Building Strong Digital Channels for Manufacturing & B2B

Statistically, B2B organizations have been slower to adopt new technology. Nowhere is this more apparent than when looking at the traditional selling models of these types of companies. This article will help outline how to start building strong digital channels that will grow with future technology.

Digitalization of traditional processes is not a new topic of discussion. Many organizations have steadily been improving their operations, adopting LEAN principles, implementing Smart technology and, in general, focusing on operational interconnectivity in production, thanks to the Industry 4.0 revolution.

Adopting new technology that digitizes sales and marketing efforts should be the next big item on any B2B and manufacturing organization’s to-do list. But, many industrial, manufacturing and B2B organizations are still behind the times in adopting digital-first sales processes and online marketing channels. These digital solutions will guide organizations through the turbulent times ahead, helping weather the storm of changing buying behaviour, supply chain disruption and economic turmoil.

The benefits of digitizing sales and marketing in B2B & Manufacturing

Meeting new buyer’s expectations and improving customer experience

Millennials are shaping the need for digital commerce in every sector, including industrial, manufacturing and B2B. Digital-savvy buyers are accustomed to doing their research with the click of a mouse or the tap of fingers on a mobile screen. The new buyers expect the same digital-first experience they get from their day-to-day lives as consumers to transfer over to their work life. They are inclined to spend their time and money with companies that allow them to shop how they want to: without salesperson interference.

Fact: 44% of millennials prefer not to have a sales rep involved in the B2B purchase environment. - Gartner, The Future of Sales

Providing easily searchable online catalogues, product recommendations, video demos and chat functions with product experts improves customer experience dramatically and leads to better customer engagement and loyalty.

Unlocking new sales opportunities

Growth, resiliency and business sustainability are becoming harder and harder to maintain in the cutthroat world of industry. Amending business models and branching out into new sales channels, becoming omnipresent, may be the key to manufacturers becoming disruption-proof.

Beyond creating a digital sales channel for your existing client base and targets, this is also the time to start thinking about going direct-to-consumer (D2C) and diversifying into online marketplaces.

Creating your own B2B and B2C digital commerce platform is not the easiest solution. Still, it offers many advantages: increased profits, faster time-to-market, increased brand and price control, and better customer information.

Large online marketplaces are not perfect, but they do offer massive brand exposure. Amazon, Alibaba, and eBay are three of the world’s top online marketplaces and are excellent options for potential mass distribution. These online marketplaces have their pros and cons: Fast launch times and well-established platforms, but there is also a lack of marketing control, so your marketing team may hit roadblocks if you want to be innovative in your selling tactics.

Improving efficiency

The real value in digitizing the sales and marketing process in manufacturing and B2B organizations lies in increasing efficiency and reducing costs.

“By 2023, B2B organizations with digital commerce offerings will see a 20% reduction in costs, compared to competitors without B2B digital commerce sites.” - Gartner, Leverage B2B Digital Commerce for Cost Optimization, Improved CX and Revenue Growth

• Reduce the cost of errors – Manual order processes are prone to mistakes on the part of the buyer or the salesperson. Building a digital order process with automatic order checking can minimize the costs associated with those errors.
• Reducing manual labour costs – Adding online ordering processes frees up employees to focus on customer questions, service and experience, and orders flow directly into order management systems for processing.
• Reduce pricing discrepancies – Integrating a digital commerce site with an ERP system allows the platform to pull contract-specific pricing for each account or automatically assign pricing based on segments and other factors.
• Improve order efficiency with automatic reorders – Digitizing replenishment orders with functionality such as saved purchase lists, shopping carts, or simple functionality for viewing and duplicating previous orders. This automation simplifies the process for buyers and facilitates timely reorders, which results in more revenue for sellers.

How to build strong digital sales and marketing channels for B2B & Manufacturing

Now that we have highlighted a few benefits of building digital solutions for sales and marketing, the hard part comes into play: figuring out the right digital channel and solution for your customer. Building a digital sales asset or new digital channel requires an intense and in-depth understanding of your customer and their needs.

Start by looking at your current customers and grouping them by their needs rather than strictly by demographics. This grouping can identify common needs and point you toward a digital solution that meets those needs. McKinsey & Co refers to this as archetyping and has a great example below showing how customer pain points can lead you to the exact digital solution to solve those pains.

• Customer groups — map out each customer’s specific pain points and what the digital solution could be.
• Digital solutions — create a specific marketing campaign built around the pain points and how your business can solve them.

Once you map your grouping and solutions, gather all your past, prospective and current customer contact information and build an awareness campaign highlighting the new digital solutions. Show how the new tools will solve pain points, such as speeding up their orders, streamlining order tracking and helping buyers learn about new products.

Finally, train your staff to be able to use the new tools and answer any questions your clients or prospects may have. Find ways to turn your sales teams into evangelists and get them excited to offer new digital-first assets as a way to improve customer relations and deliver exceptional service.

Strong digital channels do more than sell

Well-thought-out strategies around digital sales channels give your manufacturing or B2B brand the ideal platform to communicate directly with your customers and potential clients. 

“Your digital presence allows you to set the narrative on who you are as a brand and set yourself apart from competitors. More than just your website, your digital presence expands to all the touch points a consumer may have with your brand online.” - Forbes, Building A Brand: Why A Strong Digital Presence Matters.

If your organization is ready to prioritize digital sales and marketing assets, find the right partner agency that understands your technical needs and business goals and comprehends the need to get to market quickly.

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Editor's Note: This article was originally published July 17, 2022. It has been updated for freshness and accuracy.