Understanding B2B Customer Needs and Expectations

Business-to-business (B2B) customers are different from individual consumers in many ways. They have more complex and diverse needs, expectations, and decision-making processes. Understanding these aspects is crucial for B2B marketers and salespeople who want to create value, build trust, and foster long-term relationships with their customers.

B2B buyers are not homogeneous. They vary in terms of their industry, size, structure, culture, goals, and challenges. However, there are some common characteristics that distinguish them from individual consumers, such as:

They are rational and goal-oriented. B2B buyers are driven by the need to solve a problem, achieve a goal, or improve a situation for their organization. They seek solutions that can deliver tangible and measurable results, such as increased efficiency, productivity, quality, revenue, or profitability. They also consider the return on investment (ROI), total cost of ownership (TCO), and risk factors of their purchase decisions.

They are influenced by multiple stakeholders. B2B buyers are usually part of a buying centre, which is a group of people who are involved in the purchase decision. The buying centre may include end-users, influencers, gatekeepers, deciders, and buyers, each with their own roles, perspectives, and interests. B2B marketers and salespeople need to understand the dynamics and interactions of the buying centre and tailor their messages and offers to each stakeholder.

They have longer and more complex buying cycles. B2B buyers go through several stages before making a purchase, such as problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post-purchase evaluation. Each stage may involve multiple interactions, touchpoints, and sources of information. B2B marketers and salespeople need to provide relevant and timely content, guidance, and support throughout the customer journey. Read more about the key commercial features for B2B ecommerce websites.

Customer pain points are the problems, challenges, or frustrations that customers face in their current situation. Customer preferences are the desires, needs, or expectations that customers have for a potential solution. Understanding customer pain points and preferences is essential for B2B marketers and salespeople who want to:

Create value propositions. A value proposition is a statement that summarizes how a product or service can solve a customer's pain point and deliver a benefit that meets their preference. A value proposition should be clear, concise, and compelling, and highlight the unique selling points (USPs) and competitive advantages of the offering.

Build trust and credibility. By showing empathy and understanding of customer pain points and preferences, B2B marketers can establish rapport and trust with their customers. They can also demonstrate their expertise and credibility by providing relevant and useful information, insights, and recommendations that address customer pain points and preferences.

Foster long-term relationships. By delivering solutions that match customer pain points and preferences, B2B marketers and salespeople can create customer satisfaction and loyalty. They can also generate repeat business, referrals, and advocacy by providing ongoing value, support, and engagement to their customers. A user-friendly B2B ecommerce website is a big part of this.

There are various methods and sources that B2B marketers can use to identify customer pain points and preferences:

Customer research. Customer research is the process of collecting and analysing data and information about customers, such as their demographics, psychographics, behaviour, needs, expectations, and feedback. Customer research can be done through primary methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observations, or secondary methods, such as reports, articles, or studies.

A typical way to gather this information is to incentivize an online customer survey, with the invitation emailed to your customer list, or online video interviews (again, incentivized). There are some good guidelines for creating surveys here.

Customer segmentation. Customer segmentation is the process of dividing customers into groups based on their similarities, such as their industry, size, location, or characteristics. Customer segmentation can help B2B marketers and salespeople to understand the common pain points and preferences of each segment and tailor their marketing and sales strategies accordingly.

Wired In can help design your data capture and database integration to enable customer segmentation.

Customer personas. Customer personas are fictional representations of ideal customers, based on real data and insights. Customer personas can help B2B marketers and salespeople to visualize and empathize with their customers, and to create personalised and relevant messages and offers that resonate with them. You can read a great article about creating buyer personas here.

Customer journey mapping. Customer journey mapping is the process of creating a visual representation of the customer journey, from the initial awareness to the final purchase and beyond. Customer journey mapping can help B2B marketers to identify the key pain points and preferences of customers at each stage, and to design and optimise the customer experience accordingly. This in-depth article about mapping customer journeys explains more about the process.

Customer expectations are the standards or criteria that customers use to evaluate a product, service, or experience. Customer expectations are influenced by various factors, such as their previous experiences, their peers, their competitors, and their environment. In the digital age, customer expectations have evolved and increased as a result of these factors:

The availability of information. Customers have access to a vast amount of information online, such as product reviews, testimonials, case studies, or social media posts. Customers can easily compare and contrast different options, and they expect B2B ecommerce companies to provide them with accurate, relevant, and up-to-date information.

The proliferation of channels. Customers have multiple channels and devices to interact with B2B businesses, from websites and email to phone, online chat, video, or social media. Customers expect B2B businesses to be available, responsive, and consistent across all channels and devices. Read more about the core features for users of B2B ecommerce platforms.

The demand for personalisation. Customers want B2B companies to understand their specific needs, preferences, and context, and to offer them solutions that are tailored and customised to their situation. Customers also want B2B businesses to communicate with them in a personalised and human way, and to recognize and appreciate them as individuals.

Wired In can help you with your website’s user experience and ways to implement personalisation from any customer data you have.

The desire for convenience. Customers want a B2B buying experience that makes their lives easier and simpler, and saves them time and effort. Customers expect you to provide them with easy-to-use and intuitive products and services, and to streamline and simplify the buying process. Again, Wired In are here to help improve your website’s user experience.

To meet and exceed customer expectations in the digital age, B2B ecommerce companies need to:

Leverage data and analytics. Data and analytics can help you gain insights into customer behaviour, preferences, and feedback, and to measure and improve your website’s performance and outcomes. Data and analytics can also help to segment, target, and personalise your marketing and sales campaigns, and to optimise the customer journey and experience

Embrace digital transformation. Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies, such as cloud, mobile, social, or artificial intelligence, to create new or modify existing business processes, products, services, or experiences. Digital transformation can help B2B businesses enhance their efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation, and to create value for their customers and themselves.

Build customer relationships. Customer relationships are the emotional and psychological bonds that customers form with businesses and brands, based on their interactions and experiences. Customer relationships can influence customer satisfaction, loyalty, retention, and advocacy. To build customer relationships, you need to listen to, understand, and empathise with your customers, and to provide them with value, support, and engagement.

You can find some ideas of ways to build B2B customer relationships in this Quoter article.