Here is how to eliminate B2B eCommerce order mistakes and returns

As an owner of a B2B web shop, you are surely well familiar with how B2B eCommerce order mistakes can affect your business. But now we have decided to approach this issue from a buyer’s point of view. Actually, we’re going to show you how returns affect your clients and give you advice on avoiding common mistakes by better management of the whole process of returning the goods.

Why should this interest you? First of all, because a positive user experience can be ensured only by managing each part of the online buying process. If your client is pleased, he will repeat orders more often, which leads to bigger income from online sales. So, it is necessary to understand and fulfil all expectations from your clients in order to have a successful B2B web shop.

Why do B2B eCommerce order mistakes happen?

Here’s an information that will surely be of interest. Almost 50% of mistakes in online orders that cause returns in B2B ecommerce, affect profitability and sales of a B2B company.

B2B clients deliver online orders to their main suppliers at least once a week on average. But, their experience of creating orders online is far from perfect.

Research on the level of satisfaction of B2B buyers has shown that 44% of them has trouble with mistakes in online orders at least twice a month. Almost 20% of B2B clients experience this regularly on a weekly basis, and 9% of them every day.

Although there are many reasons that cause mistakes to occur, we can still divide them into two main categories.

#1 The human factor in B2B ecommerce orders

The human factor is one of the main culprits for mistakes in orders and returns in B2B ecommerce. This relates to choosing and selecting the wrong product in the order and giving incorrect information regarding delivery or payment.

Although they are accidental mistakes, they have a huge impact on the buying experience of your B2B clients. Especially if you consider the three main reasons why clients decide to buy in the B2B ecommerce in the first place:

• The simplicity of online shopping (72%)
• Clearer descriptions and better access to online catalogues (52%)
• Real-time information on the inventory and the delivery time (42%)

In an integrated B2B ecommerce system, there is no room for mistakes caused by the human factor.

These systems enable your clients an insight into real-time information regarding the inventory condition, along many other advantages. One of them being the option of viewing previous orders and creating new orders from the existing ones. An integrated B2B ecommerce system enables a B2B buyer to repeat an order he has been pleased with previously, with just a few clicks.

#2 Inaccurate informations on products

Put yourself in the position of a B2B client who is going through product catalogues in your web shop, finds the one that suits him and makes an order, just to find out later that it isn’t currently available. Client’s frustration and disappointment at that moment are obvious, because he needed that product “yesterday”.

Research has shown that between 23% and 28% of B2B ecommerce buyers find themselves in this situation regularly! Also, even 44% of mistakes in online orders are caused by inaccurate information on products in a B2B web shop.

How to avoid B2B eCommerce order mistakes? When creating an order, the integrated B2B ecommerce system checks the actual condition of the inventory directly in the Microsoft dynamics NAV system. So, it is impossible for the buyer to make an order for a product that isn’t currently available. Namely, the condition of the inventory in MD NAV system is updated when creating each new online order.

How do B2B eCommerce order mistakes and returns affect your clients?

B2B companies order between 400 and 500 products daily on average, i.e. between 40 and 50 pieces of each product they need from their main suppliers. When you take all of this into account, it becomes clear why even the smallest mistakes in the online order creating process can lead to great disappointment from your B2B clients.

Although many would say that they are an integral part of selling, mistakes in orders and returns in B2B ecommerce decrease profitability and the efficiency of your online business by 6-10%, and sales by around 5%. With some B2B companies, these percentages are even three times bigger.

How to avoid mistakes in B2B ecommerce orders?

Your B2B buyers look for two basic things when they decide to create an online order; cost reduction and simpler shopping. That is exactly why order mistakes and returns in B2B ecommerce deter from your B2B web shop. Thus, if you want to enable them a flawless experience of creating an online order, the possibility for any kind of mistake has to be reduced to a minimum. Here’s how to accomplish that:

Optimize product descriptions in your B2B web shop

Inaccurate information on products is the most common reason for returns and mistakes in orders. In order to save your clients from the consequences of such mistakes, provide them with detailed product descriptions. Include all product information that could be useful to your client and do it in a simple and clear manner. Also include quality photos of products and detailed specifications.

Use all the potential that the ERP system has

An integrated B2B ecommerce system uses all your data that is already located in the Microsoft Dynamics NAV system. Then there is no way for a client to get inaccurate data, order a product that isn’t available or create an order according to invalid prices. With an integrated B2B ecommerce system, you manage all information on products in one place, and your clients get an access to detailed information on products 24 hours a day.

Enable your clients an online return

Even when there is a mistake in the order, its impact can be reduced by making the return process easier. 34% of B2B clients will rather choose a B2B web shop that enables them online returns. Additionally, even 59% of buyers prefer the online approach to information regarding returns of bought products.

You want to know more on how to fulfil your B2B buyers’ expectations? Take a look at some of the useful advices on this topic which we have written about in previous Hecta blogs.

You are looking for a quality ecommerce platform which makes this even simpler? Then contact us today to be presented with the best solutions for having pleased online buyers and a successful B2B web shop.