alibaba.comone of the leading international B2B marketplaces, and DHL Expressa leading operator in urgent international transport and a strategic partner in Spain of Alibaba.com, share the results of two analyzes that have been carried out respectively between companies in the export sector and that make it possible to disclose highly relevant information for B2B operations.
Among the conclusions of the study Digital B2B Outlook 2023prepared by Alibaba.com and which has had the collaboration of DHL Express, stand out seven trends in digital export for this year:
70% of small businesses said that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic led them to invest more in digital technologies, according to the OECD. This transition to digital sales, which was accentuated in 2020, will continue in 2023. For this reason, online sellers in the B2B sector will probably experience more competition this year.
93% of interactions on the Internet occur through search engines. In this context, thanks to digital marketing, companies that start operating in a market can immediately start competing to get a part of those digital interactions.
A client does not want to feel like “one more”, he needs to be listened to. When he buys from a brand, he expects it to know about his previous purchases and take advantage of that information to provide him with a better experience on future purchases.
- Data Driven Strategies
B2B business strategies based on guesswork are a thing of the past. With the possibility of obtaining and analyzing data, companies can establish more precise and effective strategies.
- real time messaging
As buyers demand fast service, real-time messaging is emerging as a key trend for B2B digital exports.
Video is a medium with a great capacity to connect with audiences. Although short-form video is currently the most popular, in the B2B industry there is room for growth in the consumption of long-form video and live streaming.
- Internet connection time reduction
The average online connection of people worldwide decreased from 6.53h to 6.47h per day in the fourth quarter of 2021. A decrease that, although it is not extraordinarily significant, could be an indicator that a time has been reached. maximum consumption of online content per day.
“These trends in B2B digital exports are the result of the direct testimony of more than 1,000 B2B providers worldwide, 95% of them SMEs. It is a sample of how technology has helped overcome the pandemic and how it is driving innovation and growth in the B2B market, also for SMEs. In this regard, I am very proud that Alibaba.com, as a leading B2B digital platform, is facilitating the competitiveness and growth of millions of companies around the world.”, points out Luca Curtarelli, Country Manager of Spain, Italy and Portugal at Alibaba.com.
Millennials, decisive in the B2B sector
DHL Express, a strategic partner of Alibaba.com in Spain, highlights the importance of millennials, who currently represent 73% of all B2B purchasing decisions. This is a digital native generation and made up of individuals whose personal experiences as B2C customers greatly influence what they expect from B2B transactions as well.
Data from DHL Express shows that the millennial generationIn the same way that you value particular factors such as speed, convenience or flexible delivery options, among others, in your online orders, you also look for these characteristics when doing B2B business. Specifically, millennial buyers are more likely to avoid contact with sellers early in the process and prefer to conduct their own extensive research online before making purchasing decisions; that is, they mimic your personal shopping habits. Therefore, it is vital that a business in the B2B sector invests in a quality digital presence that is familiar to these new B2B buyers.
In fact, a global study carried out by Sana Commerce shows that B2B customers value the option of placing orders online (38%), as well as the possibility of monitoring them online (39%), as the main criteria when it comes to choose a new provider. how he exposes Miguel Borrás, CEO of DHL Express Spain“The rise and consolidation of e-commerce have made these key trends increasingly prevalent in B2B environments and essential for success in the export context. B2B companies have to make the most of the opportunities offered by both e-commerce and international trade. From DHL Express we will continue advising and supporting all B2B companies so that they can promote their international trajectory”.