03. B2B Ecommerce: Real ROI and why the time is now with Brian Beck, Managing Partner at Enceiba

In this episode of E-commerce with Coffee?! we talk to Brian Beck, E-Commerce Expert Advisor and the author of Billion Dollar B2B Ecommerce. The B2B world hasn’t gotten as much press this last year as B2C, but it’s seen just as many changes (maybe more).

In this interview, Brian brings us a fascinating analysis of what that means.

Brian covers multiple B2B-specific topics, including:

• Key differences in B2B vs. B2C
• Surprising similarities in B2B and B2C
• Top KPIs for B2B e-commerce
• Amazon Business (and major upcoming changes)
• “Channel conflict”
  

“Too often I hear manufacturers using ‘channel conflict’ as a reason not to engage [in e-commerce],” Brian says, “and...that's a losing strategy.” Brian offers case study after case study of what brands and manufacturers are doing successfully and not-so-successfully in B2B.

Then, Brian digs deep into Amazon’s strategy, talking about everything from 1P vs. 3P sellers to the rich possibilities for brands with more visual-audio-rich product information.

Listen to hear these tips and more in this episode of E-commerce with Coffee?!

What to listen for:

• Listen up for how Brian describes caffeine!
• Brian also reminisces about the e-commerce scene in the ‘90s when he got started
• Next, Brian talks about recent shifts in B2B and how they’re similar but different from the B2C consumer expectations
• When Brian talks about KPIs in B2B e-commerce, he has some exceptional insights on what changes certain metrics like conversion rates in the B2B world compared with B2C
• Brian also talks about “channel conflict,” an ever-changing challenge business face in today’s multichannel world
• Amazon Business has become the fastest-growing part of Amazon’s distribution, so the monster platform is already in the B2B world; Brian talks about what that means for brands
• 70% of brands don’t even know all the sellers selling their products on Amazon, and Brian talks about how brands can take more strategic control
• Brand loyalty has been “turned on its head,” Brian says, and you can hear what COVID-19 has to do with it
• Brian also describes meeting new consumer expectations (especially the B2B industry) as “existential,” and his rationale is fascinating
• One of the best parts of this interview is all the real examples Brian gives—listen for yourself to hear them all!
  

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