As featured in web marketing and e-commerce portal WebMarketCentral.com
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Whether you’re marketing to consumers or business decision makers, you’re still marketing to a human being – right?
Yes — but decision makers may feel more risk when it comes to the average buying decision.
Perceived risk is generally higher for B2B buyers
We wrote an e-book that covers how B2B marketing differs from consumer marketing, called What Marketing Directors Need in a B2B Marketing Consultant. But here is a short version.
In business to business (B2B) marketing, a purchase of professional services may impact the company’s customer service, productivity, operations, legal issues, reputation, sales, and/or the bottom line. The perceived risk of a wrong decision is high. In B2C decision making the level of perceived risk is typically relatively low, because most consumer purchases can be returned or exchanged.
Purchase decision anatomy
Enquiro surveyed 1,000 B2B buyers to learn what the top influencers are in the purchase decision. They found that “respondents across all phases indicated that the website of the vendor” was the top influence on buying decisions. The upshot: if you’re a B2B company, get it right when it comes to your online presence.
Prospects are looking to educate themselves, do their own comparisons, and create their own short lists. Charts comparing solutions, suggested decision criteria, ROI calculator tools, case studies, testimonials, certifications, awards, affiliations, and executive profiles all help diffuse fear of making a wrong decision.
Agree? Disagree?
