In our previous blog “COVID-19: A Window of Opportunities for the Machine Manufacturing Industry” we talked about how digital processes and digital marketing has changed the landscape of the manufacturing industry. In this blog, we will be discussing how E-commerce for manufacturing companies and auction platforms have opened new paths of success and profits for industrialists particularly due to the sudden outbreak of the Pandemic. 

Introduction

Did you know, COVID-19, apart from being a highly contagious and life-sucking disease for the world, has also played a crucial part in pushing industries to the next level?

You might be thinking that why I am putting forth the positive aspect of COVID-19. Your answer lies in last year’s experiences of machine manufacturers who got a step closer to digital transformation and manufacturing E-commerce while making the ends meet.

You cannot disagree that most machine manufacturers found it nerve-wracking to keep their firms up and running during the pandemic, primarily, due to the resistance showed towards digital transformation.

“Every problem has a solution. Some just take longer to figure out.” – Anonymous.

After working with several manufacturers during this time, we understood that the manufacturers also had to face a lot of challenges to reach a threshold where they could easily sell and deliver their machines online.

So let’s start by discussing a few challenges that our clients faced before coming to us.

Challenges On the Way for B2B E-commerce Companies

Now let’s talk about the manufacturing E-commerce challenges most manufacturers faced while switching to e-commerce.

After working with multiple machine manufacturers, we discovered that the biggest challenge they faced was from the customers’ side. 

B2B customers were reluctant towards e-stores as they found the traditional way of purchasing much more convenient and reliable. 

For example, when you purchase a product as small as a glass water bottle, you are very much conscious of whether the quality is good, or the size will be the same as shown in the image. 

These are genuine questions that come to your mind and for the same reason, you trust the reviews available at the end of the page. If the reviews are considerably good, you end up purchasing the product. 

Similarly, purchasing machinery online is no joke. It comes with hundreds of technicalities to consider. Hence, the customers are still fixated on buying machines face-to-face, after visiting factories. 

Of course…

Witnessing machinery physically and comprehending its working leaves a better impact on the customers’ minds. 

So the question that arises here is how can you lure customers towards your e-store?

Our take on this was that instead of finding a solution towards selling machines traditionally, why not optimize your e-store with dynamic features and detailed content that compensate for a salesman and enchants the customers to buy it further? 

Think about it! 

If you are a customer of your own website, would you want something more dynamic? What are the features that you would want?

Build Your Own e-Store Today

Actual Results Are More Impactful

As a b2b E-commerce development agency we worked with two clients whose requirements were:-

1. They wanted an e-store incorporating dynamic features for personalized effect wherein the customer was facing issues with getting leads and converting potential audience into consumers.
2. They wanted to sell old and new machinery online without the need for a salesman.

While digging deep into their e-store requirements, we were able to offer them impactful results that not only got them good leads but also brought them better sales than an offline salesman would.

Let’s dive deeper into implementation…

How We Helped the Client to Make his E-Store Impactful?

To comprehend the problem, we wanted to dig deeper and analyze why is it that even after having enough viewership, the e-store wasn’t able to lure customers?

Here’s what we found:-

1. The e-store wasn’t up-to-date. It was lacking robust features and customization-friendly options.
2. The user interface wasn’t user-friendly and navigation-friendly, resulting in a low conversion rate.

Our Actions as  B2B Ecommerce Development Agency

To resolve the problem, 

• We offered a personalized pricing option including a secure payment option, EMI converter, and seamless checkout process. The customer could easily customize his/her purchase to suit his needs. 
• We developed a digital catalog for customers to seamlessly browse through.
• Our developers made a special secure payment gateway for customers and sellers to pay and receive payments. 
• One of the most important features of an e-store is to offer a 3D view of the machinery. We incorporated a 3D view for every image enabling customers to get a 360-degree view of a machine before making a purchase. This gave them an option to zoom in and check the smaller elements and details of the machine. 
• To reduce the customer care support, we added an additional tracking feature. It enabled customers to track the shipment seamlessly.

This allowed the viewers to look around the website, select the machinery, and get a customized pricing list as per the selection. The detailed information offered on the sites eliminated the need for a salesperson. The overall website transformation increased the conversion rate. 

As you can see in the graphs above, after website optimization the client’s website saw a massive traffic change. The users increased by 51%, page views increased by 55% and further the session time increased by 45%. 

What really matters is the benefit that the client relished. They were as follows:-

• Prior resource planning 
• Reduce labor cost 
• Rapid problem-solving process
• Enhanced customer-seller relationship online

Now, let’s talk about our second E-commerce for manufacturing companies clients who wished to sell machinery on an auction platform and open a gateway for other sellers to bid and sell their machinery online. 

A Well-executed Online Auction System Design

One of our clients had been selling his second-hand machinery parts and new machines on third-party auction platforms, wherein, he had to pay additional commission for selling this machinery. According to the client, he wanted an online bidding platform that sells second-hand machinery,  its parts, new machines, and much more.

Our Actions for Auction Website Development

We developed a dynamic online auction system design that offered:-

• Navigation tabs
• Real-time bidding
• Shipment tracking
• Bidding scheduling for the seller
• Multiple call-to-action buttons
• A detailed description of the machines and Seller alike
• Easy and secure payment gateway
• Option for EMI along with EMI calculator

We developed a website from scratch that not only served a spectrum of vendors and sellers but also provided dynamic options that enriched their user experience. The challenges faced were worth overcoming as innumerable vendors and buyers are relishing the services of the bidding platform. In addition, the client has been receiving commissions from other sellers.  

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Conclusion

Global machine manufacturers have managed to enhance their ROI by 40% with website enhancement, launching dynamic e-stores and bidding platforms. Advanced features and robust websites have helped manufacturers sell and purchase machinery as they would offline, only without the need of a salesman.