Mobile commerce has changed the way business is done. M-commerce has driven huge growth in B2C business spaces. For places like Target or Walgreens, who can now accept mobile payments, to the growth of the eBay, Etsy, Target, and Amazon apps that provide goods and services directly to consumers from the convenience of their mobile phone or tablet.
Mobile commerce trends are starting to take shape in B2B spaces. The B2B buying process isn’t always conducive to using an app interface, but technology is evolving to create an m-commerce experience that benefits B2B consumers as much as B2C.
B2B Mobile Commerce Trends for Marketer
Here’s what to expect going forward with B2B mobile commerce trends.
1. A generational shift will bring changes
Millennials are aging through the workforce, meaning that now more than ever, the B2B buyers are younger, digitally native millennials. This stands to have a huge impact on business development and how organizations approach technology and customer experience. Digital Commerce 360 noted an important business factor, saying, “.Now more than ever, we are seeing B2B buyers getting younger. Three-quarters of millennials are involved in—or even running—the decision-making process for B2B purchases for their organizations. This translates to a much larger percentage of online purchases, and to buyers who expect these transactions to be as convenient and reliable as the rest of their digitally enhanced lives.
Millennials are digital natives, and their reliance on and preference for digital channels is disrupting B2B commerce as we know it.” B2B businesses will need to pay attention to this factor to remain competitive. In fact, it’s crucial to the success and future of your business. According to Digital Commerce 360, “Buyers expect e-commerce to keep them more informed about product choices than ever before. Almost 60% would stop doing business with a B2B vendor based solely on a mobile experience that’s difficult to use.” Your mobile commerce experience matters to growing your business.
2. Voice search will continue to grow
Voice search in mobile commerce buying has increased for B2C businesses and B2B is likely to follow. The immersion between corporate and casual life is blurred for most people; their phone helps them buy their groceries and they keep them connected to their work email.
The evolution, then, will turn towards B2B buyers doing voice-assisted research on their projects. The technology is already there, built into devices from mobile phones to voice-enabled home devices like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home. Businesses need to pay attention to B2C trends, like voice-enabled ordering, to stay competitive. The B2B buyers at businesses are B2C buyers in their own lives and will expect the same kind of tech convenience and experiences across the person and professional purchases in their lives.
3. Better B2B processes and experience
B2B markets are known for lagging behind in technology adoption and offering the same kind of experience or ease of use that B2C often has. While consumers enjoy an easy, fast shopping experience on online marketplaces like Amazon, B2B buyers have fewer similar options. One of the mobile commerce trends that will see more growth will be a number of B2B brands selling beyond their own website and working with more 3rd party vendors to give B2B buyers more options. Instead of viewing places like industry-specific vendors such as CDW or GSA Advantage as the competition, B2B businesses can see them as strategic partners. Using these vendor relationships can not only provide customers with more convenient options to working with your brand and increased exposure to your products to audiences who otherwise might not see them, but they can also help you provide a faster fulfillment experience.
While the B2B buying cycle might be a long process, the fulfillment process needs to shift to be a shorter timetable; in addition to businesses being able to focus on delivery B2B products with one-day shipping, some business experts believe that the best B2B organizations will offer same-day or 1-hour delivery for their products, the way that Amazon does for B2C goods. Being able to offer these experiences – availability in a marketplace that offers multiple solutions a B2B buyer may be looking for, as well as faster shipping and delivery – from a mobile app will greatly enhance the B2B shopping experience and help significantly set apart B2B businesses from their competition.
Technology changes and generational shifts will refocus the priorities of B2B businesses to include a deeper focus on mobile commerce. Mobile commerce aligns with the way that buyers and consumers in the B2C marketplace are already making purchases and offering a simpler, more effective mobile commerce experience for buyers will enable B2B businesses to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. Is your business ready for the mobile commerce trends are that already taking shape?