TECH Help By John Maiuri
How to support your trade customers through technology A
s we near the midpoint of 2022, the trade community continues to grapple with the same challenges they were facing in 2021, such as supply chain delays, inflation and labor shortages. At the same time, new construction and the home improvement space continues to boom, so demand is higher than ever for builders, general contractors, and sub-contractors. With this storm of disruption and demand, tradespeople need a community of trusted suppliers now more than ever for securing all the products they need to complete projects on schedule. To help the trade community better navigate this disruption and have a strong 2022, lumber and building material businesses need to make sure they are prioritizing the right tech investments and meeting this audience on their preferred platforms.
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E-commerce
The pandemic accelerated the adoption of all things digital, and that includes e-commerce. Customers now expect businesses of all sizes to have a professional web presence. As a result of these changing expectations, online shopping for delivery or in-store pickup options are emerging as the gold standard across lumber and building materials businesses. In addition, having an online site lets potential customers research and purchase items at their convenience. For industries such as lumber and building materials where contractors must work around unpredictable schedules, online selling options provide a convenient experience that they can rely on. For LBM dealers that are serious about their customers and investing in tools to improve the overall experience, having
n Building Products Digest n June 2022
the right technology is critical for building loyalty and attracting new shoppers. There is already evidence of permanent change happening in this space due to the pandemic. According to ECI’s 2021 State of SMB Digital Transformation Report, 43% of SMBs in the LBM space implemented or expanded their e-commerce offering in 2020. As more consumers continue to expect seamless shopping experiences, it will become essential for LBM professionals to remain connected to their customers through e-commerce tools or risk losing market share.
Cloud Investment
With the digital shift, the last two years have also expedited the need for LBM businesses to adopt cloud technology, such as cloud-based business management software, to maintain busiBuilding-Products.com
