New research reveals what influences B2B buying decisions and explains why the B2B buying process is getting longer.
Earlier this fall, Demand Gen Report released the results of the 2017 B2B Buyer’s Survey. The 2017 study was conducted with a survey of 283 C-level executives, VPs, and Directors from various B2B sectors. Every participant in this study was verified to have taken part in a B2B purchase decision in the 12 months before the survey.
The 2017 survey findings reveal that B2B buyers’ journeys are becoming longer and more complex. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said the length of their purchase cycle has increased compared to a year earlier, while only 10% said the length has decreased.
Other findings explain why the buying cycle has gotten longer.
- 52% of respondents said the number of buying group members has increased significantly.
- 77% agreed that they conduct a more detailed ROI analysis before making a purchase decision.
- 78% agreed that they “spend more time researching purchases.”
- 75% agreed that they “use more sources to research and evaluate purchases.”
The 2017 study also found that content continues to play a vital role in B2B buying decisions. When surveyed buyers were asked why they selected the winning vendor over others, 75% said the winning vendor’s content had a significant impact on their choice, and 89% said the winning vendor “provided content that made it easier to show ROI and/or build a business case for the purchase.”
The Demand Gen survey also asked participants to rate how important eleven factors became once they were at the point of evaluating a set list of possible vendors. The table below shows the percentage of respondents who rated each factor as very important.
Research regarding the attitudes and behaviors of business buyers can be extremely valuable to B2B marketing and sales professionals. However, it’s always important to examine the details of any research study and ask how applicable the findings are to your business.
For example, the respondents to the Demand Gen survey represented a variety of industries and a mix of company sizes. However, more than half (53%) of the purchase decisions those respondents participated in involved computer software, and another 16% involved IT hardware. So, this study is particularly relevant for companies that sell software solutions and other technology products, but some of the specific findings may be less relevant if your company sells other types of products or services.