8 B2B Digital Marketing Strategy For Your eCommerce Business

DynamicWeb

In this guide, we closely look at 8 B2B digital marketing strategies for your eCommerce business and explain how our eCommerce solution can help you take your marketing initiatives to the next level. 

1. Web Content Personalization

Web content personalization consists of the ability to personalize the website in real time based on a visitor's purchase history, onsite behavior, customer profile, and more. Personalization creates a sense of ease throughout the shopping journey so that a customer's needs are reliably and consistently fulfilled. In fact, 80% of consumers are more likely to complete a purchase when provided with a personalized eCommerce experience, and the reverse is also true. When a shopping experience is not personalized, consumers are likelier to choose a competitor who caters to their needs. Web content personalization is also beneficial for businesses. In a 2020 survey of B2B professionals across the globe, 93% of respondents reported that personalizing their eCommerce platform increased revenue and growth. 

eCommerce personalization can take on many forms, including personalizations to the homepage, product recommendations, tailored promotions and discounts, different websites for specific customer types, and more. For example, a buyer for one of your products might see an exclusive promotion for product X when they land on the homepage, while a different buyer sees a promotion for product Y.  

To learn more about web content personalization, read our blog What is eCommerce Personalization and Why it Matters. 

2. Leverage SEO

SEO is the process of optimizing your eCommerce website so that it ranks higher in search engine results. Solid SEO enables business buyers to find your store more easily and maximizes the visibility of your products. The most important SEO strategy for B2B businesses is to create quality content, but there is a little more to it. 

To leverage SEO within your eCommerce store, you must attend to strategy on both the back and front of your site. Businesses that use DynamicWeb Swift have built-in SEO optimization that ensures the content and products reach the intended audiences. We cover the source code so that you can focus on creating content that reflects your business values and resonates with your customers. With a Swift solution, businesses need to focus on the following:

• Page titles that include the right keywords and align with relevant content
• Meta descriptions that lead people to click on the search results by using keywords you want to be associated with 
• SEO-friendly URLS that tells search engines which topics to assess and rank
• Headings and content structure that is descriptive, keyword optimized, and distinct from other headings on the site
• Text content that is interesting and relevant to your audience, with a particular focus on including appropriate search terms on product pages
• Images and video content that performs well with users
• Links that guide search engine crawlers to and throughout your website. 

To learn more about leveraging SEO for your B2B eCommerce business, read our guides Basic Website SEO and Essential On-Page SEO. 

3. Email Personalization and Automation

Email personalization and automation consist of the ability to precisely segment and target customers based on data from the eCommerce and back-end systems and launch email campaigns based on behavioral triggers. Personalized and automated email marketing helps keep customers engaged and drives revenues. In fact, email marketing is cited as the #1 most effective tactic for customer retention and can increase revenue by more than 20% when successfully paired with an eCommerce strategy. Through automation, businesses can execute marketing endeavors intelligently and efficiently. 

An email personalization and automation strategy consist of the following activities: 

• Launching tailored promotions and limited-time offers to the right audience and maximizing conversions. 
• Launching abandoned cart campaigns in scenarios where customers forget to check out. 
• Automating order confirmation emails with helpful information about their order, etc.
• Using promotions to improve customer engagement and retention
• Building an attractive loyalty program (more on that below). 

To learn more about eCommerce email marketing, download our free whitepaper: Drive More Sales Through eCommerce Email Marketing. 

4. Loyalty Programs

Like in retail, B2B companies see huge benefits from implementing loyalty programs. They are an easy way to offer better prices to customers in the form of earned discounts, which simultaneously boosts your sales because it necessitates more ordering.

B2B loyalty programs can include point collection and redemption systems often seen in B2C models. However, tiers and perk systems are usually more relevant for B2B spending patterns. In a tier-based loyalty program, customers are automatically placed in a loyalty tier based on the transaction volume. In a perks-based loyalty program, businesses can invite select B2B customers to join VIP programs and receive special benefits. Additionally, B2B loyalty programs can include rewards programs that offer incentives, preferred pricing, and exclusive experiences to help select clients grow their businesses. 

5. Lead Generation Tools 

Lead generation is critical for most B2B companies and significantly impacts the cost of sales. There are many ways to generate leads, and companies often find that various approaches can lead to meaningful results. However, only some companies realize they can use their eCommerce website to generate leads. 

Consider building an interactive lead generation tool on your website to supercharge your lead generation strategy. eCommerce lead generation tools can include solutions such as:

• A quote builder
• A project estimate calculator
• An ROI calculator
• A free assessment
• A "what type of product do you need" assessment

When building an interactive lead generation tool for your B2B eCommerce site, make sure that it is easy to use, designed specifically for your target audience, and customized to meet the needs of each visitor. 

To learn more about lead generation, download our free whitepaper: Boost Sales with B2B Lead Generation From Your Website. 

6. Sell on Marketplaces 

Today's customers shop in many ways, and B2B customers are no exception. To grow your B2B eCommerce business in today's competitive environment, it is critical to expand beyond your eCommerce store to marketplaces like Amazon, or even specialty marketplaces like:

• Kitmodo - machinery
• IronPlanet - heavy equipment
• Infra.market – construction
• Elemica – process manufacturing materials
• Chemnet – chemicals
• PartCycle – used auto parts
• Brickhunter (UK) – bricks
• SupplyHog – building materials, tools
• ePlane – aircraft parts
• GoDirect Trade – aerospace parts

However, in many cases, expanding an eCommerce business to marketplaces is easier said than done. Without the right eCommerce or PIM platform, it can be incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to manage and publish products across multiple channels and marketplaces, especially when each marketplace has its own set of unique requirements. Here at DynamicWeb, we take out the guesswork and hassle with our built-in PIM solution that makes it easy to extend your products to any marketplace you wish to sell on while managing all products from one solution. 

To learn how we make omnichannel selling easy, download our free webinar: Expanding Your eCommerce Strategy to Marketplaces. 

7. Tap into Social Media

Let's face it. Social media is where everyone gathers for everything, not just personal news. While it may be tempting to forgo social media marketing for your B2B business, if you do so, you are likely missing out on a valuable way to connect with your customers and expand your market reach. 

After search engine optimization, social media marketing is the second most popular marketing channel for B2B businesses. In fact, 83% of B2B marketers use social media to drive engagement across platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. 

On social media, B2B companies tend to stay away from sales pitches and instead offer content including:

• Industry news
• Industry tips
• Instructional videos and guides 
• Products and services announcements
• Client testimonials
• Links to case studies and whitepapers
• Invitations to corporate events

8. Run PPC Campaigns

Ultimately, the best way to draw traffic to your site is to shout it from the rooftops, and a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign will allow you to do just that. PPC campaigns in Google can help you get far ahead of leaders in your space with flexible budgeting options, as you only have to pay when viewers engage with the content. 

When developing a PPC campaign, keep the following strategies in mind: 

• Conduct careful research to ensure you are targeting the right keywords for your businesses.
• Consider the perspective of a company looking for you and explore the terminology that may lead them to you. 
• Place your keywords in ad groups and campaigns that target the various stages of the B2B buyer journey. 
• Craft your calls-to-action with B2B buyers in mind. For example, inviting viewers to "get more information" is likely more appropriate than a prompt to "buy now." 

That being said, a great way to drive traffic to your website and generate more sales is to partner with a company that has your back. At DynamicWeb, our mission is to simplify eCommerce for our customers and partners. With more than 20 years in business and more than 12,000 websites developed, we have the experience and software necessary to create robust eCommerce solutions. 

Learn more - download our free white paper, Drive More Sales through eCommerce Email Marketing

To experience the powerful DynamicWeb Commerce Suite, try a free demo today.