When it comes to Ecommerce for wholesale, when migrating from more traditional methods to online, it can take time and effort to get things rolling.
The data shows online buyers are increasingly using online solutions. But customers aren’t one size fits all; some will be quicker to adopt it than others.
Fortunately, you can take steps to gently encourage adoption. Here are four ways you can do so:
- Leverage your site in your internal sales process
- Process orders taken through other methods within the portal
- Make as much information available as possible
- Provide tutorials and training for tech-averse customers
Let’s review how each can assist in this process.
1. Leverage your site in your internal sales process
You can have your customer service and sales teams use the same solution your buyers use. When they place orders in the system, it can help your buyers know a system exists as the emails and alerts are sent. But it can also help concentrate attention to that method of ordering.
Your sales team, for instance, can use a Mobile App to place orders wherever they are, such as when in person with your buyers. Your customer service team can place orders within the web-based back-end. And this can be on the same solution where your buyers could order through the portal.
Over time, your buyers will start to realize the portal exists, and that they can use it too. Those who are more go-getters may start placing orders on their own, freeing up your team. And all the information will be centralized in one place, no matter how an order was placed.
2. Process orders taken through other methods within the portal
Inevitably, some customers will still want to order through previous methods. Even when that happens, if the orders are input to the portal, it further raises awareness. Emails and updates will come from the portal, with the encouragement to log in. Buyers can get updated without contacting customer service.
Once they see all the capabilities, it’ll be another step closer to encouraging use on their own. The goal is to get your buyers comfortable with it existing, and offering so much for them.
3. Make as much information available as possible
If you previously used another system, sometimes you can migrate old order information. Once you adopt a portal solution to accomplish Ecommerce for wholesale, you can make other information available, like order status updates. Buyers can review and update billing and shipping defaults, or see their order histories.
The more information, and more useful information, you surface, the more likely they’ll be inclined to use it. So ensuring what your buyers find valuable is present is a helpful aspect of deploying a portal.
4. Provide tutorials and training for tech-averse customers
New technology has a learning curve, both for you and your buyers. You can smooth out that curve by offering timely support in onboarding your buyers.
Zoey customer Ninkasi Brewing Company took a phased approach to onboarding their distributors. Their sales team sent out a pre-recorded walkthrough of how to place orders. Within a few weeks, 95 percent of their distributors were ordering on Zoey.
The rollout was as quick as the setup, too:
“We went back a lot of different times with [support], configured things a different way, so we could do a big demo for the rest of the team with a real site, with our products in there. … We found it in December; we signed on probably by the end of January. By the end of February, we had everything in there.”
Becca Livingston, Business Intelligence Manager, Ninkasi Brewing Company
Searching for Ecommerce for Wholesale? Zoey is the Best Choice
If you’re ready to take the leap and adopt an online portal solution, contact Zoey’s team today. We’ll review your requirements, help you understand how Zoey can help, and provide useful help both before and after you select Zoey.
Click the button below to request a call from our team to start the conversation:
