Mobile B2B eCommerce Design: 3 Considerations as You Get Started
Manufacturers and distributors have unique challenges when it comes to mobile eCommerce development. A few years ago mobile support was a recommendation. It is no longer optional. For companies with MSDS sheets, quantity discounts, and detailed specifications, creating a site that is easy to navigate and converts well can be difficult. Here are three things to consider
Manufacturers and distributors have unique challenges when it comes to mobile eCommerce development. A few years ago mobile support was a recommendation. It is no longer optional. For companies with MSDS sheets, quantity discounts, and detailed specifications, creating a site that is easy to navigate and converts well can be difficult. Here are three things to consider as you get started.
Mobile B2B eCommerce Examples
It’s always good to start by finding some examples of responsive B2B eCommerce sites. One easy way to see how sites respond is to go to http://ami.responsivedesign.is/ and plug in the URL of your favorite B2B eCommerce sites. You can also drag your browser to a smaller width and see how it changes or adapts. If you see a scrollbar at the bottom of the page, it is not built as a responsive site. You can also go to sites on your phone and see what the experience is like. Some sites are not responsive but have a separate site for mobile devices that load when it detects the mobile device. You can see this by browsing sites from your phone. While many B2C sites have already made the transition to responsive design, B2B companies tend to be slower adopters – so finding great examples can be a challenge. A few of our favorites are Frigidaire and Kimball Midwest.
Wireframes are Your Friend
It’s important to start your design process with a wireframe. At a minimum, you will want to develop wireframes for the display of your site on desktop and for a mobile phone. Depending on your goals, you may want to have a wireframe for a tablet as well. To be the most effective, your wireframe needs to be developed with someone who has implemented responsive designs in the past. Ideally, someone who has implemented responsive designs for B2B eCommerce sites. A wireframe is an early step in our design process with customers.
User Testing Provides Quick Feedback
User testing is a great way to get fast, constructive feedback that you can implement to get more conversions from your mobile eCommerce design. We use UserTesting.com to solicit targeted feedback quickly and provide video and audio recordings of the user tests to our customers. You can have users test from their desktops and from specific mobile devices. This mobile testing is key – as it is testing with a real device with people who weren’t a part of the development. Independent testing can provide great insights that you missed because of your closeness to the project.
Talk with Us
What are your favorite mobile B2B eCommerce sites? We would love to know. Tweet us @brillweb.
Are you looking for guidance in planning your mobile B2B eCommerce solution? Contact Brilliance today for a free consultation.
The lessons that guide Brilliance Business Solutions’ success began on a launching pad, when company founder Lori McDonald served as part of the team that put NASA’s Space Shuttle missions into orbit. McDonald leads Brilliance Business Solutions with over 20 years of computer engineering and software development experience.
While performing the technical task of managing the Shuttle’s in-flight data recorders at Mission Control in Houston, Lori also gained an invaluable personal insight from the dedicated NASA professionals working around her. It’s only natural that when McDonald transitioned from space science to web development and from Houston Texas to Milwaukee Wisconsin, a focus on creativity and reliability continued as a common thread. “Everybody loves an impressive, exciting web site,” she said, “but unless it achieves its practical business goals it’s like a rocket that never gets off the ground.”
Lori graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer-Electrical Engineering. She is a Microsoft Certified Professional. Her status as a recognized industry expert has resulted in regular speaking engagements at business conferences. Lori has been working with ACTION Business Coaching since December 2007 as she believes that improving herself, her leadership and her focus are critical for the ongoing success of Brilliance Business Solutions.
When Lori is not at work, she enjoys her family. She is married to David and has two boys. She enjoys living out her faith through service at her church, Transformation City Church, and in her community. She has a passion for making a difference in the lives of those in need and has worked with Milwaukee foster care as well as work on over 10 mission trips focused on home repair projects throughout the United States. Lori believes that those who lead best serve others first and she hopes this servant-based leadership is evident to every client of Brilliance Business Solutions.
Likes:
The Muppets, singing harmony, musical theater, Star Trek, The West Wing
Lori graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer-Electrical Engineering and leads Brilliance Business Solutions with over 20 years of computer engineering and software development experience. She is an Episerver EMVP, a Microsoft Certified Professional and a regular contributor on Practical eCommerce. Her status as a recognized industry expert has resulted in regular speaking engagements at business conferences.
