The Late Bird Catches The Worm

Working at a major Internet portal for two years, an organization that created and sold e-commerce Web sites for jan/san distributors, I learned that e-commerce capabilities could be a hard sell. Many distributors, most classified as small "mom and pop operations," simply did not see e-commerce in their future. In fact, a great majority did not have a Web presence at all.

But e-commerce is like a train moving onward. Its coming and there really is no stopping it. In the United States and Britain, the great majority of "brick and mortar" wholesalers and retailers have already accepted this. "More than 90 percent of companies in the United States and 86 percent of the companies in Britain are now using the Internet .... for marketing, order fulfillment, and sales," according to a study by Taylor Nelson Sofres, a market research group that studies marketing trends in Europe, the United States and Asia Pacific countries.

With e-commerce becoming a reality, now is the time to start considering what kind of Internet presence you wish to have, especially when it comes to business-to-business (B2B) electronic transactions. For those who have waited to build an e-commerce Web site, youre in luck. For in your case, (as this article is titled), the late bird has caught the worm. Instead of "stabbing in the dark" as many early e-commerce sites had to do, we now have examples of what has worked, what seems to be working, and what has not worked at all. Below are just a few examples of what we have learned.

Who You Are

When customers walk into your store, they get a "feel" for the location right away. They notice if it is clean and organized or if containers of cleaning chemicals and products are strewn about, shelves in chaos, etc. Depending on what these customers look for in a distributor, the stores condition helps them decide if they want to do business with you or not.

Who you are online is a much more difficult for a customer to see and the problem is compounded because getting a "feel" for your company is even more important online. Internet surfers are very practical and this practicality, especially when shopping online, makes them very skeptical, according to Gerry McGovern, author of the book "Content Critical". With online shoppers skeptical and usually in a hurry, you need to find ways to build their trust quickly and make them feel comfortable with you.

To overcome this obstacle, let the online viewer get a "feel" for your firm by providing a thorough "About Us Page". This allows the reader to learn about you and your company. Discuss company history and introduce company owners, product specialties, and the services you offer.

One very important ingredient the About Page should include is your complete contact information, especially a phone number. Listing a phone number allows a buyer to call a salesperson or service desk if needed. It builds trust between you and your online readers, comforting them that a phone number is available even if they do not need it. Some Web consultants feel a phone number is a necessity. "A phone number should be on every page," maintains Steve Epner of BSCW, a consulting firm that works with distributors and manufactures to improve business performance.

Unfortunately, many Web sites discourage telephone contact, preferring all communication to be online. This was definitely true with early B2B Web sites whose owners had hoped to save time and money by eliminating their toll-free phone number and the staff to answer it. For many of these early B2Bs, this short-term savings resulted in lost customers and lack of trust.

Become a One-Stop Information Resource

"The more you tell, the more you sell", says Dan Kennedy, a professional speaker and marketing guru known as the "millionaire-maker" because of his marketing genius. Yet distributor Web sites seem to forget about content and product information altogether. Most have-poor-to amateur-quality photos of products and rarely include detailed information about the product and its uses, such as:

· What it can do
· What it is made to do
· How to use it
· Where it works best
· And under what conditions

Apparently, many distributor Web sites just assume that their visitors already know all about the products they sell. But many readers do not, and this omission fails to help the buyer make a purchasing decision.

Just one example of how information can help online buyers is in floor finishes. There are literally scores of waxes and finishes available and their uses, features, and applications run the gamut. Why not provide ample information on how to apply the finish, which product works best on what type of floor, what types of facilities and settings the product is designed for? This will help your online visitors make a decision regarding which product best meets their needs.

Plentiful, helpful information, not only helps your buyer make a purchasing decision, it allows them to turn your e-commerce site into an information resource. "Commerce is about people; e-commerce is about content", says Gerry McGovern. And not only is the information valuable, it again helps build the online trust and trust we are seeking.

Does it Function?

You want to make your B2B Web site easy for customers to navigate, maneuver and use for purchases. The better this is accomplished, the more likely they will come back to visit and buy. Many a customer can be lost if they find a Web site too difficult to navigate or too hard to find the products or information they are seeking.

Web designers know what they have created and, therefore, where everything is located in the site, but this is not always transferred to the surfer. The only way to really make sure your site is functional and easy to use is by repeated testing. Its often best to find inexperienced Internet users and have them go through the functions and navigation of your Web site. Professional testing services are very familiar with Web design and can be as intuitive as the Web designer who created the site in the first place. Seek the opinions of the novice over the expert in this testing situation.

One area where functionality is most important is the sites online ordering and transaction process. It must be as clear and easy to use as possible. If you expect your customers to use credit cards, a secure server is needed. If you require your customers to login, make sure this is an easy, short, one-time process.

The Amazon Example

No one can top Amazon.com when it comes to online purchasing, use of the login process, service, and support. Distributors should look to Amazon for e-commerce ideas in the creation of their own sites.

For instance, once a buyer has created a login, they have an option for "one-click" purchasing. This way, the customer can simply shop and click to buy. All purchasing and shipping information as well as credit card numbers are safely stored.

This login process also helps Amazon to identify who their customers are and what typically interests them. Jan/san distributors can take this customer awareness a step further. By keeping electronic records of all orders purchased, e-mail can be sent to your customer automatically notifying them when its time to re-order a product.

Amazon also allows customers to know just where their order is and when it will be delivered. An order confirmation including tracking information is e-mailed right after a purchase. The day the product is actually shipped, a second notice is e-mailed so the customer knows it is on the way.

Sales Force Integration

All of the principals examined here will make your e-commerce capabilities much more successful. By providing contact information, making your site a jan/san resource/information center, ease of use, service, and support, you build the trust and comfort a customer looks for online. However, integration with the people in your brick and mortar office is just as important.

Companies that have tried to do business only online have found it more difficult than firms that have integrated their e-commerce Web sites with their sales and support people. Distributors should not look to e-commerce as a way to reduce a sales force. Instead, they should see it as a way to supplement the sales force and service more customers. According to a recent study by the Boston Consulting Group and Shop.org, companies that are integrating their sales force with their online customers are "enjoying significant advantages in the marketplace".

Our industry is still lagging behind others in terms of adopting Web technology. This may give us a bit more time to study the possibilities. But e-commerce is coming, and our industry will be more involved with it than now realized. If we wait too long, we may find ourselves too far behind to catch up.

Building a successful e-commerce site may be difficult; careful study and experimentation is needed. The ideas discussed here should help you cut through the confusion, allowing you to find your own niche and what works best for your firm.

About the Author

Robert Kravitz is a 30-year veteran of the janitorial industry and is Web content manager for the International Sanitary Supply Association, Inc., (ISSA). He has authored four books on the industry, writes for several industry and business magazines, lectures frequently on Web content, technology, as well as janitorial issues.

Robert@issa.com
http://www.contentpowerpro.com