Millennials & digital commerce in B2B

Millennials are shaping the need for digital commerce in B2B. They demand top-notch technology for the companies they work for and are loath to accept anything less, which should be a major signal for B2B commerce as an industry.

The number of millennial shoppers has been steadily rising for years and is only expected to continue growing. While we’ve long known this in the B2C landscape, more recently, millennials are also impacting big shifts in digital B2B ecommerce. This generation is all grown up, expected to make up three-quarters of the workforce globally by 2025. That means millennials aren’t just shopping for themselves. They’re shopping for the companies who employ them. As a B2B business today, you need a strong digital presence to attract this generation, build a loyal customer base, and grow your brand.

Navigating the ever-changing landscape of digital B2B ecommerce

To keep pace with the changing needs of millennial buyers, B2B companies need to start thinking about the role they want to play in the market. Building a memorable brand will be necessary, and a strong digital experience plays a crucial part in that. Look at what leaders in the consumer retail space are doing (social commerce and marketing, personalization, and chatbots, to name a few strategies) and implement systems that offer the best digital omnichannel experience.

Consider this:

• Millennials make 60% of their purchases online.
• 45% of millennials use voice-operated devices for search and discovery activities, such as finding products or online reviews.
• Approximately 60% of millennials say they are likely to switch brands if their current vendor doesn’t offer an easy-to-use mobile experience.

Millennial B2B buyers want to know first and foremost that they can trust the company they do business with. They are skeptical of sales reps and sales claims. In fact, according to a recent Gartner report, 44% of millennials prefer not to have a sales rep involved in the B2B purchase environment. That means that digital sales channels, and your entire digital experience, is more important than ever. You’ll need to lean on technologies that create the seamless, informational, convenient and user-friendly experiences millennials have come to expect.

Trend alert — Voice-assisted search and mobile purchasing

Most millennials already have Google Home devices or Amazon ass

So how do you take advantage? First, ensure your website is optimized for mobile, which is where the majority of voice searches occur. Additionally, consider how people use voice search. It’s more conversational, and you have to rank in the featured snippet to get noticed. Nail your SEO, consider question-based headers, and make sure your website content is straightforward to increase your chances of ranking.istants at their fingertips, and this generation almost always has a mobile device nearby, checking their phones an estimated 150 times daily. It’s no wonder that voice search is becoming a dominant tool in the millennial dominated workforce. It’s making its way into the B2B market as a way for millennials to search for valuable information and place orders. One survey found that 40% of people use voice search when alone in their office, while 20% when with their colleagues.

Additionally, given all the time millennials spend on their devices, voice search or otherwise, B2B businesses also need to prioritize how their content appears on mobile in a big way. Think like a consumer brand. Consider Amazon, for example. As one report keenly points out, it’s one of the most popular apps millennials use. Millennials expect similar shopping experiences in the B2B world with simplified checkout processes and personalized experiences. Brands with user-friendly apps that allow millennial buyers to browse options, manage account information and services, and make repeat purchases with the tap of a screen have a good chance at creating loyal millennial customers.

Planning for B2B digital ecommerce transformation

No doubt, B2B ecommerce and marketing will continue to grow rapidly. That in tandem with the increasing number of millennials in the workforce taking on more senior roles makes the sales and marketing landscape for B2B products and services ripe for change. There are practical ways to prepare for this transformation, and Acro Commerce consultants can help. Schedule a consultation today. You can pick our brains for free and get started on your digital transformation today.