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A recent study shows that B2B e-commerce on the Internet will have a significant impact on the future of manufacturers. More and more buyers are using online stores and marketplaces to procure products and services for their companies. Digital channels now play a crucial role in B2B and are widespread. However, traditional sales channels such as field sales and telephone orders remain relevant.
According to the study, only one in two manufacturers relies on intermediaries. The sales channel most frequently used by manufacturers is their own online store (67 percent). Sales to end consumers account for more than a quarter (28 percent) of annual sales on average, a business model in online sales known as D2C (direct to consumer). Thirty-six percent of the manufacturers surveyed generate more than half of their annual sales through online sales channels. Respondents agree that these channels will continue to grow in importance over the next five years.
The importance of a strong online strategy is recognized by manufacturers compared to all respondents. Nearly half (48 percent) of manufacturers plan to increase sales through online sales channels by more than 50 percent over the next five years. The reasons for online sales are many and varied. In addition to the goal of increasing sales (75 percent), tapping into new customer groups (43 percent) and reducing distribution costs (29 percent) are the most important decision factors for those surveyed.
Numerous manufacturers still rely on their own servers to operate their online stores. Only one third of the manufacturers surveyed have developed the store themselves. More than half (56 percent) of the respondents rely on a combination of internal and external expertise. At the same time, 63 percent invest less than 100,000 euros per year in the D2C store project. The cloud is used by a good third (37 percent) of respondents.
The non-technical aspects of online store operation are currently the most costly. In particular, the management of national and international sales channels (53 percent) and the implementation of online marketing campaigns (50 percent) prove to be very time-consuming when operating the online store. However, the respondents expect these aspects to improve significantly over the next five years. In this period, only 26 percent and 17 percent, respectively, will consider these points to be very time-consuming.
In summary, the study shows that a strong online strategy is essential for manufacturers in the B2B sector, as more and more buyers are using digital channels to purchase products and services. The company's own online store is the most frequently used sales channel, but its operation still proves to be costly. The most important reasons for online sales are increasing sales, developing new customer groups and saving costs.