Online Marketplaces – How Do They Benefit Your Business?
Online marketplaces have become the new rage in business circles. One of the chief reasons they are enjoying this increasing popularity is that the recession hit economy has forced businesses to seek more cost effective avenues for doing business. When it comes to finding a compatible business partner, be it a buyer or seller, there is no better place than an e-marketplace to find a good deal!
One of the most interesting features of an online marketplace are online auctions and e-bidding.Online bidding involves consumers,
business or government agencies posting specific projects and requesting bids. Service providers can then submit bids to do those projects. In addition, service providers can usually showcase their business and products or services. The potential advantages of this type of online bidding are enormous.
Here are some ways your business can benefit from joining online marketplaces:
More Buyers for Products
B2B Marketplaces have a lot of businesses listed that are in search of potential service providers and buyers. This concentration of buyers increases your chances of finding potential business partners and making sales. Unlike creating a website for your business and waiting for traffic to flow in from the web, a B2B marketplace ensures a targeted traffic of businesses who are seriously looking to hire potential suppliers and service providers and who are not just window shopping. Apart from your steady stream of clients and customers, a B2B marketplace will get you an additional source of potential customers.
Testing the Market Response
If you are not 100% confident about your next product launch or if you want to test the waters and gauge customers’ response towards your next product launch, a B2B marketplace provides an excellent platform to test it. Instead of formally rolling out your product to the whole world, test itfirst in front of a select audience. For example, you can test the pricing of a new product and see the prices that potential customers bid for it at an online auction. This will help you determine an average selling price of your new product, so that you can then set the actual price for the same.
Better Selling Prospects
By registering your businesses in a couple of e-marketplaces, you will be accessible to a greater number of audiences. This will give you more prospective customers and increase your potential revenues.
Advertise on B2B Marketplaces
In addition to being a powerful marketing agent, B2B websites also offer businesses a chance to advertise their products and services. Many B2B marketplaces have space for banner ads along with other exclusive space where businesses can choose to showcase their products and service and gain maximum exposure.
Reduce Business Costs
Advertising and marketing require a huge budget. B2B marketplaces help to lighten this load. In fact, come businesses have even gone to making B2B marketing their primary marketing channel. Because all the campaigning, proceedings and transactions are carried out online, the overhead costs are tremendously reduced. And because the whole process becomes speedier, there is increased value for money.
Online marketplaces provide a great deal of benefits for your business. All you need to do is to tap into some niche B2B marketplaces and establish a business presence there.
Disclaimer : Sabra Easterday is the owner and founder of MatchB2B (matchb2b.net). Sabra is also a lawyer with a special interest in business issues and e-marketplaces. Notwithstanding that Sabra Easterday is a lawyer, nothing in this article and no services of MatchB2B or its website are legal services and no attorney-client relationship exists between any reader of this article or user, customer or potential customer of MatchB2B, and MatchB2B, its website or Sabra Easterday.
