MARKETING MATTERS Growing Sales With E-Commerce Savvy NORWIN A. MERENS, NM MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS
changed information gathering and buying habits in both the consumer and business-to-business (b-to-b) worlds. According to comScore Inc., a leader in measuring the digital market- place, online retail spending reached an all-time high of $43.4 billion in the last quarter of 2010. Tis is an 11% increase over 2009. Furthermore, this growth marked the fifth consecutive quarter showing positive year-over- year gains. Tere’s little doubt that con- sumers are abandoning traditional shopping methods in record numbers. Tey’re going to websites that are compelling, with robust search and navigation and easy ordering via PC or mobile technology. But what does this mean for b-to-b companies like metalcasters?
T
Changing Buying Habits Te lines between b-to-b and
consumer marketing are blurring, and some experts argue the idea of b-to-b marketing is obsolete. Tey contend businesses are no longer marketing to other businesses but to individuals who want a robust consumer experi- ence even at work. Tat experience in- cludes greater use of social media as a way to engage customers on a personal level. As evidence of the trend, build- ing materials producer USG Corp., Chicago, recently created an Apple- approved iPhone app for the rollout of new lightweight drywall.
In another example of the integra- tion of traditional media and social
50 | MODERN CASTING April 2011
he internet has significantly reshaped how business is conducted. Technology has
Tere’s little doubt that consumers are abandoning traditional shopping methods in record numbers.
media, corporate database company Hoover’s Inc., Austin, Texas, an- nounced in January it signed an agreement with professional network- ing site LinkedIn. Te deal will let salespeople use their LinkedIn net- works within the context of Hoover’s business data. “Social media is
becoming main- stream for b-to-b sales professionals,” said James Rog- ers, the company’s vice president of marketing. “Accord- ing to HubSpot research, more than two-fifths of companies using various social media marketing chan- nels have acquired a customer from
those channels. For b-to-b firms in particular, LinkedIn was identified as the most effective social media outlet for customer acquisition.” The increased use of social media
is a continuation of the sea change in buyer/seller relationships brought about by the internet. The availabili- ty of information and greater pricing transparency has shifted power to the buyer. Business salespeople are becoming less successful at putting themselves in front of clients in or- der to tell them what they want the customer to know. Instead, clients are gathering their own information and not dealing with salespeople until they are ready to buy. At the same time, the inter- net has created new methods for marketers to conduct a one-to-one dialogue with customers, rather than relying on mass marketing methods. Therefore, it is important to have an attractive, easy-to-navigate website packed with robust content that ad- dresses a customer’s interests at vari-
ous stages of the purchasing cycle.
Creating E-Commerce Success Following are some of the elements
that will help you carry out a new e-commerce strategy and make a big impact on your success: • State the benefits of your product or service in clear, concise terms. Tis is important to prospects in the infor- mation gathering phase. Effective use of keywords to describe the benefits of your business will improve search engine visibility, driving more custom- ers to your website.
• Be unequivocal regarding the value of your products or services. While posting online pricing information may not be appropriate for many b- to-b offerings, it is critical to express your value proposition.
• Provide content that enriches the customer’s experience and helps him or her understand how your product can solve a problem. White papers, case studies and testimonials are all effective in moving prospects along the decision-making process.
• Make the user experience positive. How easy is your website to navigate? Can users quickly find what they are looking for from the home page? Are all of the links working properly? B-to-b clients expect your site to be as organized and user-friendly as the consumer sites they use. Remember that in today’s mar-
keting environment your website is often the first exposure many people have to your business. It’s important to make a good first impression. Visitors will appreciate a site that is professionally designed and contains informative content. An attractive site reveals that you take pride in your business and are successful, and it’s human nature to associate with those who are successful, which will help turn prospects into clients.
Norwin A. Merens is managing director of NM Marketing Communications, Glenview, Ill.
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