What Swiss companies look for most on B2B online platforms

The world of offers on B2B online platforms such as "Wer liefert was" (Who supplies what) provides an enormous range of results for every type of demand. In 2017, there were again some particularly curious search queries. The most bizarre search terms include, for example, "adventure golf courses", "bunker system" or "camel hump". As the most-visited Internet platform for purchasing on the part of companies, according to its own information, "Wer liefert was" offers access to millions of products and services. The new product category tree, which was completely redesigned in 2017 on www.wlw.ch currently features 12,267 product categories, making the more than 8 million products quick and intuitive to find.

Private online shopping as a model for online commerce in the business sector

In 2017, the digital transformation has increased the need for online availability of the most accurate information possible on products and services when shopping on the part of companies. This is because professional buyers have the same expectations in business as they do in private online shopping. Sales on the part of companies must therefore present their own products and services on the Internet in a similarly detailed manner as is already the case today in end customer business in the high-price segment. For example, before buying cars, luxury goods and consumer electronics, private Internet users today receive such a realistic impression thanks to images, videos or 3D animations that a personal consultation or physical contact with the product before purchase is almost superfluous.

Thanks to B2B online platforms, trade between companies is becoming increasingly easier

In order to simplify online trading for companies, "Wer liefert was" has added several user solutions to the online marketplace in the current year. The "Product Data Feed", for example, imports extensive, detailed product data into the "Wer liefert was" system on a daily basis, and will also be imported into other systems in the future. Or the "Top Current Visitors" overview shows a supplier the companies that have visited his company profile on a daily basis. This allows companies listed on wlw to get in touch with potential business partners who have shown interest in products or services.

 Growth and internationalization to be driven forward in 2018

With a view to the international platform economy, in which Facebook, Google & Co. are attracting ever greater shares of value creation and becoming relevant in more and more markets, "Wer liefert was" wants to continue to drive growth and internationalization in the coming year following the acquisition of the European B2B platform EUROPAGES in 2017. Part of the strategy is the significant expansion of marketplace activities. The product traffic on "Wer liefert was" is expected to double in the next twelve months. The technical side of the offering is also to be developed further. The company should continue to grow profitably and increase the number of employees from 230 at present to around 300 by the end of 2018.¹.

The most searched categories in 2017 were:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Forwarding agencies
• Metal construction
• Plastic injection molded parts
• Special mechanical engineering

The most searched products in 2017 were:

• Aluminum profiles
• Waste tire disposal
• Euro pallets
• Used shoes
• Wood cable drums
• Excavated earth
• Wood chips
• Firewood
• Veal kebab
• Ready-mix concrete

The most curious searches in 2017 were:

• Adventure Golf Courses
• Bunker system
• Elevator buckets
• Earth Rocket
• Camel Hump
• Chinrest
• ichneumon wasps
• Super stripper
• Crime scene cleaning
• Gag nipple

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