e-business

To make it simple, B2C tends to target occasional customers who make their own decisions and spend modest amounts, with the same prices for everyone. On the other hand, purchases are often driven by emotion, which requires, among other things, a particular personalization and marketing strategy. On the contrary, B2B purchases are rational and based on quotes. Buyers are multiple and their decisions follow internal company workflows. Moreover, these purchases are recurring, prices are segmented and personalized, and payments are often deferred, with high amounts to which payment methods must adapt. Ultimately, a B2B platform must digitize the entire purchasing process with customization according to the buyer's role within their organization.

E-commerce is part of a multi-channel customer journey that includes the web, mobile, physical commerce (stores, agencies), click&collect, multi-channel contact center, social networks, as well as marketing programs and campaigns. On the e-commerce site, as on the entire journey, the customer must be recognized in the same way and see, in general, the same products and information. The customer's journey must also remain smooth as he moves from one channel to another.

The mobile represents more than 50% of the consultations of e-commerce platforms but its transformation rate remains low. This is due to the poor ergonomics of mobile sites, which tends to break the purchasing process even when the precepts of responsive design are respected. The solutions are multiple. First of all, the ergonomics of mobile sites must be thoroughly reviewed, for example by always leaving the shopping cart visible. Then, we can opt for the development of a dedicated mobile application that will offer better performance and can more easily rely on smartphone functionalities to manage payment or offer innovative services, such as augmented reality. Progressive Web Apps represent a good compromise in that they do not require the installation of an application and can be indexed by Google like a simple website.

As a corollary of a fluid omnichannel customer journey, e-commerce must also be integrated into the company's processes: customer relationship management, customer service management, after-sales service, invoicing, stock management, deliveries, management of a product catalog.

Integration into the smooth customer journey and into the company's processes can take two different paths. Some e-commerce platforms achieve this by extending their functionality with marketing, CRM, inventory, and shipping management, or product information management (PIM) functions. But in many companies, it will be a question of interfacing the e-commerce platform with the components of the IS: ERP, CRM, marketing platforms, contact center, PIM.

Like any website, an e-commerce site must respect the technical and editorial rules of natural referencing. The products and services it sells must also be made visible on affiliation platforms, marketplaces, or comparators. Some tools can improve this visibility.