B2B & eCommerce

B2B and eCommerce can be lucrative, high margin, and an opportunity to capture market share without the expense of a sales team. Digital marketing B2B ecom businesses can by done by stealth: you’re not screaming sales messages at every corner of the internet, instead you’re conveniently appearing in the right place, at the right time, in front of your ideal audience. It’s marketing with swagger, pinpoint accuracy and healthy ROIs when handled correctly.

Digital Marketing vs Sales Team

Unlike traditional B2B transactions, which often involve lengthy negotiations and a costly offline sales process, Thinkroom’s B2B eCommerce agency can streamline these interactions, making it easier for businesses to buy from you.

When potential customers browse, compare, and purchase products online, we’ll be watching, measuring and enticing. The shift to online marketing doesn’t need to work against your sales force. In fact, it can automate processes, highlight lead opportunities, analyse when you might be losing clients to competitors, and reward those who are loyal. All of this can be automated.

We create strategies that cater to the unique needs of B2B buyers. For instance, our B2B eCommerce websites often include features such as bulk ordering, custom pricing, and account-based access, allowing different users within a company to interact with the platform according to their roles and permissions. All of which needs to be integrated into a CRM.

The buying process in B2B eCommerce is typically more complex and involves multiple decision-makers, so the user experience must be seamless, intuitive, and informative. Content plays a crucial role, with detailed product descriptions, specifications, and comparison tools helping buyers make informed decisions, but with SEO in mind, content using the correct keyword research and on page optimisation techniques can help you attract more customers.

Personalised User Experience

Additionally, personalised experiences are key to improve user experience for your clients. If your clients are spending hundreds of thousands a year, you better make darn sure that your B2B ecommerce system is easy to use. Thinkroom often uses data to customise product recommendations, offer custom discounts, and streamline reordering processes for regular clients. Integration with other CRM business systems and shipping is also essential to ensure that we’re supporting the broader operational needs of your business.

There’s nothing simple, and no fast fix to B2B ecommerce solutions, but by leveraging these strategies, you can significantly improve internal efficiencies, reduce costs, and open up new opportunities for businesses to reach and serve more customers more effectively. Get this formula right, and your competitors won’t know what hit them.

Specialised strategies for B2B vs. B2C

Business to Business

In B2B marketing, strategies are focused more on building long-term relationships and addressing the complex decision-making processes that often involve multiple stakeholders within a company. This means that B2B strategies emphasise educational content & case studies, which provide in-depth information and demonstrate expertise. Account based marketing (ABM) is also a key strategy in B2B, where digital marketing efforts are personalised and targeted towards specific high-value accounts, aiming to engage decision-makers with tailored messaging and solutions.

Business to Consumer

In contrast, B2C marketing strategies are typically broader and designed to appeal to the emotions and immediate needs of individual consumers. B2C marketing often relies on more visual and engaging content, such as social media posts, videos, and advertisements, that can quickly capture attention and drive impulse purchases. The sales cycle in B2C is usually shorter, so marketing efforts focus on creating a seamless and enjoyable customer experience, with strategies like promotions, discounts, and personalised recommendations playing a significant role. B2C marketing leverages brand loyalty, customer satisfaction, and emotional connections to drive sales.

SEO & Content Marketing

SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and content marketing are strategies in B2B digital marketing, designed to increase visibility and drive an increase in organic web traffic from search engines. In the B2B context, SEO goes beyond basic keyword optimisation; it involves understanding the specific search behaviors and intent of business decision-makers. Effective SEO strategies start with comprehensive keyword research to identify terms and phrases that potential clients use when searching for solutions relevant to your industry.

On-page optimisation, including meta tags, headers, and internal linking, ensures that your website is structured in a way that search engines can easily crawl and index. The good news is that most of your competitors won’t be doing this well.

Content Marketing

Content marketing complements SEO by providing helpful content. Google has had a recent update that promotes helpful content for readers. Your website content can include valuable, relevant videos, visuals or copy that addresses the pain-ponts of your target audience. In B2B, this content often takes the form of in-depth blog posts, video tutorials, case studies, and reports, which help establish your brand as an industry leader. High-quality content not only attracts organic traffic but also engages visitors, encouraging them to spend more time on your site and move further down the sales funnel. By consistently producing and optimising content that resonates with your core audience, we can improve your search engine rankings, drive targeted traffic, and ultimately generate more qualified leads, resulting in increased revenues. The combination of SEO and content marketing creates a powerful synergy that enhances your online presence and supports your overall B2B marketing strategy. SEO is the gift that keeps on giving. The seeds you plant today will compound over time.

Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a targeted approach in B2B marketing where efforts are concentrated on a select group of high-value accounts rather than a broad audience. ABM treats individual accounts as markets in their own right, allowing for highly personalised and relevant marketing strategies. The process begins with identifying key accounts that are most likely to benefit from your products or services, often those with significant spending potential or strategic importance. Once these accounts are identified, we tailor marketing campaigns to address the specific needs, pain-points, and goals of each account.

This could involve geographical targeting, customised solutions, and direct outreach that resonates with decision-makers within the organisation. ABM relies heavily on collaboration between marketing and sales teams to ensure that messaging and outreach are aligned and that the approach is cohesive. Account based marketing is often offline, but there’s an element of online marketing, as well. By focusing on high-value accounts and delivering personalised experiences, ABM can drive deeper engagement, shorten sales cycles, and increase the likelihood of securing long-term, profitable client relationships.

Lead Generation & Nurturing

Lead generation and nurturing in B2B marketing involves a highly strategic approach to attract, engage, and convert potential business clients. Unlike B2C, where the focus is on individual consumers, B2B lead generation targets companies and decision-makers, often requiring a multi-channel strategy to reach various stakeholders. Effective lead generation starts with identifying high-value prospects using data-driven techniques, such as market segmentation, account-based marketing (ABM), and targeted content. Once potential leads are identified, nurturing them becomes crucial.

This involves a combination of personalised email campaigns, informative content and ongoing communication to build trust and guide prospects through a longer sales cycle. The nurturing process often includes multiple touchpoints, with a focus on addressing the specific pain points and needs of each lead, ultimately positioning the product or service as the ideal solution for their business challenges. By leveraging CRM systems and marketing automation tools, B2B marketers can track interactions, measure engagement, and tailor their approach to each lead, ensuring a higher likelihood of conversion.

PPC Paid Media for B2B

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) and paid media are powerful tools in B2B marketing, enabling businesses to reach highly targeted audiences with precision and measurable impact. Unlike B2C, where paid media often focuses on broad consumer segments, B2B PPC campaigns are typically more granular, targeting specific industries, job titles, and even companies. Platforms like Google Ads and LinkedIn are particularly effective for B2B, allowing marketers to create ads that reach decision-makers within a precise niche. The focus in B2B PPC is on capturing leads at various stages of the buyer’s journey, from awareness to consideration to decision-making.

The strategy involves crafting highly relevant ad copy and landing pages that address the specific pain points and needs of B2B buyers. B2B campaigns often include longer sales cycles, so retargeting is a crucial component, keeping your brand top of mind as prospects move through the decision-making process. Additionally, B2B paid media campaigns frequently incorporate lead magnets, such as whitepapers, webinars, or free trials, designed to capture contact information and initiate further nurturing through email marketing or direct sales outreach. By focusing on quality leads and optimising for conversions, B2B PPC and paid media can deliver a strong ROI, helping businesses attract the right prospects and convert them into valuable clients.

Shopify Vs. WooCommerce

When comparing Shopify and WooCommerce for eCommerce, the choice often comes down to the specific needs of your business, particularly in a B2B context.

Shopify is a fully hosted, all-in-one platform that provides a seamless, user-friendly experience. It’s ideal for businesses looking for a quick setup with minimal technical expertise. Shopify offers a robust suite of tools out of the box, including inventory management, payment processing, and a wide range of customisable templates. For B2B businesses, Shopify’s features like bulk pricing, customer accounts, and seamless integration with B2B apps make it a strong choice for those who need a reliable, scalable solution without the hassle of managing backend infrastructure. Shopify’s extensive app ecosystem also allows businesses to extend their store’s functionality with ease, making it possible to add features like advanced analytics, marketing automation, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

WooCommerce Vs. Shopify

WooCommerce, on the other hand, is a flexible, open-source plugin built for WordPress, offering businesses complete control over their online store. WooCommerce is highly customisable too, making it ideal for B2B companies that require specific functionalities with customised coding to cater to their unique needs. It allows for extensive modifications, from custom themes to plugins that cater to complex B2B requirements, such as multi-vendor setups, dynamic pricing, and custom product configurations. However, although WooCommerce is more flexible, it requires more hands-on web development and management, including hosting, security, and updates, which can be a consideration for businesses with limited technical resources. Despite this, WooCommerce’s flexibility and the vast range of available plugins make it a more powerful option for businesses that need a deeply customised eCommerce solution.

In summary, Shopify is best suited for businesses that prioritise ease of use and quick deployment, while WooCommerce appeals to those who need full control and customisation. Both platforms have their strengths, and the choice depends on the specific needs, resources, and long-term goals of your eCommerce strategy.

Thinkroom's B2B eCoomerce Marketing Services

No-one has a crystal ball, so if anyone promises you 1000 sales per month,it’s simply not true.

Instead, Thinkroom will build you an engine that’ll gain momentum and fire on multiple cylinders, creating a stronghold in your industry. We grow your eCom business using targeted, measurable marketing campaigns, and we report our results to you fortnightly so you know exactly what’s going on at all times. We’re your digital marketing team that works hard to find the winning online marketing formula giving you a sales mechanism to raise revenues when you’re quiet, and dial it back when you’re at operational capacity. Contact us for a coffee and a quick chat about what might work for your online business.