Launching a new B2B ecommerce website is a major milestone. After weeks or months of planning and developing B2B ecommerce upgrades and technology integrations that will revolutionise a client’s ecommerce offering, for us at Fluid Commerce, there is nothing better than taking that site to market.
However, for the client, the real challenge lies in making sure their customers know about it, understand its value and functions, and actually use it.
A well-executed marketing plan ensures awareness of the B2B ecommerce site, secures engagement with its features and customer portals, and facilitates early customer adoption. This assists with the process of moving traditional B2B customers online and away from ordering over the phone or in person. This digital transformation brings myriad benefits to B2B companies such as manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers, including improved efficiency, customer loyalty and ecommerce revenue growth.
Here’s what the B2B ecommerce experts at Fluid Commerce advise every company to think about before and after the launch of their new B2B ecommerce store. We are also here to support our clients in any way we can with their launch and have specialists who can advise on demos for clients, provide performance marketing services, such as PPC for B2B, and consult on best practices for go-to-market.
Pre-launch: set the stage with an effective launch plan
A launch is only as strong as the planning behind it and marketing efforts should be coordinated so every channel works together to build awareness and anticipation. The overall aim should be to communicate the site’s value to customers and the new functions that are going to make their purchasing journey so much easier and more efficient for them.
The marketing plan should set out how your B2B ecommerce company will communicate about the new site and its value and go beyond “we have a new site.” Customers want to know why they should care, whether that’s faster ordering, better product information, self-service tools, or improved account management. Decisions should be made about how to highlight these benefits and make them clear from the outset.
What to include in a B2B ecommerce site launch plan:
Some ideas below for what to include in your pre-launch marketing plan.
1. On-site walkthrough for all customers
This may seem like a pointless exercise and you may think, “Why are we doing this when the site is so easy to use?”, but creating a walkthrough demo of the My Account area as an example can really help all customers utilise the features that have been created. These walkthroughs can be signposted throughout the site to aid customer awareness.
2. Email marketing campaign
Use your contacts database to announce the launch directly. Segment your list where possible, tailoring messages to different customer groups to show them how the site benefits their specific needs.
3. Social media awareness
For many B2B companies, LinkedIn is the most powerful platform to build awareness. A targeted campaign here can generate excitement, position your business as innovative, and encourage customers to explore the new store.
Campaigns can be organic and focus on existing followers of your company’s social media accounts, or a paid advertising campaign can be launched to target new audiences. The content used for both will be vital to their success. Consider what images and videos there are, and what design resources will be needed. Image is everything on social media and ensuring campaigns are professional and well curated will make a huge impact on their success. At Fluid Commerce, we have a social media team that can create paid advertising and organic campaigns for companies to help them to achieve visibility for their new ecommerce websites.
4. PPC for B2B to reach audiences
PPC (pay-per-click) for B2B companies is an effective way to drive immediate traffic and conversions for B2B ecommerce websites. By targeting relevant keywords, companies can ensure the new store is visible to both existing and potential customers searching for your products. PPC enables companies to reach bigger audiences more quickly and we recommend it to all our B2B clients at Fluid Commerce. We have a team that specialises in PPC for B2B and we have seen how it has contributed significantly to online revenue growth so it is something that should be considered at the launch stage to support early customer adoption.
Post-launch: building momentum
The launch of a new B2B ecommerce website is just the beginning. Sustained promotion ensures the site doesn’t just attract early interest but becomes a core channel for ongoing business and brings more customers online.
Some suggestions for building momentum:
- Email follow-ups: Share tips, feature highlights, and customer success stories to keep users engaged.
- Share client successes: Post case studies, testimonials, and data that show the site’s impact.
- Continuous advertising: Keep PPC running with optimised campaigns to maintain visibility and drive conversions.
- Content marketing: Publish blogs, guides, and FAQs to educate customers on how to get the most out of your ecommerce store.
- Ongoing training: Offer refresher demos or webinars for customers who need extra support.
- Feedback sessions: Contact different customer groups and ask them for direct feedback on how they are finding the new site. On-site feedback is also a quick way of gathering direct customer feedback. Tools like Hotjar allow a merchant to create a small form on all or specific pages, which can be valuable
To conclude
A B2B ecommerce site launch is about more than flipping the switch on new technology, although this is obviously very exciting. Success comes from a carefully coordinated marketing plan that builds awareness, communicates value, and nurtures adoption. With the right pre- and post-launch strategies in place, across email, social media, PPC, and customer engagement, you’ll set your B2B ecommerce store up for long-term growth.
Need help?
If your B2B company needs support with the development and launch of a new ecommerce website to increase online revenue, efficiency and customer loyalty, the team at Fluid Commerce can help. We’re here to guide you every step of the way, with the latest technology integrations and industry knowledge. Contact us here to arrange an informal chat about your project.
