As the UK reached 60m e-commerce users in 2022 it is no surprise that businesses are using e-commerce in their sales strategies to reach new and existing companies, so it is time for you to make the move to e-commerce?
Read the full article below or read on page 10 in our November magazine
Office products are changing to support flexible workspaces and sales strategies must change to meet increased demand as more people adapt to virtual e-commerce environments. We know that customer demands are always changing, but the most significant shift in recent times has been the call for products to support hybrid working. The percentage of employees adopting hybrid working has jumped from 13% in February 2022 to 24% in May of the same year. So, how can e-commerce benefit your sales strategy?
Engagement
Engaging with customers is at the centre of any good sales strategy; it increases sales opportunities and, in e-commerce, this is maximised by the vast reach of online platforms like social media.
A recent survey by Monster revealed that 57.6m people were active on social media in 2022, which opens up a huge opportunity for sales. By using platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn you can further your chances of engaging your audience and forging relationships with potential customers. Creating genuine content which engages your audience – and avoiding copying and pasting generic content or using automated ‘liking’ tools – will help build relationships; for example, according to the Monster survey, 31% of B2B professionals say that social selling has enabled them to build deeper relationships with customers.
However, social selling relies on accessibility. Having a website and social media sites are only worthwhile if they are active. In the Monster survey, more than 10% of social sales reps stated they have closed five or more deals due to being active on social media. If you are not able to commit to being actively posting on social media, or engaging with customers through posts, comments and messages, this may not be the best strategy for your business.
Chatbots
Chatbots are artificially intelligent online assistants that can be used by online retailers to engage customers on online e-commerce platforms – they provide an effective alternative for a sales rep who doesn’t have the availability to be active across social media channels.
They are accesible, and there’s the option to have one running 24/7, providing an omnichannel service that connects all the touchpoints of your business (social media, website, online shop etc.) They can be programmed with all the relevant product knowledge needed to help inform online customers which product is best suited to their needs so, at their best, chatbots can help you to provide a seamless online shopping experience.
They are also cost effective; according to Chatbots Magazine they can reduce customer service costs by 30% – and customers love them too, with 62% of UK consumers would preferring to use a customer service bot rather than waiting for human agents to answer their requests.
Product data
To get the most out of e-commerce businesses must have comprehensive product data; this includes the product illustrations, diagrams, performance charts, instructions and information – appearance, size, material and additional characteristics. Tim Beaumont, MD at Nemo Office Club, stresses how important product data is in the selling process. “Product data is a key part of our conversation with suppliers – every bit as important as price. It is no good us striking an excellent deal if members do not have the means to sell it online.
Hybrid working means resellers are having to increase and broaden their purchasing to meet demand for both home and office working, leading to an even greater need to get on top of product data. “Resellers are buying from an increasing number of sources to cover demand for a wider breadth of product, which has highlighted the importance of good available data, competitive buying power and a pricing strategy to be competitive whilst meeting any minimum order quantities when sourcing”, Tim told us.
Online platforms
Tim believes that the importance of e-commerce for dealers has been building for a while, although the COVID pandemic certainly accelerated this. “In truth e-commerce is the rapid direction business was heading before COVID, and the majority of our members were in a good position to adjust to the increase in demand”.
Now, with 60m e-commerce customers across the UK, and the demands of hybrid workplaces growing, it is now almost inevitable for customers to be buying products through online platforms. “Yes, there are other ways to market, but the expectation now is that consumers will look online for products before purchasing,” Tim emphasises.
Looking forward
As businesses continue to move towards more and more e-commerce, online platforms must match this pace if they are to drive customers away from larger companies like Amazon. “Already we are seeing a move towards redirecting customers that might be buying from marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay over to buy direct from a dealer’s website, where the margins are greater and control over customer relationships is retained,” Tim says – but this is just one part of the “marketing jigsaw”, as Tim puts it.
“As dealers’ e-commerce platforms become more robust, and high-quality data becomes increasingly available, the confidence to sell online increases. Our industry has many good platforms for e-commerce.” The more they sell online, the more dealer confidence in selling online grows, and more product data will be available. This leads to closer customer relationships which, ultimately, means they will be better equipped to meet the needs of those customers – especially important in the age of the hybrid workspace and its dynamic demands.
As the push from consumers towards e-commerce strengthens, the industry is continues to learn and adapt – but not all customers are the same, and needs will differ across the industry. Your e-commerce platform must also change to meet those needs as they emerge if you’re going to sell successfully well into the future – so your e-commerce strategy will never be ‘finished’ and savvy dealers will keep theirs constantly under review.
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