Did you know that 46% of global B2B buyers say they are frustrated with buying B2B products online? That’s one of the key results of The B2B Future Shopper Report 2023 from Wunderman Thompson – and it proves that B2B companies must level up their digitalization efforts to meet the high expectations of today’s B2B buyers. Personalization does the trick here, as it helps transforming the B2B buyer journey into a user-friendly and enjoyable buying experience, instead of a time-consuming treasure hunt with obstacles and risks.
Do you also want to get started with personalization in your organization? With these five tips, you can’t go wrong:
1. Embrace artificial intelligence (AI).
2. Think of your goals, not your data.
3. Start small and target your most valuable customers first.
4. Realize that AI personalization is not a one-off trick.
1. Embrace artificial intelligence (AI).
Those looking to get started with personalization in B2B e-commerce cannot avoid using AI. Artificial intelligence can make your online shop respond as smartly and accurately as your best-trained salespeople. You could say that it is even smarter in fact, simply because AI is capable of processing and combining an immense amount of relevant data quickly, objectively, and in real time. This is in order to offer a personalized buyer journey based on that data. A customer experience that does not come across as intrusive, and in which purchase efficiency and relevance are optimal. In short: an experience that adds real value for the customer.
2. Think of your goals, not your data.
For AI-based personalization to succeed, it is important not make decisions based on the data you have available, but on the goal you want to achieve. What challenge would you like your e-commerce to solve for your customer? Only when you have this clear can you start looking at whether the data you have available is fit for the purpose. But never let doubts about the quality of your own data be a reason not to venture into personalization. A good AI tool helps you to bring the data from different silos together, make the most of the available data, and incorporate the results into different personalization applications.
3. Start small and target your most valuable customers first.
AI is not a matter of flipping a switch and leaving everything to an algorithm. Making AI succeed within the organization is a key task for e-commerce professionals. They will have to determine which knowledge should be translated to the algorithm. A fixed or black-box algorithm that does well may not perform well at all in another context (e.g. another country). The algorithm reflects the context better and better as continuous testing and adjustments are made by the e-commerce and marketing team.
4. Realize that AI personalization is not a one-off trick.
AI is not a matter of flipping a switch and leaving everything to an algorithm. Making AI succeed within the organization is a key task for e-commerce professionals. They will have to determine which knowledge should be translated to the algorithm. A fixed or black-box algorithm that does well may not perform well at all in another context (e.g. another country). The algorithm reflects the context better and better as continuous testing and adjustments are made by the e-commerce and marketing team.
5. Make AI a group project.
AI hinges on having the right people to steer the process well. So get your colleagues excited about the project by showing them its potential and by giving them the opportunity to contribute. This makes AI personalization a group effort, which by definition will make it more successful. Once you have had some success with personalization, such as bringing about a larger share of wallet, share this milestone widely within the organization so that enthusiasm also continues to grow at C-level.
As you read earlier, getting started with personalization in B2B e-commerce is not complicated. Any organization can do it with the help of a good AI tool and by taking the right steps. By first setting a clear objective, starting small and slowly scaling up, you will have put your company on the road to success.
Need more tips for getting started with personalization and AI, or an action plan? Then join the B2B Frontrunners Community to access exclusive resources, peer support, and the latest developments in the industry!
