There is a shift underway in the B2B buying cycle as consumers are increasingly digital. How will you adapt to meet these new demands? Visit our blog to learn how to connect with new digital customers!

There is a shift underway in the B2B buying cycle as consumers are increasingly digital. Here are some powerful stats to consider:

• 89% of B2B purchasers use the internet to research their buying decisions.
• B2B research is self-directed as 57% of the buying journey is complete before a prospect reaches out to a potential vendor.
• 72% of B2B influencers are younger than 45 years old.
  • 48% are 18-34 years old.
  • 24% are 35-44 years old.
• Traffic to B2B websites is up 2X over the last 2 years.
• 90% of B2B purchasers use search specifically to do research for business purchases.
• 70% of B2B purchasers use online video specifically to do research for business purchases.
• 42% of B2B purchasers use mobile devices specifically to do research for business purchases.
• 60% of B2B customers consider only 1 or 2 brands.

Source: Google/Millward Brown Digital, B2B Path to Purchase Study 2014

This new reality indicates that customers are connecting with us differently, using search to conduct their pre-purchase research and arriving at your website with a specific set of expectations.

For industrial B2B companies, your company website should support the buying journey and act as a digital sales accelerator. Keep in mind that customers are heavily influenced by highly visible B2C sites like Amazon, Target and Walmart so they expect a similar experience when arriving at an industrial B2B website.

Although the stats tell us we’re serving a new and different audience, it’s an exciting opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to build a holistic digital strategy which includes paid search and search engine optimization and supports your business goals.

I’ve helped several industrial clients implement digital strategies resulting in return-on-investments of 60 days to 1 year. As a result, I’ve become a trusted advisor on how and where sales and marketing budgets should be directed.

Now that the digital consumer is here, what is your answer? Don’t get left behind!