Should B2B use online marketing?

Business to business (B2B) companies are those that sell products or services to other companies, rather than directly to consumers (B2C). B2B has been relatively slow in adopting search and online marketing because the ROI is harder to measure. One of the primary reasons is that B2C transactions can be measured right away thru real-time e-commerce sales.

B2B transactions are an ongoing process which usually involve many people and generally have a longer sales cycle. But that doesn't mean online marketing won't work. In fact, the reverse is true. In a recent Enquiro study of 1500 B2B participants, it was found that B2B buyers would:

• research the purchase online (93.2%)
• use a search engine to research (95.5%)
• choose a search engine over an e-commerce, manufacturer or industy portal (63.9%)
• still visit a search engine after looking at a manufacturer site or industry portal (86.9%).

The study concludes that:

• search engines play a large role in B2B purchases
• search engines are used in the early or mid-research phase of the buying cycle
• Google is favored
• research takes place at least one to two months before the buying decision.

We hear all the time from B2Bs that 'we get some visitors, but they don't contact us'. That's because the visitors are researching - not buying yet. This aligns with what the study concluded.

What they need is online marketing program that captures the interest, follows up, and stores the info for later use (if the buyer isn't ready). With the right program, search and online marketing can provide tremendous ROI for B2B marketers. And more effectively than other marketing, due to the research and online attributes that B2B buyers exhibit.

So B2B marketers, start your (search) engines today!