Distributors should find out what customers require to continue doing business with them and adjust their e-commerce capability to meet those needs, say Jonathan Bein and Dean Mueller in 2015 State of E-Commerce in Distribution, Part 2: Integrate or Stagnate.

Research by Real Results Marketing indicates that distributors are not only losing transactions by having a subpar e-commerce site, they are also losing customers to competitors. Launching an e-commerce capability is not enough; distributors need to make sure that it is useful and user-friendly.

To retain customers, a distributor must know their online ordering and purchasing preferences. "If they require good mobile ordering, you need to deliver that or you could easily lose 1 percent to 4 percent of your customers per year for the next several years," say Bein and Mueller.

Read more about considering customer needs when developing an e-commerce and integrated marketing strategy in 2015 State of E-Commerce in Distribution, Part 2: Integrate or Stagnate.