Both B2B and B2C merchants are stepping up their site search in an effort to convert browsers coming to their websites into buyers. But B2C merchants are offering different site search functions than their B2B counterparts, according to the results of the MCM Outlook 2013 survey on ecommerce.
While more B2C merchants are focused on the ability to refine results and thumbnail images being offered with the results, more B2B merchants are offering customers guided navigation.
Overall, 61.3% of respondents said they offer site searchers the ability to refine results. That includes 63.8% of B2C respondents and 59.1% of B2Bs. Also, 51.3% of all respondents said they offer thumbnail images with results. That includes 56.5% of B2B respondents and 43.2% of B2Bs.
Guided navigation is being used by 43.9% of respondents. However, more than half (51.5%) of B2B respondents said they use guided navigation, compared to 37.9% of B2B respondents.
The MCM Outlook 2013 report on ecommerce is based on the online MCM Outlook 2013 survey, which was fielded by Multichannel Merchant from Mar. 5 2013 through Mar. 18, 2013, and drew 1,110 respondents. Of those respondents, 455 described their customer base at business-to-business.
Click here to download the complimentary MCM Outlook 2013 report on ecommerce.