Digital transformation in the B2B world is at full-throttle. As organizations drive efforts in digitizing their offering and streamlining the customer experience, the focus on the mobile is getting stronger.
As smartphones have proliferated, so has the app-economy. The centrality of the mobile to an array of life and work functions has refined the customer expectations even in the B2B space.
Most B2B customers today expect a gratifying and seamless mobile experience, with many basing their buying decision on the quality and simplicity of their mobile experience. This is why optimizing the mobile B2B experience is becoming increasingly crucial. B2B organizations are being compelled to have the mobile at the core of their B2B digital strategies.
The growth of mobile
Advancements in 4G (and 5G) networks, intuitive screens, and better processing speed have all caused the mobile to penetrate deeply into the daily lives of people across the world. Given the various ways in which rich applications and web pages can be pushed to users, the growth of mobile has been phenomenal, but not unexpected.
Even in the complex B2B purchasing cycle, the mobile offers not just convenience but also a quicker turnaround. This combination has the potential to accelerate the time to purchase significantly. It delivers a rich experience to customers while strengthening trust, loyalty, and retention in the long run. Using mobile strategies, B2B companies can offer customers the information, interaction, and options they need – at their convenience – thus improving their experience and driving enhanced levels of conversions.
The benefits it offers in the B2B landscape
Mobile devices have long been a preferred mode of purchasing in the B2C industry. In fact, mobile app shoppers spend 20X more time shopping than website users and the “most used device” for product search in the “I want to buy” moment is the mobile accounting for 65% such searches.
With numbers like that, it’s no wonder that the trend is quickly catching up in the B2B world as well. As more and more B2B search queries are made on smartphones, the convenience that mobile offers in finding (and purchasing) pretty much anything is too appealing to ignore. Here are some reasons why mobile is quickly becoming central in B2B digital strategies:
- It acts as a medium of easy research: B2B purchasing cycles are extremely time intensive. No B2B purchase is ever made on an impulse; most carry out several levels and stages of research before they make a purchase. So, to help B2B customers understand their options, weigh product features, compare prices, and more, organizations need to focus on building and delivering the information customers need to simplify the research process.
- It offers the first point of interaction: In the modern B2B landscape, where customers are spoiled for choice, mobile offers an easy first point of interaction with a low entry barrier. Since it could be your only chance to succeed, it is important to create a great first impression, so your customers are keen on engaging with you and your brand. A vast portfolio, detailed product content, easy navigation, intuitive search, a constantly updated FAQ section, and an easy checkout process are all important to ensure rich engagement.
- It enables anytime, anywhere access: Modern customers want to be able to have access to the product content they need when they need it. Being restricted by a 9-5 window or having difficulty in gathering information over the holidays is not something they prefer. For such customers, mobile enables anytime, anywhere access to the information they need to explore products, make comparisons, check prices, and even make purchases.
- It is a great tool for personalization: A one-size-fits-all marketing strategy no longer appeals to the modern B2B customer who favors personalization over standardization. Given the many ways in which mobile experiences can be tailored to suit the different needs of different customers, it is a great tool for personalization. Since you can deliver content and recommendations based on their preferences, past purchases, and buying behavior, it gives you the opportunity to connect with your customers in ways that drive maximum engagement, interaction, and conversion.
Drive the results you need
As the B2B landscape gets increasingly more competitive and digital, embracing mobile strategies is a great way to cater to the mindset and habits of the modern B2B customer. The mobile helps you deliver the right content to the discerning customer at the right time – 24×7. Using the mobile, you can provide the content your customers need to carry out product research, enable a great first interaction, and even personalize the entire B2B experience – thus fostering their trust and loyalty and driving the results you need to prosper and grow.