Impressions - February 2016 - 33

4.

5.

6.

Have a unique value proposition.
This can be anything from unique
products or artwork, to free
shipping - anything that makes
your business stand out from
the competition.
Drive traffic to your site organically.
Pay-per-click is great, but expensive.
Drive traffic organically by promoting
your site on everything you send out,
including flyers, business cards and
brochures. Offer incentives for clients
who refer friends.
Have a digital marketing strategy.
Build an email list and send periodic
promotional emails. Create a social
media plan to consistently market to
clients and prospects.

B2B Also Booming

IT MAY SURPRISE YOU that the B2B market

is much bigger than B2C. In fact, it is more
than double the size of the B2C market, at
$780 billion, according to Forrester Research.
Examples of this market include restaurants,
real estate agents, sports clubs and schools.
Most people are surprised by how much
work they already do in the B2B market, so
they don't consider how big it really is. But
B2B is not only more than double the size of
B2C, it is outpacing B2C in year-over-year
growth at 19% per year, according to Deloitte.
Need further proof? Figure 1 compares orders
via Business Hub (primarily B2B) to online
orders (a 50/50 mix of B2B and B2C).
Accessing the B2B market isn't difficult.
You probably already work with other
businesses, coaches, team moms, etc. Grow
this list of clients by giving them incentives
to purchase more frequently from you. For
example, use some of those extra shirts you
have lying around as a giveaway to show them
Figure 1

B2C vs. B2B: Pros and Cons
B2C Pros:
* Ideal for
custom work
* Ideal for
small runs

B2C Cons:
* High labor costs
* Inconsistent orders
* Expensive branding

* Higher margins
due to higher perceived
value

B2B Pros:
* Typically larger
orders
* Research proves it is
a much bigger market
opportunity

B2B Cons:
* Mistakes can be costly
* Working capital required
for pre-purchasing
garments

* Much lower management cost

a new printing technique or ink you recently
purchased. Your cost is minimal but it can
spark an interest in placing a new order. Also,
build a better buying experience by creating
custom affiliate stores or campaign stores.
Even though the statistics may indicate
otherwise, don't focus strictly on the B2B
market. Instead, focus on both with the
understanding that B2B presents the most
opportunity and has the best ROI. Grow
your business in this market by focusing on
local restaurants, salons, gyms, schools and

especially sports - specifically youth sports.
As a parent who has bought too many shirts
and other accessories to support my kids'
athletics, I know firsthand how successful
that niche can be. 
Marco Pena is business development manager for
DecoNetwork. He has more than 17 years of industry
experience, ranging from graphic and embroidery
design to software development and e-commerce.
For more information or to comment on this article,
email Marco at mpena@deconetwork.com.

Business Huborders
(B2B) are far outpacing
online orders (mix
of B2B and B2C).

February 2016

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