Are you looking to increase your online sales? Did you know that only 5-10% of B2B leads generated are converted into customers? These figures underline just how essential effective buyer targeting is to success in the world of e-commerce. According to a McKinsey study, companies that have adopted effective customer acquisition strategies have seen their sales grow by 15-20% more than their competitors. Qualifying your prospects is therefore the key to a successful prospecting strategy.
But finding the right B2B buyers is no easy task. B2B customers have specific needs and longer sales cycles than B2C customers. So how do you generate qualified leads and get them to purchase? Let's explore the best methods for reaching B2B buyers who are genuinely interested in your offer, so that you can develop a coherent e-commerce strategy and achieve your sales targets.
Generate highly qualified leads
Table of Contents
- I. Profiling qualified prospects: determine your B2B target group
- II. Tailor your approach to different types of B2B buyers
- III. Develop a strategy for acquiring qualified e-commerce buyers
I. Profiling qualified prospects: determine your B2B target group
Identify your buyers' profiles
Your prospecting strategy needs to start with an analysis of your target market. What kind of profile do your buyers have (also known as a buyer persona)? A buyer persona is a fictional representation of an ideal customer based on real data about your existing and potential customers. It is used to describe the characteristics and behaviors of different customer groups in order to tailor a marketing and sales strategy to their specific needs. By identifying your buyer persona, you can focus on prospects who have the greatest potential to become your customers, increasing the chances of conversion and long-term loyalty.
Identify the characteristics of a qualified prospect
A qualified prospect's readiness to buy can be seen through a number of criteria, even if they are still in the decision-making phase:
- A qualified prospect is actively looking to solve a problem, to find a solution or a product that meets their needs.
- They are a purchase influencer within their company, and have the power to decide whether or not to proceed with a purchase.
- They’re all the more inclined to buy if they trust you and have a good understanding of your products. They recognize your ability to meet their needs.
- They are at the final decision-making stage and want to bring about change as quickly as possible to meet their needs.
- They’re interested in your offer because they’re at a stage where they are highly likely to make a purchase.
II. Tailor your approach to different types of B2B buyers
Each type of buyer has their own needs and preferences. It is therefore essential to adapt your approach accordingly.
Here are the different types of B2B buyers you may encounter:
- The purchasing department buyer: this pragmatic, official buyer focuses on the financial and logistical aspects of purchasing.
- The user of the product (or service): this type of buyer is most influenced by the product's features and benefits.
- The internal purchase influencer buyer: they generally recommend a product to the official buyer, and have a strong influence on the final purchasing decision.
- The non-buying external purchase influencer: highly respected, this external consultant or expert recommends the purchase of a product to a company.
- The economic buyer: highly sensitive to costs, this buyer focuses on the product's economic advantages, but still considers quality and reliability.
- Technical buyers: often engineers or experts in their field, they analyze and evaluate a product's technical characteristics.
- Buyers with a strategic agenda: driven by the company's strategic priorities, they care most about product features that are likely to help them achieve their objectives.
- The purchasing sponsor: as an influential person within a company (such as management members), they can play a decisive role in the purchasing decision and are always involved in the purchasing process from the outset.
- Collaborative purchasing: in this case, since the purchasing decision is made by a group of people, it is necessary to understand the dynamics of this group and the roles and responsibilities of each member in order to get everyone on board and influence the final decision.
III. Develop a strategy for acquiring qualified e-commerce buyers
Qualified B2B customer acquisition is the process of finding and identifying potential customers who meet a company's specific criteria. To implement a customer acquisition strategy that specifically targets your buyer personas, you have several options.
Offer your products on specialized B2B marketplaces
B2B marketplaces are online platforms that connect buyers and sellers. They have become an increasingly popular online sales channel for companies as they help them reach new customers without spending a lot of money.
By using so-called "vertical" marketplaces, i.e. those specialized in a particular field, rather than a general marketplace, companies can target a more qualified audience. For example, a company manufacturing orthopedic devices can use a marketplace specialized in the medical sector, such as MedicalExpo, to reach genuinely qualified and interested buyers. In addition, B2B marketplaces can offer benefits such as customer relationship management (CRM) tools, digital communication and online collaboration tools, as well as sales tracking functionalities.
Enhance SEO for search engines
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a strategy that optimizes your website content for search engines such as Google. This strategy is essential for attracting potential customers to your website as well as to your product stands on the marketplaces on which you are present. In order for SEO to work best, it's important to identify the keywords relevant to your business and create quality content that addresses the questions and needs of your potential customers.
Use targeted emails
Targeted emailing is an excellent way to reach potential B2B buyers. Emails can be used to inform prospects about products, offer them special deals, invite them to events, etc. For emails to be effective, it's important to send targeted messages to specific prospects.
To do this, you can take advantage of the targeted email campaign services offered by specialized marketplaces. This gives you the opportunity to use mailing lists targeted specifically to your customer criteria, while also taking advantage of the online reputation built up by the marketplace. Once personalized and designed in a sufficiently engaging way, your targeted emails can be distributed by country and language to active buyers in your product category.
Create paid advertising campaigns
Online advertising is an excellent way of reaching B2B buyers. It's up to you to choose from the various channels available: web banners on specialized marketplaces that will speak directly to your target audience, campaigns on social media networks (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram...), SEA (Search Engine Advertising) campaigns, etc. to target a qualified audience.
It's important to create relevant ads that include clear calls to action and useful information for your prospects. The targeting you define must be ultra-qualitative. It's also a good idea to monitor the performance of your ads, which will help you adjust your strategy.
Use webinars as lead generation tools
Webinars are online seminars that can be used to share your expertise with your prospects. They are lead generation tools with a high conversion rate, as they give you the opportunity to present your products in an interactive and engaging way (the term leads refers to commercial contacts interested in a company's offer). Webinars effectively offer you a way of communicating directly with your prospects and answering their questions in real time, which can help build trust and credibility. Your webinars should appeal to your audience and offer high-quality content. It's also important to promote your webinar effectively and efficiently.
To maximize the conversion rate, it's a good idea to follow up on the leads generated by the webinar and "feed" them with additional content. You can send follow-up emails, offer personalized demos or free trials to encourage your prospects to go ahead and make a purchase.
Finding the right B2B buyers is a constant challenge for companies, but by using the right methods, it's entirely possible to achieve your sales objectives. Knowing the different types of buyers and using effective acquisition strategies will help you on your way to acquiring leads.
As Peter Drucker, professor, business management consultant, author and theorist once said, "The purpose of business is to create and retain customers". It's by striving to understand the needs of your potential customers, and offering them the right solutions, that you'll stand out from the competition and develop your online business.
At VirtualExpo, we specialize in the acquisition of qualified B2B customers. Our targeted emailing service enables you to reach a targeted professional audience selected according to their purchases on our marketplaces, their interests and their business sector. Don't wait to explore all the features offered by our services and find qualified buyers all over the world.
