BUSINESS HELPDESK HELP DESK


PLOTTING A COURSE THROUGH THE DIGITAL MAZE


A straw-poll of BMF merchant members found a growing number are already doing business online and 65% are planning to launch or increase sales from online platforms during the next two years.


D


emand from trade customers to order products and manage their accounts online is now making the digitalisation of merchant business an


urgent necessity rather than an option. But the route to successful digitalisation is not a quick fix, nor a ‘fire & forget’ project.


Obtaining product data from their suppliers in a readily usable format is one of the difficulties merchants encounter, which is why the BMF is championing the ETIM open- source data model. ETIM ensures that all users of the product data employ the same terms to describe the same attributes and values. It streamlines the transfer of information, removes the inefficiencies in the supply chain and thus helps in facilitating the transition to online trading.


Unless you have an optimised solution, that works for both your business and your customers, it’s unlikely to deliver the expected returns and may also damage your brand through poor customer experience. We asked Andy Scothern, managing


director of eCommonSense, to propose a ten- point plan for digital success.


1. Choose the right digital partner


This is arguably the most critical step. Get it right and you will be able to focus on what you do best whilst your digital partner provides a solution that works for your business and your customers.


Get it wrong, and you could find that customers slip through your fingers, as they head to competitors with slicker online experiences.


So how do you find the right digital


partner? The short answer is that you need someone who understands both digital and your merchant business, with all the unique complexities involved with multiple pricing, deliveries, product data etc. Once you apply these criteria the list of potential suppliers will shrink considerably.


2. You get what you pay for The cheapest solution is rarely the best, but you generally get what you pay for. A fully


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integrated solution will automatically transfer data between your website and back-office systems, increasing efficiency whilst allowing fewer mistakes. The highest cost will always be that of lost opportunities because your website is just not good enough.


3. Make your customers happy If people visit your website and have a smooth experience they will be happy to place their order and return to buy more. Useful websites are good for business, but it’s important to remember that the reverse is also true. In terms of customer experience, you want your online customers to have the same level of service they receive in one of your physical branches, if not better.


4. Stay safe online


Security is a massive issue in today’s Online world. If you compromise your business data or that of your customers, then it can be hugely costly. World-class cyber-security precautions are essential and they need to be continuously updated as criminals do not stand still. This should be a hygiene factor with any system and digital partner that you choosefor your business.


5. Keep ahead of the competition


Websites and digital solutions need to be continually evolving to ensure that you stay ahead of your competition and up-to-date with the latest functionality. Check that this is something that your digital partner does as a matter of course and doesn’t charge you for every small improvement. Better still if they keep enhancing their offering without being asked.


6. Don’t make me think!


Customers want to be able to access the right products and services quickly. To do that, they need to be able to find what they are looking for with ease, get their price and all the essential product data. The structure of your site needs to be intuitive so that visitors don’t get lost or confused. It also needs help pages, so that customers can find out


what to do if they get stuck when using the website outside of regular business hours.


7. Product data


Even with a great website, bad product data will hamper all your efforts to make it a


success. This is usually the most significant part of any website project, so work with a partner who not only understands the products and the associated data but also provides a product database you can access, has relationships with suppliers and understands how to clean and organise data efficiently. This part of the project links back to the opening paragraph of this article in respect of utilising a recognised data model, such as ETIM which the BMF is adopting and promoting.


8. Don’t forget mobile


You will be missing out on more than half of your potential customers if your website is not optimised for mobile as roughly 70% of traffic will likely originate from mobile or tablet


9. Content is king


Quality content makes the difference. When customers visit your website, they do so with a clear purpose in mind. Make the content reflect and support this journey. Get rid of the irrelevant and only include what is useful.


10. Extras make the difference Offering the functionality that your customers find useful and that saves them time can make the difference between them coming to you or your competitors. Your website should also change the value perception in their minds, i.e. that price is not the most important thing but is replaced with the concept of value such as convenience and time-saving.


Customers may want to access to their invoices, manage their account and have the ability to build instant quotes etc. A good website should also help them narrow down a search for a product with 1,000s of options, such as bricks, by simply uploading a photo. Your website should be an extension of your branch-based business, providing all the service a customer enjoys in normal trading hours. BMJ


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net January 2020


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