The Consumerization of Industrial Marketing

We try to write about all aspects of industrial marketing, often going into very specific detail about how best to execute certain initiatives, as well as the latest marketing trends; but did you know about the new B2B marketing trend having to do with consumerization? In short, much like the consumerization of IT (Information Technology), B2B marketing tactics are now starting to look more and more like B2C marketing.

A sale (or getting to a point of sale) should be the easiest process on your website

David Edelman of Digital Marketing Strategy Practice, speaking about the consumerization of the IT industry,  calls this shift a “massive disruption” and goes on to say “in the same way that a consumer wants to buy an app on iTunes, enterprise leaders want to buy sophisticated software online.“

Perhaps the most important tip for those who want to stay ahead of the industrial marketing consumerization curve is that a sale should be the easiest process on your website. It should resemble the process in sites which allow consumers to purchase a product in one click and/or page.  This is still possible, even if you sell an engineered product that cannot be sold online. There are ways to give visitors (and potential buyers) to your website the immediate responses and interaction that lead to quicker sales.

Minimal sales touches means sales simplification

As of today, a company that primarily sells custom engineered products would find it next to impossible to replicate the ease of online purchase that Amazon or Zappos.com provide; but keep your ears to the ground and eyes to the future.  As more and more sophisticated software, systems integration, and new technology come on the scene, that day may arrive.

Currently, most industrial, B2B sites do not have online purchasing options.  When industrial companies who sell “off the shelf products” that do not require extensive design or customization DO sell online, it is not uncommon to see huge increases in sales merely by offering customers a convenient way to get exactly what they want, when they want it.

Forbes magazine described this process as “where large enterprise customers can research, test, and start paying for products without stepping away from their computer and with minimal sales touches.”

“Minimal sales touches” probably doesn’t sound realistic to many industrial sales and marketing professionals.  We hear all the time that regardless how complex the sale,“people do business with people.”  Today, people are increasingly becoming more accustomed to interacting with a faceless individual in a chat box, emailing for more information, or calling into a customer service center to get questions answered quickly in order to make an online purchase.  It only stands to reason that eventually, they will expect this same simplification of the sales process from any company they do business with.

Reduce friction to increase sales

A key aspect to consumerization is the reduction of friction across the promotion and buying process, much like everyday people find on iTunes, Amazon, and Zappos.com. According to Webbiquity, some of the top tips for the reduction of friction  include:

• Increase your online presence with  clear and concise information – 90% of all B2B purchases begin with online research
• Make your website your best sales person – friction occurs when individuals at each stage of the buying cycle can’t find sufficient information to move them further through the funnel
• Ensure consistent messaging across your online communications and within your organization – potential customers feel friction when they get different answers or inconsistent messages from your marketing communications, or employees or departments within your organization
• Even if you can’t sell your engineered products online, make it as easy as possible for prospective customers to get in touch with you – offering a variety of communication methods: a “contact us” button on every page of the site with COMPLETE contact information; a live chat feature; contact information for each key department and if you have regional sales staff, contact information for each; and have social media accounts that are monitored so that questions or comments are responded to in a timely manner.
• Ditch the automated phone system – providing a main number and phone numbers for each department with a live person answering on the other end of the phone is a huge friction reducer.  How annoyed do you get when you are trying to get an answer, and get an automated recording with many options that can make reaching a live person take far too long?
• Empower your employees to resolve issues – friction occurs when buyers are shuffled from one person to another, or have to wait long periods of time before problems are resolved because of layers of management.
• Take social media seriously – according to recent research, 82% of buyers say they trust a company more – and 77% are more likely to buy from that company – if its CEO and senior leadership team are active in social media.

With more and more businesses expecting to be treated like individual customers, it is vital to stay ahead of these trends and capitalize on them. Improving overall customer experience will be what truly differentiates you from your competition – even if you are a manufacturing or industrial service company – in the years to come.

If you are an industrial B2B company, we can help you make your website an optimal lead generating source, and accelerate your sales cycle.  To learn more about how we can aid in industrial marketing consumerization, contact us today.