today!
