Now is a great time for distributors and manufacturers to add a mobile app to their digital strategy. B2B buying on mobile devices is increasing 17% annually (Forrester Research), 91% of B2B buyer searches take place on a mobile device (Frost & Sullivan) and 80% of construction professionals already use mobile technology on the jobsite (eSub). And “safer at home” is only accelerating the mobile ordering trend.
Why an app?
Mobile apps have many advantages over mobile optimized web-stores. Builders are often in the field or at a jobsite and need quick access to BOM, spec sheets, inventory and pricing. These tasks are faster in a native mobile app. It is also quicker to log into a mobile app with face or fingerprint ID. Apps are ideal for scanning barcodes, searching by voice, viewing a map of nearby branches and receiving push notifications.
Billtrust eCommerce has identified four important considerations when looking to enable mobile commerce for your customers.
1. Life is made easier when you get your mobile app and web-store from the same company.
The Billtrust eCommerce mobile app provides the same advanced capabilities as the desktop version on any iOS or Android device. One contract, one PIM, one content management system and one place to go for support saves you time and minimizes your staffing needs. With one source of truth on the backend and frontend you are better able to serve your customers, increase order frequency and drive revenue.
2. A native mobile app should optimize your customers’ ability to find information and buy products
Wholesale buyers using your mobile app expect the same level of experience they’re used to as consumers and any friction may cause them to buy elsewhere. For your customers to adopt your mobile app, it should provide the following:
- Optimization for repeat orders
- Push notifications (promotions, stock replenishment, etc.)
- Bar code scanning
- Quick buy (instantly order items bought together for projects)
- Product groups (instantly access commonly purchased items)
- Automatic Product Recommendations (instantly find frequently bought together or substitute products)
Billtrust eCommerce worked with our clients to build an advanced native mobile app to meet these specific demands of the wholesale distribution and manufacturing businesses.
3. A native mobile app should make your sales and marketing teams more efficient and should help you manage your customer relationships better
In addition to benefiting from the same efficiencies as your customers, a robust mobile app will provide remote sales management so that your sales team can assist your customers from anywhere. And your administrators will be able to configure promotions and boost particular results using the same platform as your web-store in order to support a transparent and high quality multichannel solution.
4. A branded, configurable mobile app should let your buyers choose when and where they place orders.
Product Information Management (PIM) and seamless ERP integration are critical to driving a mobile app experience that is scalable and easy to navigate. Your digital channel customers will be served as effectively as those using your traditional channels. There will be complete information flow between your ERP, your web-store and your app so your customer’s buying history is easy to find and leverage for re-ordering.
“The Billtrust eCommerce all-in-one B2B/B2C eCommerce platform, PIM, and mobile app solutions are built-to-spec, handle unlimited SKUs, integrate with your ERP, have an unmatched B2B/B2C feature set to help drive your business growth in the long‑term.”
Mark Kostovny, Group President, Billtrust
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