The customer journey in the B2B sector is complex and multifaceted. Today, companies increasingly rely on digital touchpoints to attract and retain new business customers – which presents them with unique challenges. Multiple stakeholders, extensive product data, and lengthy decision-making processes make a seamless digital customer experience anything but straightforward. In this article, we highlight the five most common stumbling blocks and offer concrete tips on how to overcome them successfully.
1. Data Silos and Lack of Transparency Across Touchpoints
Many companies manage product data, customer information, and marketing content in separate systems – often without efficient interfaces. This leads to inconsistencies and makes it difficult to gain a holistic view of the customer journey.
How to solve it:
Use a central platform for your Product Information Management (PIM) that consolidates all data sources. A modern PIM system ensures consistent, up-to-date, and cross-channel product data – laying the foundation for a unified customer experience.
2. Unclear Responsibilities Between Marketing, Sales, and Service
B2B decisions involve several departments that often operate in isolation. Without clearly defined roles and coordinated processes, information gaps arise that confuse customers and delay purchasing decisions.
How to solve it:
Define clear responsibilities and implement collaborative workflows – ideally integrated directly into your PIM or CRM system. This allows teams to work more efficiently, manage approvals better, and ensure seamless processes.
3. Incomplete or Outdated Product Data
Product information is the foundation of a positive B2B customer experience. Incomplete, inconsistent, or outdated data leads to inquiries, delays in the sales process, and, in the worst case, lost orders.
How to solve it:
Establish binding data quality standards and use automation to monitor and maintain your data. Mandatory attributes, data validation, and regular data reviews help ensure high-quality, reliable product information.
4. Lack of Personalization Despite High Expectations
B2B customers increasingly expect personalized content and offerings – based on their role, industry, or previous interactions. A static product catalog no longer meets these demands.
How to solve it:
Leverage the capabilities of modern PIM and CRM systems to connect customer data with product information. This enables automated delivery of personalized product lists, recommendations, or customer-specific pricing.
5. Insufficient Tracking of KPIs and User Behavior
Without data-driven insights, the customer journey remains a black box. Companies don’t know which touchpoints need improvement or how changes affect sales success.
How to solve it:
Define relevant KPIs for each phase of the customer journey – from awareness to advocacy. Connect PIM analytics with CRM and marketing data and use real-time dashboards to visualize progress. This allows for precise actions and continuous optimization.
Conclusion: Every Step Matters – Optimize Your Customer Journey With the Right Data
The B2B customer journey may seem complex at first. But with well-structured product data, relevant content, and focused KPI tracking, it becomes manageable. If you analyze and optimize each phase step by step, you’ll not only achieve higher conversion rates but also create a consistently positive experience – from the initial search to long-term customer loyalty.
You want to systematically analyze and optimize the customer journey in your company?
Our free guide provides in-depth practical insights into each phase, helpful self-assessment checklists, and actionable tips for your data strategy, tools, and processes. Download the guide now and take the next step toward a successful and efficient B2B customer journey!
