Lori McDonald’s Post

The elephant in the room for many manufacturers and distributors: An ecommerce site that's more foe than friend. Sound familiar? Dealing with B2B design challenges is tough. Kayleigh Tick, Brilliance Business Solutions's Baymard-Certified UX Master, has collaborated with numerous B2B companies to enhance their website performance. In this video, she shares her expert tips for achieving better results. Here are the key design challenges B2B companies face: 1. Complex Order Processes Shipping products to multiple locations in one order is tricky. B2B sites need to handle these complex processes seamlessly. If your site struggles with this, it's a sign you need to improve. 2. Managing User Permissions B2B sites often have accounts with many users. Ensuring each user has the right permissions and can accomplish what they need is crucial. It keeps the workflow smooth and efficient. 3. Balancing Power Users and Novices B2B sites have power users who know what they want. But there are also novice users who need guidance. Ignoring novices can lead to frustration and lost business. 4. Providing Unique Features Offering unique features that matter to your customers is key. Doing this well can set you apart from the competition. It can drive growth and customer loyalty. 5. Supporting Navigation A complex site needs to be easy to navigate. Both power users and novices should find what they need quickly. Good navigation improves user satisfaction and retention. 6. Ensuring Competitiveness Staying competitive means constantly improving. Addressing these design challenges effectively will help you grow. It will keep you ahead in the B2B market. Don't let these challenges hold you back. Tackle them head-on to unlock your site's full potential. Request your free 2-minute video from Kayleigh with her tips for improving your site. See the link in the comments.

Equity in tech is a necessity, here's why: We all have shared interests in technology, AI, and the future of work. Creating equitable spaces and inclusive communities is vital. This was the focus at the Equity of Tech Summit, where Nadiyah Johnson invited us to all say together, "I am with my people." These words highlighted how, despite our differences, we unite as a community with shared values. Agustin Lopez shared his journey from a troubled youth to an FBI Special Agent. He also educated us on internet crime and how the FBI protects us. Heather Ehlers and Samantha S. discussed the intersection of intellectual property and AI. This has big implications for businesses protecting their creations and leveraging AI. Ruben Gaona, Thamiris Hastings, and DAVID SCURLOCK talked about supporting underrepresented groups in tech. David's company, In Your Face Learning, uses virtual reality for workforce training. Thama's work with Everyone On helps people get internet access and digital tools. Ruben's My Way Out helps justice-involved individuals gain tech skills for workforce re-entry. (Employers can also work with Ruben's team at The Way Out to hire justice-involved folks in their businesses.) The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is no longer available. Everyone On's work is now crucial to support underserved folks getting online. My Way Out's efforts impact individuals, families, and communities for generations. A hackathon challenged teams to solve community issues using AI. The winning team used Microsoft GitHub Copilot to build a React web application prototype. They wrote one line of code and then prompts of GitHub Copilot handled the rest. The #EquityInTech Summit from #WITechMonth was a powerful reminder of our shared goals and the importance of inclusive tech communities.

Many organizations struggle with digital commerce. Think digital is only for techies? Think again. It's a vital skill for any modern business. Leading a team? Navigating new markets? Embrace the unknown. Learn from every step. Dr. Amy Edmonson's "The Electric Maze" experiment teaches us this. Teams cross a rug with colored squares. Some squares beep, some stay silent. The goal: cross without a beep. Students hesitate, fearing the beep. But every step, beep or not, gives valuable info. In digital commerce, expect the unexpected. Treat every beep as a lesson. Here's what to remember: ☑ Reduce Exposure: Narrow the scope to ensure rapid learning with minimal risk. ☑ Every Step Counts: Each action, whether it succeeds or fails, provides insights. ☑ Encourage Experimentation: Create an environment where your team feels safe to try new things. ☑ Learn and Adapt: Use feedback to refine your approach. ☑ Move Forward: Don't let setbacks stop progress. Keep pushing. Digital commerce is a new terrain. Accept failures as part of the journey. Use them to learn and improve. Ready to lead your team through the maze? Or to innovate in new markets? Embrace the beeps. Empower your team. Move forward with confidence. ♻️ Repost this if you agree. Follow Lori McDonald to never miss a post.

Data integration issues can stall growth: Many manufacturers and distributors face this. Legacy ERPs often can't keep up. Slow integrations. Manual support. Frustration. These challenges can hold back: ↳ Digital site experience ↳ Online sales growth Without smooth data integration, growth is tough. How do you overcome this? → Start by improving your current ERP integration ← Here's how we help: 1. Assess Current Integration: → Identify pain points and bottlenecks 2. Enhance Data Flow: → Streamline data exchange between systems 3. Support Manual Processes: → Reduce manual tasks with automation 4. Plan for Future ERP: → Prepare for a seamless transition to a new system 5. Continuous Improvement: → Regularly review and optimize integrations Taking these steps can transform your digital experience. At Brilliance Business Solutions, we're here to guide you through every phase. Let’s improve your integration today. ♻️ Repost this if you agree. Follow Lori McDonald to never miss a post.

I am really excited to be attending the #EquityInTech Summit on Wednesday of this week (October 9th)! If you are in the Milwaukee area, the #EITSummit has great content and connections for people who are interested in tech, the future of work, and artificial intelligence - all with a focus on promoting equity and inclusion. There is a link to register in the comments.

I’ve come to love fantasy football. It’s more than a game. It’s strategy. Fantasy football and ecommerce strategy share three key ideas: - Team matters more than one star player. - Long-term strategy beats short-term wins. - Expert advice can elevate your game. First, in fantasy football, you need a well-rounded team, not just one great player. The same goes for e-commerce. You need a great team, not just one superstar. Know your team’s strengths and weaknesses to build a winning strategy. Second, fantasy football isn’t about one game. It’s about the whole season. You wouldn’t drop a great player after one bad game. In e-commerce, don’t scrap your site after a bad month. Focus on long-term growth. Test and measure constantly to improve. Third, having expert support is crucial. In fantasy football, I rely on Mikey Henninger 🏈🏆’s Basement Brewed Fantasy Football for advice. In e-commerce, our 26 years of experience at Brilliance can guide you. If you need fantasy football tips, check out Basement Brewed Fantasy Football. For digital commerce help, reach out to Brilliance Business Solutions. We’re here to support you. ♻️ Repost this if you see the parallels between fantasy football and ecommerce strategy. Follow Lori McDonald to never miss a post.

My life drastically changed as soon as I accepted this: Embracing the unknown can lead to extraordinary growth. This is best explained by my journey from NASA to Brilliance Business Solutions: I started my career at NASA as a flight controller for the Space Shuttle program. There, I met my husband, David McDonald, who was also a flight controller. David later joined Rockwell Automation, where he managed their largest data warehouse. In 1998, I decided to start my own business. With my engineering mindset and David's experience in data management, we were uniquely positioned to help businesses implement digital commerce, especially those with complex data needs. Here are 7 key lessons from our journey: 1. Use your unique skills ↳ Our engineering and data management backgrounds set us apart. ↳ Leverage what makes you unique to solve problems. 2. Adapt to new challenges ↳ Starting a business was a big leap from NASA. ↳ Embrace new opportunities and learn from them. 3. Team up with the right people ↳ David eventually joined Brilliance, boosting our capabilities. ↳ Collaborate with those who complement your skills. 4. Aim for continuous growth ↳ We won the Inc 5000 twice in our 26-year journey. ↳ Never stop striving for excellence. 5. Understand your clients ↳ We bought a food manufacturer to better understand our clients' challenges. ↳ Immerse yourself in your clients' world to provide better solutions. 6. Innovate with purpose ↳ We used our digital commerce expertise to help Norsland Lefse grow. ↳ Innovate to create real value for your clients. 7. Celebrate your successes ↳ We have award-winning clients and a fantastic team. ↳ Recognize and celebrate your achievements. Remember: Growth comes from embracing the unknown. Learn from your journey. Adapt to new challenges. And you will achieve extraordinary things. You’ve got this.

Projects often miss deadlines and go over budget. Here are four common reasons why. Scope Creep: It's natural to think of new ideas after the project starts. The key is to plan for this. When I was on the customer side, I knew it would happen, and it did. New ideas came up after Discovery. But my agency team pushed back when needed and asked if we could revisit them after going live. This pushback helped us go live in three months. Lack of Quality Product Data: Most organizations have poor product data. This affects faceted navigation and product discovery. Plan ahead to improve your data. Also, consider if you can go live with less-than-perfect data and improve it over time. Design Decisions: Rebranding during an ecommerce project slows it down. A simple design that matches your current brand is the fastest way to go live. You can make design changes later. Resourcing for Customer Support: Many customers focus on the agency's resourcing plan but neglect their internal team's needs. Your team will need to make decisions, clean up content and data, and test and review the work. Plan for this. What challenges do you see related to going live on-time and on-budget with your digital commerce initiative?

Many projects fail because of expectation setting. Many organizations believe they will see growth if they move to a new ecommerce software. If you move to a new ecommerce software you *can* see growth. But it isn't the software by itself that makes it happen... You will need to offer your customers a new experience that results in a behavior change for them (i.e., using the site more than before to lookup products or place orders) to see revenue and profit growth. You move to a new ecommerce platform not because the software will do that for you, but because it enables you to iterate to create value for your customers more quickly. When you tell yourself that a replatform is the right move, you may be right, but answer this: what will the new site offer that your current digital experience doesn't? In my experience, the more likely scenario is this: Day one after your replatform, you don't see much change in terms of revenue and profit. What drives value is what happens after day one. Your new platform allows your team to work together more efficiently to test and iterate on new ideas that will create value for customers. Your new platform allows you to run digital ads that convert well because data feeds are setup correctly and the experience is tailored to the customers visiting. Your new platform doesn't create obstacles that your old platform did that kept you from quickly delivering value. Your new platform makes it easier to add new features and capabilities that you couldn't before. So here is my advice. If you are putting together a business case for your executive team on how your new site will add value, ensure the plan doesn't promise value on day one after the replatform. Set expectations that the replatform is the start of your journey, not the end of it. And then focus your effort not on the replatform itself, but on getting through the replatform as quickly as you can, and moving on to iteration focused on your customers that add value. If you are on Optimizely Commerce, BigCommerce, and you aren't seeing the value you are hoping for, the team at Brilliance Business Solutions can help. DM me and ask how our success plans can help you to get more value from your current site.

What key metrics are you tracking to demonstrate the value of your digital commerce initiative? Recently I judged the B2B eCommerce Association awards, and one of the elements that made the award winners compelling was their ability to speak to metrics that demonstrated value. In the same way these metrics can be beneficial to win awards, these same metrics can be compelling to your internal stakeholders. One of the metrics that I believe is compelling for digital initiatives is Net Promoter Score to track customer satisfaction. Tracking the number of your total customers who are logging in and placing at least one order in the year is another great metric to track for B2B organizations. As Jared Hackbart points out, one of the great things about B2B ecommerce is that there is a lower cost to take an order and a lower cost to serve customers with these tools. Develop your numbers on the cost to take an order or to handle a customer service inquiry and document the cost difference with digital. What metrics does your organization leverage to measure and communicate value to your key stakeholders?