Survey Reveals Poor Service From B2B Websites
Business to business websites are failing to capitalise on a large number of potential customers for goods and services, according to new research by internet consultancy Proteus.
The online survey asked 385 people who used the internet for business purposes about their experience of the medium. The results showed that while 76% used the internet more for business and work purposes than for personal reasons, and that 95% used it every working day, many had experienced problems such as poor customer service, and only 29% used it to buy business items or services and only 23% compared online prices for business purchases.
Claire Kerr, marketing manager of Proteus, said, “With only 14% of those surveyed viewing the internet as a cost-saving device, the value of the internet is yet to be fully realised by businesses.” Niels Bryan-Low, Proteus’ managing director, added, “We were surprised by the number of businesses who are not using the internet to its full capacity. There are huge opportunities to save time and money, therefore increasing business efficiency.”
It is the efficiency, or lack thereof, of B2B websites which the survey highlights, however, and this could point to why business users are reluctant to buy online. While 99% of users said they used the internet for research or to source information, 72% had found there to be no contact details on a site. An even more worrying 91% had experienced a slow, poor or no response to an enquiry they had made via business website.
Even if the user battles through and makes a purchase online, B2B websites do not seem to be performing in a way to encourage a repeat order, as 34% of respondents to the survey had experienced problems with goods ordered via the internet, such as non-delivery, delivery of incorrect goods or incorrect invoicing.
Convenience also appeared as a factor in responses. 42% of respondents thought that the time-saving qualities of the internet were a “very important” aspect, and, perhaps as a result, 64% of users used the internet for less than an hour each time they logged on. However, 68% of respondents felt that they had to remember too many user names and passwords for different sites.
Finally, the survey asked which website was used most for business purposes. 22% of respondents named a search engine, with Yahoo! gaining 7% of the overall vote. However, FT.com won the most votes (9%), reflecting the fact that 79% used the internet to gain news, and further respondents for competitive intelligence.
Of the 385 people surveyed, 47% were women and 53% men. 67% were in their 20s, 20% in their 30s and 8% in their 40s.
Proteus: 020 7689 6666
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