Supplier Web‐page design and organizational buyer preferences

Abstract

Gauges the accessibility of vendors to organizational customers and compares sellers’ approaches to online communication with the preferences expressed by buyers. A survey of organizational buying‐center members revealed that responding organizations relied at least partially on Web‐based research for a mean of 40 percent of purchases involving supplier/vendor search. Distinct segments are observed that differ in their desire for suppliers’ Web sites to provide information about purchase facilitators (e.g. online ordering, prices, product and services information), quality/performance assessment (e.g. financial statements, company profiles, certification information), and non‐purchase information (e.g. community activities, job opportunities, company news). An analysis of vendor Web sites demonstrates a need for more systematic inclusion of prices, online ordering, literature requests, answers to frequently asked questions, certification information and financial statements.

Citation

Lord, K.R. and Ford Collins, A. (2002), "Supplier Web‐page design and organizational buyer preferences", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 17 No. 2/3, pp. 139-150. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858620210419772