Executive visibility to digital transformation in ecommerce is growing. Across industries, commerce appears at the top of CEOs’ lists of priorities because it delivers immediate ROI. Throughout 2019, it’s a safe bet that we’ll see even more B2B organizations leverage commerce for business improvement. In fact, Salesforce research shows that 89 % of B2B decision makers attribute expected business growth to the success of digital commerce.

But what does that mean for your business? If digital commerce is the key to ongoing business improvement, what strategic steps do you need to take to ensure your organization makes the most of its commerce strategy in 2019?

Next steps: Develop a B2B commerce strategy

This year, B2B commerce conversations will rise to the top of the org chart. In the past, commerce decisions primarily involved departmental conversations (with stakeholders feeling like they were rolling boulders up a hill). Now, the C-suite is playing a larger role in decision making and exerting added influence over brands’ commerce agendas.

But while capturing the attention of the C-suite is a positive development, it’s not enough to ensure the success of your 2019 commerce strategy. By laying the right foundation, you can better align commerce investments with your organization’s desired business outcomes.

1. Evaluate your business

The first step in ramping up your organization’s commerce strategy involves taking a closer look at your business. Take a step back and ask several questions about how you currently go to market.

• How frequently do customers order products?

• How much does it cost for a sales rep or distributor to process an order?

• What is the total lifetime value of a customer?

Answer these kinds of questions and identifying the right metrics to evaluate performance as you build a business case for your commerce strategy. Just as importantly, your answers to these questions will be instrumental in helping a digital commerce partner identify a solution that performs well against industry benchmarks.

2. Align your organizational structure with your commerce structure

It’s important to make sure that your organizational structure has the right people and processes in place to quickly capture the opportunity commerce presents to your business. For example, the marketing function will likely need to craft new messaging to attract target audiences to your commerce offerings. Likewise, sales and marketing will need to communicate more closely to move prospects through the sales funnel.

By fostering better communication between sales and marketing, each department gains a clearer view of the other’s work, enabling them to achieve shared, organizational goals. The bottom line: Success will largely hinge on your ability to dovetail your organization with the insights gleaned from the analysis of your business structure.

3. Identify a trusted commerce partner

B2B commerce can deliver significant benefits to your organization this year. But given the complexity associated with B2B buying cycles and the evolving nature of technology, it’s critical to identify a partner with the experience and expertise to make commerce goals a reality. Ideally, look for a cloud commerce provider that offers seamless integration with your current CRM and other legacy applications. In many cases, a trusted partner can generate added value by offering insights and best practices captured from other organizations or industries — an important advantage in highly competitive industries.

A surprising number of industries are primed for commerce transformation this year. In the consumer goods industry, major players like GM, Pepsi, and Coke will transform how they market to customers. As Amazon expands its reach, even industries like chemical manufacturing are re-evaluating the way they connect with distributors and customers.

But regardless of your industry, know that the success of a commerce strategy requires the support of a senior executive who is committed to evolving the business. By laying proper groundwork, you can take advantage of increased C-suite visibility and reap maximum benefits from commerce this year.

Learn more about Salesforce Commerce Cloud solutions.