When your customers are business owners, they’ll have high expectations. B2B is a competitive industry, and if your customer experience isn’t A+, your buyers won’t return.
If you’ve noticed your buyers aren’t committed to your brand, it’s time for a revamp. Get ready to shake up the way you do things because there are ways to keep your customers happy.
Investing time and money in the right areas can have a direct impact on sales. And with a few simple strategies, you can grow a database of loyal customers.
Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to create a positive experience and keep buyers coming back.
Table of Contents
Improve the Customer Experience
The CX (customer experience) is all about how your buyers perceive your brand. It’s the full package — from the first time they land on your website to the moment you complete the sale.
If you want your buyers to keep coming back, analyze the customer experience. Successful B2Bs often use a sales funnel for this.
When you break down your processes into steps, you can improve the customer experience at every stage. Your service will be streamlined, and you can pinpoint what’s working and what’s not.
Brands spend an awful amount of time, energy, and resources into finding out what is it exactly that will appeal to their customers. On the contrary, the simpler and easier way out would have been to hire the best cx agency and let them get that done for you. This way, they could exactly benefit from creating the best customer experiences and not leaving anything to chance.
Here’s an example of a basic sales funnel:
As you can see, a professional website and personalized offers are part of the mix.
Fortunately, technology has come a long way, and you can now automate some of your processes. For example, your customers can receive automated, personalized emails at specific intervals.
One suggestion is to schedule email reminders when it is time to reorder. There’s a fine line between helpful and annoying, so make sure you don’t overdo it.
Automated marketing emails can be built into your eCommerce software. You could also use a marketing tool like Hubspot or Convertbox to improve your conversions. You’ll just need to make sure that your emails are going through and you won’t need to improve your email deliverability strategy.
Don’t forget, first impressions matter. You can use Google Insights to check your website speed and see if there are any areas that can be improved.
Give Them Free Resources
Make your website more than just a sales pitch. Your B2B customers will be more likely to return if you give them a comprehensive website.
What does this mean? Update your website regularly with quality resources, such as:
- An archive of well-researched articles and blog posts
- FAQs on your products or services
- How-to guides and ebooks on how to use your products
- Press releases and relevant brand information
If you prefer, you can keep some of these resources locked from public viewing. When your buyers register, they’ll have access to a password-protected “member’s only” section.
When you create an informative website, there’s an added benefit. High-quality resources and articles can help drive traffic to your domain. It’s a strategy brands often use as part of their SEO (search engine optimization) strategies.
Take a look at Nlyte Software’s detailed FAQ section about building automation systems. This guide has rich content, including FAQs, infographics, and an ebook. It’s free content that gives website visitors added value.
If your customers are resellers, you can give them access to product photos and video tutorials. They can use these on their own websites and social media pages.
When you create new resources, we recommend using Google Analytics to track their performance. It’s free, and you can see which pages have the highest conversion rates.
Reward Buyers with Discounts
Everyone loves a bargain. Your B2B buyers will be tempted to come back and spend when you reward them with discounts and promo codes.
There are several ways you can do this. For example, some B2Bs offer discounts and free postage for bulk orders.
Another option is to offer seasonal specials. Share deals leading up to any relevant holidays such as Christmas, Halloween, or Valentine’s Day. Just make sure to use time-sensitive promo codes to create a sense of buyer urgency.
The trick is to spread the word. There’s no point in setting up discount codes if no one is going to use them. You can feature discounts on your website and in your email letters. You can also promote them on social media.
Encourage your buyers to sign up for your mailing list with an initial reward. For example, you can say, “sign up for our newsletter and get 10% off your first order.”
You can also ask them to like your business on Facebook in return for deals that are exclusive to social media followers.
Offer Consistent Omnichannel Service
You can have a fancy website and reliable product, but your buyers will run to competitors without good customer service.
To make things more complicated, customers want options. They want to contact your business using different methods and on a range of devices. The list includes email, phone, live help, social media, and in-person.
They also expect the same great service every time.
Businesses that understand the power of good customer service use an omnichannel approach, where consistent service is offered on every platform.
The secret is to use CRM software. The features vary between brands, but you can expect a customer address book, order processing, and note-taking.
Cloud-based solutions will let you track correspondence from any location. This means different operators can access the same information, even if they’re working remotely.
Clear processes and the right tools will give your team everything they need to provide consistent service every time.
Train Your Team
B2B customers expect your team to know more about your products and services than they do. Staff training should be an essential part of your customer experience strategy.
If a buyer is considering making a purchase, a knowledgeable sales assistant can convince them to seal the deal. Extensive product knowledge could even lead to an up-sale.
But if your team gives customers the wrong information, it’ll discourage them from coming back.
It’s never too late to train your team if there are areas that need improvement. You can survey previous customers to learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of your team.
For example, are they friendly with good customer service? Do they understand the product specifications? How well do they handle complaints? Are they confident in payment processing? Do they know how to use the products?
If it’s a service, are they trained to use the tools and equipment?
Training can be done in groups or individually. Try to schedule refresher training at regular intervals to keep your processes and procedures fresh in their minds.
How to Keep B2B Customers Coming Back
If your customers are business owners, you’ll be facing fierce competition. To keep buyers happy, you’ll need to create a positive B2B customer experience.
You can examine your business processes by splitting them into a sales funnel. Think about everything from the first introduction to pre-sale follow-ups. At the very least, you’ll need a strong website, consistent customer service, an ABM strategy and targeted emails.
After you’ve made a good first impression, convince buyers to come back. Free resources and discounts will show them you value their business.
Remember, staff training can be the key to long-term success. When your team has extensive product knowledge, they’ll be able to offer product recommendations and advice.
An ad campaign could be what draws them in, but good old-fashioned customer service is what will help you gain customer loyalty.
What are you waiting for? It’s time to revamp your brand and create a B2B customer experience that smashes the competition.
