More than 80 percent of business-to-business buyers would be strongly influenced to trade online with suppliers that offer more comprehensive services, according to a report issued yesterday by Jupiter Media Metrix.
Jupiter also said 54 percent of surveyed executives would treat suppliers as “preferred vendors” if they provided such value-added services as design collaboration and inventory visibility.
Jupiter's analysts identified interactive planning as a third category that could play a significant role.
Analysts said suppliers must provide “buyer productivity application” services, designed to simplify BTB interactions, to jump-start the slow growth of BTB commerce and to strengthen relationships with buyers.
The analysts predict that BTB buyers will continue to be slow with their move to the Web for the next 18 months.
Six percent of the 406 executives surveyed said that if a vendor provided buyer productivity applications, they would shift all of their buying to that supplier, while 22 percent would increase the amount they buy from that supplier.
As for helping suppliers understand buyer motivations, Jupiter said suppliers must plan before they spend, since online initiatives are costly. Jupiter said suppliers' strategies must reflect an understanding of buyer motivations.
To be effective, Jupiter said the strategies should look to reflect research and study of best buyers; initiate buyer training; move existing buyers online; implement advanced buyer productivity applications; and attract new business online.
The report is titled “B-To-B Supplier Strategies: Increasing Market Share Through Buyer-Productivity Applications.”
