Personalization becomes a decisive competitive advantage

According to the latest study "The digital transformation in B2B purchasing - Report2019" by Sana Commerce, almost a third (29%) of purchasing decision-makers worldwide consider a personalized purchasing experience in B2B online retail that is consistently tailored to their requirements to be important and has a significant influence on which providers they ultimately choose. In the DACH region, the proportion is even higher at 33%.

A key criterion for a personalized shopping experience for almost half of those surveyed worldwide (45%) is the provision of customer-specific prices. Customized offers and shipping options were considered particularly important by 38 percent each. And 36 percent named individual payment options as a key component of a personalized shopping experience. A similar weighting is also evident in the DACH region.

When evaluating offers, for the majority of buyers surveyed worldwide (39%), the quality of service provided by the supplier determines which supplier they ultimately order a particular product from. Unsurprisingly, the more favorable price ranked second with 37 percent, followed by product features and payment conditions with 31 percent each. This is followed by delivery options with 30 percent and product availability with 29 percent.

For buyers in the DACH region, the service offering is also the most important criterion when deciding on a supplier at 38%. It is interesting to note that in the DACH region, delivery conditions (37%) and product availability (36%) are weighted significantly higher - price plays a comparatively minor role at 32%.

The study also identifies certain web store functionalities that support buyers in an efficient ordering process as other important aspects for the selection of suppliers. According to the study, 27% of respondents put a simple and fast checkout and uncomplicated repeat orders at the top of their list of priorities. 26 percent want shorter delivery times and improved shipment tracking. For 24 percent, a larger product selection is important and 23 percent value a better description of product features. This trend is also reflected in the DACH region.

As the most important key performance indicators (KPIs) in the procurement process, 39 percent of professional buyers worldwide named cost savings as their top business objective, closely followed by increasing efficiency and increasing internal customer satisfaction (36 percent each) and reducing administrative costs (30 percent).

The international comparison is interesting here: while cost savings are by far the most important KPI in North America at 49%, this aspect is rated significantly lower in the Benelux countries at just 29%. There, the improvement of internal customer satisfaction ranks first with 35%.

In the DACH region, the weighting is slightly different: here, internal customer satisfaction and reducing administrative costs play the central role with 35% each. Cost savings, on the other hand, only ranked third with 32 percent. And increasing efficiency in the procurement process is at the bottom of the list with only 25 percent.

Michiel Schipperus, CEO and Managing Partner of Sana Commerce, comments: "For B2B suppliers, understanding the needs and expectations of professional buyers is crucial to successfully compete with comparable product offerings. Our recent study shows that companies that offer a personalized shopping experience through their web store are often not only preferred suppliers - they are also valued for effectively supporting their customers in meeting their KPIs. The basis for this is the integration of webshops with internal systems such as the ERP: on the one hand, this ensures that customers are provided with reliable information, for example on stock levels, prices or delivery options, in a personalized and real-time manner. It also makes it easier for customers to make complex purchasing decisions using detailed product descriptions and individual payment terms."

The study by Sana Commerce also makes it clear that B2B companies already order a large proportion of their products online: According to the study, B2B companies currently purchase an average of just under two thirds (64%) of their total goods requirements online and only around one third (36%) via offline channels. 

A closer look at the percentages of online and offline purchases within B2B organizations reveals the following picture: While only six percent of companies internationally currently stated that they order all products exclusively online, 85 percent currently buy at least half and 57 percent even three quarters of their goods via the Internet.

These figures are largely homogeneous across all regions and sectors and underline the importance of the online channel in the B2B procurement process. Nevertheless, the option of purchasing offline - for example via sales staff - is still important in the B2B environment and should not be neglected by companies. 

More than half (57 percent) of those surveyed worldwide said they still prefer to receive quotes by email. 36 percent would like to access offers directly via the web store, while 34 percent prefer a personal telephone call for offers. 
In DACH, as many as 63 percent prefer offers via e-mail, 39 percent via the web store and 30 percent by telephone.
Interestingly, at 22 percent, just under a quarter of buyers worldwide (DACH 24 percent) still want to continue receiving offers by fax.

Overall, 41 percent of respondents worldwide named email as the most important purchasing channel in the B2B procurement process, followed by e-commerce with 28 percent and telephone with 25 percent.

All of this once again underlines the need for suppliers to ensure a consistent, personalized omnichannel shopping experience across all sales channels in order to retain customers in the long term.