What are the top ways technology companies can help improve the purchasing process for small to medium-sized businesses? The SMB Group delved into this topic in their recent report titled “2015 SMB Routes-to-Market Study”.
The report is based on a survey of more than 750 small-to-medium-sized companies spanning various industries. Small companies were defined as businesses with 99 or less employees while medium companies were those with more than 100 but less than 1,000 on staff. This distinction is important because the findings varied across company size. What follows are the most significant findings.
Small Businesses felt these things were the most important:
- Providing a consistent experience across all channels (53 percent)
- Clearly articulating how the solution helps improve specific business goals (52 percent)
- Providing real-time online chat/phone support (47 percent)
- Enabling purchasing online without having to talk to sales (43 percent)
Medium Businesses thought tech companies could help best by:
- Clearly articulating how the solution helps improve specific business goals (59 percent)
- Providing a consistent experience across all channels (58 percent)
- Enabling the business to connect with reference customers who have similar needs (45 percent)
- Providing a consistent experience across all channels (43 percent)
Reference:
MarketingCharts staff. “How SMBs Feel Tech Vendors Can Improve the Buying Experience”. Marketingcharts.com. 8/10/2015.
