B2B Purchase Process: Be Visible From the Start
Today’s purchasers spend around two-thirds of any B2B buying journey gathering, processing and de-conflicting information. Much of this learning happens without the direct involvement of sales reps.
Just like in business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions, the decisions on new vendors in a business-to-business (B2B) setting are made by people. And they search online. The big difference with B2C, however, lies in the number of people involved in the decision. In B2B, different stakeholders with different disciplines (and interests) often work together in a decision making unit (DMU).
Since there are people involved, the behavior that these DMUs display in the orientation process does not differ much from consumer behavior, regardless of the number of participants. Such behavior includes an increasingly strong desire to do online research themselves in recent years. That desire has increased even more in today's “socially distanced” society.
| Building on years of leadership in the industry, Geomares provides its worldwide audiences with overarching insight into state-of-the-art developments in geomatics and adjoining verticals. Create brand awareness and leverage your credibility and authority by being visible at our industry-respected platforms. |
Be present at the start
Several studies have been conducted into the changing B2B purchasing behavior. The consensus is that more than 90% of B2B purchases have an online origin!
Before identifying solutions to any given issue by a DMU, an independent research is being completed by the involved professionals for the purposes of familiarizing themselves with the subject. The researching professional, however, is not looking for a specific solution, supplier or purchase. In fact, the issue itself may not even be fully identified yet!
B2B purchasing behavior
| Problem Identification | Solution Exploration | Requirements Building | Supplier Selection |
| Validation |
| Consensus Creation |
This preliminary phase of independent research provides you with a great opportunity to draw the attention of potential clients and shape their future needs. With our sponsored content solutions, we offer a varied range of possibilities to share your carefully created content with the largest global audience in the field of surveying, mapping, hydrography, AEC, geomatics and adjacent areas. This allows you to make the first acquaintance with the potential client, and, with that, the first chance to present yourself as an authority within the market.
Taking the first steps
When someone interacts with your content for the first time, you shouldn't expect to have a lead in your pocket. But the first step in the customer journey has been taken. The right question is “What is the next step that a potential lead would like to take?” In other words, “What information do they need?”
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Always keep in the added value in mind: |
As mentioned, there are opportunities for B2B companies to be visible in this first phase of the client’s orientation process. But how do you ensure that your online presence differs from the competitor’s?
Being actively present on the platforms attended by the potential and existing customers is the key. Inbound streams via the right distribution channels to your own website are indispensable. With the largest global database of decision-makers in the geomatics community, Geomares serves as that essential distribution channel. It forms the perfect link in the interaction between professional buyers and businesses that will make you visible from the start.
