Searching for information and making purchase decisions in b2b online stores. The case of the technical articles wholesale

Abstract

Abstract-This paper aims to extend current research in the area of on-line business-to-business clients preferences. A quantitative research in a form of transaction log analysis (TLA) performed by the authors allow to conclude that search log and shop basket logs are sources of viable information about business customers. Transaction log analysis allows to identify different customer groups, such as searchers and buyers. It also allows for better customization of cloud of tags, so that the results are better tailored to customers' preferences. It turns out that a large list of products (result of search process) is not a deterrent to purchasing on-line. However, in order to facilitate the purchasing process b2b platform should offer additional filtering mechanisms.The main results of the research could be used by managers of professional e-commerce b2b platforms to better understand customers' needs and develop strategies to build long lasting partnerships.Research limitations. The authors examined single b2b platform that may limit the findings generalizability, so the future research of other b2b platforms should be explored to validate the results.Our future research should be performed to obtain the interplay between quantitative and qualitative methods of b2b clients' analysis and online shopping. It will allow for better understanding of customers' engagement and clients' unique organizational culture that may have an impact on purchasing decisions and building long time relationship.