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B2B E-Commerce Is Shifting Toward Mobile

Up to 75% of B2B companies will offer mobile commerce over the next 12 months, according to a fall 2013 e-Commerce report released by Intershop. The survey uncovered a transformation occurring in the B2B commerce world that is influenced by both customer demand and B2C trends.

As many as 81% of the 400 companies surveyed for the Intershop 2012 E-Commerce Report said customer demand and expectations were the most important drivers of change in B2B commerce strategies. The second-most important driver was the development of new technology (74%), because it “helps open up sales possibilities that didn’t exist before,” according to survey respondents.  The survey was conducted in April and May 2013 by Vanson Bourne, a technology-focused market research company.

B2B e-Commerce already is booming, with 92% of companies marketing their products online, according to the survey. Over the next 12 months, almost half (48%) of companies reported plans to add a mobile sales channel, and 25% are investing in online marketplaces. Clearly, mobile commerce appears to be the future of B2B selling for most( 78%) companies.
But creating new commerce touch points is just one facet of successful omnichannel campaigns, the report confirmed. Almost half of respondents said businesses need to implement consistent marketing efforts to optimize sales across multiple touch points.

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U.S. companies are leading the B2B e-Commerce revolution, with approximately 42% of revenue coming from online channels. Nearly two thirds (63%) of this group of executives said they believed B2B e-Commerce is adopting best practices from companies in the B2C sector.

“B2C has become the test ground for B2B companies to understand how e-Commerce technologies can support their sales strategies,” said Jochen Moll, Member and Spokesman of the Board of Management at Intershop. “After all, every B2B customer is also a B2C customer, so if you want to understand the future of B2B, that is where to look.”

The shift in B2B commerce largely is due to more consumers moving from offline (or in-store), to online and self-service, according to 57% of respondents. However, this number increased to 72% for U.S. companies. More than half (51%) of respondents also said they understand organizations now must adapt to new trends and technology in order to meet online goals.

Click here to access the complete Intershop report.

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