Let’s cut straight to the chase: B2B marketing is undergoing a seismic shift, and too many brands are still playing by outdated rules.
The Wake-Up Call
The latest “State of B2B Ecommerce” report from Retail Touchpoints is a five-alarm fire for traditional B2B marketers. Consider these gut-punch statistics:
- 77% of B2B buyers begin their purchase journey with their own research
- Only 36% rate their B2B buying experiences as “excellent”
- 71% of B2B processes remain “extremely manual”
- By 2025, 80% of sales interactions will occur through digital channels
This isn’t just a trend. It’s a revolution.
The New B2B Buyer: Digital-First and Impatient
“Remember, it might be B2B, but it’s still person to person. Not adopting a customer-centric approach to marketing isn’t just short-sighted—it’s dangerous. You’re not selling to a company; you’re selling to individuals with expectations shaped by their everyday digital experiences.”
My Digital Transformation Journey
Working with many global B2B brands has revealed a critical insight: most organisations are sitting on a goldmine of untapped potential. The problem? They’re trapped in departmental echo chambers. The most powerful moment isn’t just in developing strategies—it’s watching the lightbulb moment when organisations realise the true potential of a customer-centric approach.
Here’s the secret sauce: Breaking down departmental silos.
Marketing, sales, customer service, product development—each department has a piece of the customer puzzle. When they start sharing insights, aligning objectives, and viewing the customer journey holistically, magic happens. Suddenly, KPIs aren’t just departmental metrics; they’re interconnected touchpoints in a seamless customer experience.
The results? Brands I’ve worked with are seeing:
- Increased customer engagement
- More efficient sales cycles
- Enhanced customer loyalty
- Breakthrough digital performance
- Even cost efficiencies on marketing spend
This secret sauce means we are being rebooked for more sessions to help these brands roll these changes out globally and regionally within their organisations.
The Gartner B2B Buyer Journey
(Credit Gartner)
The journey is no longer linear. Buyers move fluidly between stages, gathering information from multiple sources, and expect a cohesive, personalised experience at every touchpoint.
The Customer-Centric Journey: From Awareness to Purchase
Here’s the blueprint I’ve been sharing in my digital transformation sessions (by not means the full list!):
1. Awareness Stage
- Optimise for web search (70% of buyers start here)
- Create compelling vendor website content
- Leverage social media marketing
- Engage with user and peer reviews
2. Consideration Stage
- Provide deep, meaningful product information
- Use AI to personalise content
- Create interactive product detail pages
- Offer transparent pricing and configuration tools
3. Decision Stage
- Streamline order processes
- Provide seamless account management
- Enable easy reordering and subscriptions
- Offer robust customer support
The Bottom Line
B2B brands have two choices:
- Evolve and embrace digital transformation
- Become obsolete
“Digital transformation isn’t a destination—it’s a continuous journey of understanding and adapting to your customers’ evolving needs. The brands that win are those who see their customers not as transactions, but as partners in their ongoing evolution.”
Your Move
The future of B2B isn’t about maintaining old relationships. It’s about creating new, digital-first experiences that meet buyers where they are – online, informed, and ready to make decisions.
Are you ready to transform?
Want to dive deeper? Check out the full “State of B2B Ecommerce” report. Your competition already is.
Want to learn more? drop me a message or take a read of my book B2B Digital Marketing – Attract Ideal Customers and Generate Profitable Business
What’s your next move?
Cognitive Union is a progressive, boutique learning and performance consultancy. We work with forward-thinking businesses. Transforming their people. Shaping their culture. Helping them embrace change and take on the world. Find this blog useful? Sign up to our email newsletter (bottom of this page) where you can receive articles like this and other insights (not publically published), and you can also follow us on LinkedIn.