Tech Data Launches SMB Website

Tech Data (TECD) is advancing its small and midsized business (SMB) offerings with a new website built specifically for its SMB solution providers. The site, called TDSMB, was designed to give users easy access to the distributor’s product portfolio and make the ordering process easier, even when browsing on a mobile device.

By streamlining the ordering process for its resellers, Tech Data is hoping to give its small-business partners an easy way to grow their businesses with the distributor and access its marketing and sales resources. The site was designed to address several needs, including ease of use for mobile users and the option to customize the site to resellers' specific business needs, according to Phil Filippelli, vice president of E-Business at Tech Data.

“From a pure website standpoint, the website is much easier to use, it's much more customizable to the customer, and so when they’re looking for specific custom-tailored content and they can get rid of the things they’re not interested in,” said Filippelli in an interview with The VAR Guy. “We’ve re-engineered just about every single page that’s associated with what they’re trying to do.”

The new TDSMB site’s “plug” design allows users to add or remove certain widgets at will, effectively redesigning the homepage to their needs. Filippelli said the layout was inspired by both Tech Data’s accessTD portal and Microsoft's (MSFT) Windows 8 tile system, with each segment of the site designated to specific locations on the homepage. Users can even adjust the color scheme from light to dark to help make the site easier to read.

As another way of making the site easier to use, Tech Data made a conscious effort to design the site similar to other popular commerce websites such as Amazon.com to eliminate user confusion and make it easier to find and order products on the fly. Users can even view their order status and track their orders through processing and shipment for increased transparency into the transaction.

“We have a clear understanding of what our SMB customers want and need out of a distribution partner to grow their business,” said Greg Banning, vice president, TDSMB at Tech Data. “At the end of the day what they are looking for in a distribution partner is one that makes it easy to do business with them.”

And for reseller partners looking for more support, Tech Data has added live chat functionality to the site as well as more clearly defined sales divisions to help resellers get the service they need tailored for their business models.

“A lot of times in the whole marketplace everyone wants that whole Amazon-like experience, but Amazon doesn’t have to deal with special pricing, promotions, credit memos, export documents—all types of things that are just part of the whole B2B relationship,” said Filippelli. “But on the other side you want an easy-to-use web interface. And so that’s why we look at this as saying we’re B2B-inspired but we’re also about making the process of doing business with Tech Data … as seamless as possible.”

Resellers can also take advantage of TDLoyalty, a points-based loyalty program that awards SMBs for their business with Tech Data. SMBs are grouped into three levels—Advantage, Choice and Preferred—based on their total annual web sales, with each level yielding additional services and incentives. Resellers can use their points to purchase eligible products through the TDSMB website or purchase items from a catalog, which includes point redemption for marketing services through TDAgency.

Tech Data is inviting its SMB solution providers to begin using the site beginning today and continuing through July 14. Additional plugs and features will be added to the site once the community has had time to offer feedback.