B2B sites demand relationships over profits

A recent study has found that b2b sites are primarily used to enhance market share and business relationships rather than to generate profit from consumers. B2B models try to sell products and services, and provide information, yet 77 percent of b2b sites see offline contact as the best way for arranging sales.

Half of European websites are b2b, compared with a third in the US, and a quarter of Asia-Pacific sites. European sites are showing a strong tendency to target other online businesses rather than directly generating profit from consumers.

Another two out of every five online businesses use the Internet to coordinate geographically distant operations and business relationships. Real-time decision-making is easier, while organizational models are also radically altered due to the worldwide communication capacity of the Internet.

The majority of b2b sites also provide pre-sales support (62 percent), while only 44 percent accept orders over the Web. According to ActivMedia, online transactions are not the only way of measuring success on the Internet. The key for b2b sites is to build successful relationships.

Credits: ActivMedia