You would like to optimize your operations and increase your revenues? You would like to sell to all your customers simultaneously, whether they are companies or individuals?
An e-commerce platform could help you reach these goals quickly! Discover 6 tips that will allow you to successfully implement a transactional platform in a B2B and B2C context.
1- Define your e-commerce objectives and make sure they are measurable
The first step to a successful eCommerce implementation is undoubtedly the one that will require the most thought, but which will help you target your organizational expectations. To rush headlong into a new project without having taken the time to stop can prove to be risky! This is the time to take time to plan your budget, to define an ideal timeline, to think about how this new tool will contribute to your strategy, but above all, it is the time to define attainable objectives.
The SMART method is a particularly useful tool when it comes to determining Specific, Measurable, Audience-specific, Realistic and Time-bound objectives. The Government of Canada has published a very interesting article on the subject entitled Writing SMART Objectives.
Have you successfully identified the key objectives of your digital transformation project? Now it's time to choose the performance indicators that will guide you through the various phases of implementing your new system.
KPIs (key performance indicators) are a measure used to track an organization's ability to achieve its business objectives. Depending on your organization's level of maturity, targeting between 3 and 7 well-listed indicators with a follow-up accessible at all times is more than enough to know if your company is on the right track.
Here are some examples of relevant KPIs to track for an e-commerce business
- Average purchase value
- Conversion rate
- Shopping cart abandonment rate
- Recurring customer rate
- Customer acquisition cost
2- Determine the needs in terms of technologies and integrations necessary for the proper functioning of the organization's business
Now that your objectives and KPIs have been determined, it's time to evaluate your actual present and future needs in terms of e-commerce functionalities. This step will help you evaluate which platform will meet your needs. Migrating from one technological solution to another requires time, adaptation and money.
Choosing today a software that can offer you a scalable website adapted to your budget and the maturity of your organization is without a doubt a strategic investment.
Don't forget, as a manufacturing company, you have the opportunity to sell simultaneously to corporate clients and consumers in Quebec, Canada and even internationally. In order to take full advantage of this opportunity, you will need to choose a solution that can be customized and that offers the possibility of dividing your customers into several groups.
Sauvez du temps en accédant à une liste de toutes les fonctionnalités qui pourraient vous être utiles. Obtenez là gratuitement en téléchargeant notre livre numérique : Ecommerce 101 pour la PME manufacturière.
3- Organize your transactional platform project in several steps
Among all the functionalities you would like to integrate to your website, which ones are essential to its proper functioning? The first step of your project will be to set up a solid foundation for your business operations to function properly. For example, in this first version, you could opt to put online only your most popular products and limit the informative content to the essential.
Evolving your project with an agile method in a spirit of continuous improvement will give you measurable results much faster than trying to have a complete and perfect project the first time!
In the following steps, you can prioritize the implementation of the following elements according to your specific needs
- Newsletter
- Chatbot
- Blog
- Landing page
- FAQ
And many more…
You have a limited budget and time? You could apply the MVP (minimum viable product) principle to your eCommerce planning. With this in mind, the first version of your transactional site should be able to attract as many customers as possible and offer them a smooth experience, while requiring a minimum initial investment. Later, after testing this first version of the website, you can add missing features and continuously improve your content.
4- Structure your product information and existing customer lists
No matter which solution you choose for your eCommerce, you will need to make sure you have a structured list of all your products and customers. The fastest way to do this is to connect your current system such as your ERP to synchronize your data with your new eCommerce.
You don't have a software that collects all this data yet? The best way to do this is to gather all your product and customer information in an Excel file that can be imported directly into your transactional site.
Obtenez gratuitement une liste de plusieurs informations que vous pouvez répertorier dès aujourd’hui afin de simplifier le transfert de vos données importantes. Elle se retrouve dans notre livre numérique : Ecommerce 101 pour la PME manufacturière.
5- Train the managers and employees of your organization who will use your e-commerce
Implementing a new technology will certainly require changes in your sales process and its operation. The customer, being able to order on your transactional site, will no longer have to contact you directly to complete his transaction. You will be able to simplify the customer journey, whether he is a company or an individual.
However, a change management plan and training for you and your employees will be a must if you want to take full advantage of all the possibilities that an e-commerce offers.
This is especially important for businesses that don't have an in-house team of developers and digital marketers to take on this project! Some platforms can offer you personalized training or make available several resources that can answer your questions.
6- Choose a transactional platform that will meet your current and future needs
The most important thing to keep in mind when making your choice is this: the platform on which you will operate your e-commerce must be able to meet your current needs and specifications, but also those of the future.
Migrating from one solution to another requires time, money and adaptation. Thus, opting for a free software to start with could quickly limit your options. Moreover, most inexpensive software could end up being expensive! You will have to pay, for example, for your hosting, implementation by a developer, applications, integrations, maintenance, security updates, etc.
Don't forget! As a manufacturing company and B2B & B2C merchant, several options such as segmenting your customers into different groups are essential.
Depending on the resources you have at your disposal, many options are available to you such as hiring an agency that will offer you a turnkey solution or choosing a platform that you will set up yourself. Hiring experts for certain parts of the project such as implementation and design is also possible. It is by evaluating your resources and needs that you will be able to make an informed decision!
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