B2B: Principles of construction and operation. Product and information flows of enterprises
For example, counterparty debits, online reconciliation (accounting debt), integration with 1C, SAP or AXAPTA, display of multiple warehouses or availability of goods “in transit”.
Such systems are designed individually for the Customer’s business processes: first, a pre-project study is carried out (under the guidance of a business analyst, project manager and technical director), and only then a work estimate is drawn up and the system is designed.
b2b has been gaining popularity over the past 5 years:
Indeed, saving human resources and the possibility of growth - in one product
Non-standard functions of b2b systems
Cases
Look at our case for Dominanta - sales management of advertising structures.b2b system for ordering electrical equipment, Elevel company
Integration with AXAPTA: Personal account for 100,000 users “Caesar Satellite”.
Portal "SportMag" - more than 2000 registered companies.
International exhibition portal ExpoClub (Negus Expo).
Team
Already at the start of the project, we introduce the Customer to the team. Typical composition: project manager, analyst, technical writer, 1-3 programmers, designer, technologist and 1-2 QA specialists. As usual, all this is supported by top management: technical and account directors.The manager is the central link of the project:
remembers everything, is responsible for everything and stays with you
at further development project.
Production: development scheme, version control, autotests.
In the process of writing the terms of reference, we create a diagram of website blocks with dependencies: this allows you to program in stages, as well as assign parallel tasks to programmers.
With the help of a version control system, you can assign several programmers to a project at once, and their changes can be easily tracked. The same technology is used for further site support.
When delivering a project, we use both automatic and manual testing to ensure everything is covered. Download a sample website testing report.
Technologies and frameworks
Web: PHP (1C-Bitrix, Laravel, Symfony, YII, ZEND), Java2EE, ASP.net (C#), Ruby, Python.
Mobile: SWIFT, Objective C, java, React.
Testing: Jenkins, Selenium, Cucumber, Calabash, JUnit, Allure.
Escort
After delivery, we maintain the project using Jenkins for continuous integration - continuous shipment of updates, and GIT for version control.
How do we stand out?
Quality Standards. In 2018, we confirmed our quality management standards: we are certified according to ISO 9001:2015 (certificate) and ISO 27001:2005 (information security management).
Development transparency. Clients see all the Studio employees in our Intranet system and can communicate with them directly there. All agreements are recorded in tasks, information is not lost (unlike mail or telephone).
Guarantee period. We provide unlimited (unlimited) a guarantee for all the work we perform, our specialists will advise you free of charge on the creation of websites and further promotion of your projects.
Website development is not an end in itself and not the first step that needs to be taken when starting work on electronic marketing for a company. Due to the fact that the Internet marketing market was initially set by technical specialists, not marketers, we are still paying the price with an instrumental approach to Internet marketing. I was like that myself, what can I do.
In this article I will tell you about a website for a B2B company from the point of view of the company’s entire email marketing system.
What is the algorithm for developing a website for a B2B company?
The site is one of essential elements electronic marketing systems: it allows you to attract new customers, simplify interaction with existing ones, identify customer needs, measure the effectiveness of advertising (not only for the Internet) and much more useful things.
Traditionally, in Russia they first develop a website, and only then think about how to promote it, and how it is generally connected with the company’s marketing and other departments. But its development should be approached only after developing an Internet marketing strategy.
We must move from business goals to tactical tools, as in this illustration.
Let's look at each point separately.
1. Formulate business goals for the company’s presence on the Internet.
What might such goals look like?
- Reducing the cost of servicing current customers.
- Entering new regions.
- Expansion of the dealer network.
- Strengthening brand components (recognition, loyalty, trust).
- Increased sales.
2. Your sales proposition and target audience.
Need to segment target audience and understand why each segment might be interested in your offer. Based on the needs of each segment, communication will be built in advertising channels and on the website.
You need to get answers to the following questions:
- Who are your target customers? (Gender, age, industry, region, etc.)
- What problems does your product solve for each target audience segment?
- What objections do customers have when purchasing this product?
- What stereotypes must be overcome to make a sale?
- Why is your product better than your competitors' product?
- Which unique features What will the client receive when collaborating with you?
- How can communication be built with each client on the site? What will he need to learn and what will be the target action?
Let's look at a small part of segmentation using the example of a Russian siding manufacturing company. Only some of the segments are indicated here and not all the criteria by which the segmentation was carried out.
| Target audience segment | Expectations | Objections | Possible proposal for a segment and argumentation | Expected target actions on the site |
| Construction companies and teams (for private construction) | Hitting the client's budget. No quality problems. Prompt delivery times for materials and timely delivery to the site. Safety of material during transportation. Logistics (predictable and operational deadlines supplies). Reliability - both as a manufacturer and as a partner. | They are looking for confirmation that the brand can be trusted. Compare the cost with analogues. | Russian siding is inexpensive and of high quality, and you can make money on it due to volumes. All given expectations. | Application for status as a siding distributor. Download the booklet. Call the dealer department. |
3. Development of an Internet marketing strategy.
On at this stage we must conduct analytics of the company's current Internet marketing in order to record current performance indicators. Advertising channels are analyzed and how effective they are potential clients on your website turn into real customers.
It is very important at this stage to study the generated demand for your product on the Internet. This is how your clients look for a contractor to solve their issues.
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The B2B market segment has much in common with the B2C segment. Sites in both the first and second cases have a clear information architecture, clear principles interactions, contain unique selling content, invite the visitor to study the details of the product/service, etc. In fact, almost everything standard principles UX that was originally used for B2C is now being used for B2B resources.
However, B2B audiences often have their own needs, which are quite different from the needs of ordinary visitors. In addition, there are many differences in the sales cycle: the B2B audience is characterized by a long decision-making phase, often significantly higher price tags, etc. All these factors cannot be ignored when developing and testing a resource. We bring to your attention 5 main differences in UX ( user experience) B2B sector.
1. B2B content should take into account the long buying phase
The B2B sector is not characterized by impulsive purchases; most often, a transaction is the result of a long, complex decision-making process. This happens for several reasons: firstly, the cost of the transaction is usually relatively high. In addition, the process usually involves several people at different levels of the corporate hierarchy. These clients often spend weeks, months, or even years researching products before a final decision is made. Throughout this process, they will share their options with other team members, discuss them, explore the pros and cons, and only then commit to their choice.
The B2B procurement process often begins with one person within the company examining the problems facing the organization and trying to find ways to solve them. At this stage, the client may have little understanding of the market segment and product features. Often he is more focused on the problem, but after a while he begins to explore the subject more thoroughly and study your competitors.
In order to support B2B clients at every step, you need to:
1. Use content (articles, blogs, webinars, technical documentation, buyer's guides, case studies), helping visitors already at the first stage of their search understand the problems for which you offer solutions. If your product/service is a key part of such a solution, indicate that.
2. Make sure your content meets the criteria your visitors will use to evaluate your competitors. Don't forget to demonstrate your knowledge and successful experience in solving certain type problems. Just as a photographer frames an image to focus on the most significant subject, so too should you highlight those points that will impress visitors.
3. Acknowledge the presence of competitors, but prove that your product is better through comparison tables or additional text content.
Quadgraphics.com uses case studies to demonstrate how a company's expertise and products solve specific business problems. Resource structure: tasks (problems), their solutions, results and details that are most important to users. Bulleted list of the main points allows you not only to focus on the content, but also makes it possible to compare the company’s offer with those of competitors.
2. The resource must be presented full information about product compatibility
Many B2B purchases are not stand-alone products per se - they are purchased as part of a larger large system. This fact requires a thorough study of compatibility, and this applies not only software or computer equipment. B2B clients must be confident that new products and services will fit into the company's existing daily processes. If a resource visitor cannot find information about compatibility and integration, he will simply close the tab and move on to competitors’ offers.
Compatibility information must be provided for the following products:
- Software;
- Computers, printers, scanners, other office equipment;
- Production equipment, including robotics;
- Ventilation and air conditioning systems;
- Technical testing equipment and automation equipment;
- Projectors, Acustic systems and other equipment for making presentations;
- Chemical, biotechnical, laboratory, testing equipment;
- Security systems;
- Equipment for loading and transportation;
- Equipment for points retail, terminals and kiosks, etc.
Compatibility information should include several items:
1. Product integration: name standard services, in combination with which your product works.
2. Options: indicate the versions of those products that can be integrated (for example, if your application requires a specific version salesforce systems, be sure to indicate this).
3. Advantages: If your product goes better with one of the possible options, write about it. For example, if the application is available for both Android and iOS, but in the latter case you can offer additional functions, clearly indicate this. Sometimes customers make decisions not only based on the benefits of a product; information and how it is presented on the resource often play a big role.
4. Technical support: Tell users what kind of support you provide for hardware integration or migration to new system. This clause will let your clients know that you will remain in contact after the deal is closed.
5. Standards: when used industry standards, indicate each of them and give maximum detailed information(for example, organizations that have approved this standard).
6. Documentation for connecting the product: place technical details, requirements, etc. on the resource. If the user needs to carry out any manipulations before connecting, be sure to write about it. Don't forget to specify external requirements such as temperature, network power, version operating system etc.
7. Cloud integration and API information support for software.
Remember also that many companies (especially in the industrial sector) have strict rules or standards that they must adhere to. These may be environmental requirements, safety standards, etc. For such customers, the choice of products or services will depend on the availability of detailed compliance information and compliance with certain standards.
The Amazon Services web site provides detailed information about the compliance of its services ISO standards 9001 with confirmation in the form of a certificate.
3. Content must meet the needs of users and decision makers
As already mentioned, procurement for the B2B sector, as a rule, involves several representatives of the company. For example, if one organization needs to purchase a new oscilloscope, the initiative will most likely be approved by a middle manager, the executive director will make the final decision, and one of the ordinary employees of the company will make the purchase. Many sites for B2B audiences provide information only for decision makers, and this is a big mistake! Directors and top managers, of course, play important role during the procurement process, but they will never use the product (in most cases).
Recent studies have shown that during the decision-making process, representatives of the “top” repeatedly discuss purchasing options with those who, in fact, will use the product or service. Often, the end user, such as a researcher, will research the problem themselves and later present options to the company's decision makers.
Your content should respond to queries like end users, and the company's senior management. The first, as a rule, needs information about the features and details of the product, confirming its ease of use and guarantees of further support. In addition, they must provide a compelling demonstration of the chosen solution to their supervisors. So help them: post necessary information, intended for end users, and prepare materials for company management (for example, brochures or PowerPoint presentations).
What are decision makers expecting? Content for this audience should answer questions about cost, reliability, integration, and should prove that the purchase will provide maximum index ROI and compares favorably with competitors' solutions.
4. Complex Algorithms Pricing should be easy to understand
Most products in the B2C segment have simple prices that do not change depending on the client. The only exception may be special promotions. Prices in the B2B segment are not so simple. Here the product or service is “tailored” to the needs of each client, who can receive significant discounts in connection with the purchase large quantity goods or agree on special terms of the transaction.
As a result, the final cost of a product for B2B and B2C areas may be different, and it is sometimes very difficult to indicate it on the resource. What to do?
Of course, for a B2B audience, often not only the price will be a decisive factor, but still indicate the exact price. If this is not possible, take a representative sample of your pricing. Provide several typical scenarios or a calculator to calculate the cost of the product. At an early stage, each B2B client needs to navigate the price range in order to approve the budget; A exact price may be confirmed later.
Chargify's website shows a simple pricing structure using several typical scenarios to suit the size of the organization. For example, for large enterprises with user contracts, the approximate cost is $0.06 per client. Nearby you see a noticeable call to action button, which encourages you to discuss more specific conditions with the manager (“Let’s Chat”).
The price posted on the website (or, according to at least, price range) also has another positive effect on your business: this information acts as a filter. Your sales team won't have to waste time dealing with customers who can't afford your products or services. However, they can add your product to their “wishlist” until they can afford it.
Conversely, if you are offering a low-cost solution, you can emphasize this by explaining the reasons and say that it can be scaled as needed depending on the size and needs of the company.
5. UX for different segments, different audiences and different scales business
B2B companies often need customer support, and we can talk about both a small business and a huge international company. Let's face it: some products may not be suitable for every customer segment. To provide maximum clarity and inspire trust among your audience, indicate on your B2B resource how your products solve problems for companies of different sizes.
For example, the security system supplier must provide various information for the small business owner who wants to protect his store after hours, and for the bank representative who is looking for a solution for a network of branches across the country. Both clients are in the B2B sector, but they have very different needs. It's important that your site helps your visitors find options that suit their specific needs.
A typical approach to solving this problem is to build information architecture site around these customer segments. Phrases such as “for small businesses”, “for corporate clients" etc. However, be careful not to confuse your visitors. The categories must be clearly separated from each other and mutually exclusive. If you are dividing companies by number of employees, write specific numbers(for example, for small and medium-sized businesses).
Sharp's business website categorizes clients by industry. Because some of these groups overlap to some extent, Sharp also provides other navigation options to highlight products by type.
Another option for solving this problem is to use filters that help you make a choice based on your needs, rather than the size of your company or market segments. This allows you to identify products that meet several criteria at once. But be careful: if your product targets different customer segments, overly specific product usage patterns may alienate customers from other industries.
Conclusion
Of course, B2B and B2C sites have a lot in common, but it’s worth remembering that B2B audiences have different needs. When designing a B2B resource, make sure you take the long buying cycle into account and ensure that your content is relevant to each decision stage.
Provide details on how your products integrate with other common industry solutions and include content targeted at both end users and purchasing decision makers.
Provide pricing schemes based on company size or other criteria, and help visitors find products that meet their company's needs.