Since the dawn of the internet, most businesses have considered their website important for success!

And, though its value varies depending on your product, service, industry or customer base, the importance of having a good website generally increases each year.

The majority of websites we visit are designed to target individuals and consumers. However, if your company works business-to–business (B2B), your website needs to target quite a different audience. And, turning business browsers into customers is usually the aim.

So, as B2B website experts, we’re going to look at some ways to optimise your B2B website to more reliably convert visitors into enquiries…

What does a successful B2B website look like?

If you sell to businesses, your website has to persuade a cautious, analytical and (relatively) pragmatic audience. B2B buyers will often compare multiple suppliers, involve colleagues in decisions and require plenty of reassurance.

The most common reason why a B2B website underperforms is that it is built like a glossy brochure, instead of a way to convert interest into action. Rather than just looking good, successful B2B websites need more technical depth and must confidently prove your company’s capabilities and experience.

Business visitors expect B2B websites to:

• Provide instant clarity – what you do, who you help and why you’re good
• Deliver greater depth where needed – with service details, technical specs, sector specialisms etc
• Establish proof – with case studies, testimonials, certifications and standards
• Make contact easy – with multiple ways to enquire, not just ‘Contact us’

In B2B, your website typically has to serve two types of visitors; the user who finds you and the approver who needs to be reassured later. To do so, you can align pages to their needs, make sure the next steps they need to take are obvious and remove risk with credible evidence of what you deliver.

So, let’s take a look at some practical ways to achieve this:

Homepage

Your homepage is likely to be the most visited page of your website, often with more than 50% of users entering by it.

It needs to communicate a lot of information quickly and reassure visitors they are in the right place:

• Open with an explanation of what you do or the problem you solve
• Think about why businesses should choose you and make these reasons clear and abundant
• If you serve more than one industry or customer-type, include links to each sector
• Feature some social proof of what you deliver, such as client logos, accreditation badges or key stats
• Include two or more Call-to-Actions (CTAs), making it obvious how visitors can contact you

Navigation

Being easy to understand and explore is critical for a B2B website – and nowhere is more important than the navigation and page structure.

Not knowing where to go next is a common complaint of many B2B websites!

Some simple tips are:

• Keep the top-level navigation bar to around 4–7 items, such as ‘About, Services, Sectors, Case Studies, News, Contact’
• Use descriptive (generic) labels for navigation links (e.g. avoid ambiguous terms like ‘Solutions’!)
• Include sector or specialism pages which demonstrate the expertise you can deliver for a specific type of customer
• Add a mega-menu (drop-down menu) with a clear page structure and short explanations (if viable)

Service and product pages

Your website’s individual product or service pages are where the selling begins!

Whilst the content will depend on what you deliver, there are some rules of thumb which can help:

• Make the title clear and obvious – using the words or terms which users would best understand
• Include an outcome-led introduction – with 2–3 sentences advising what you deliver and who/how it helps (potentially including sector links)
• Detail what the customer will get – such as with a table of deliverables
• Make it clear how your product or service works – breaking delivery down into 3–5 steps or a process diagram
• Include proof of what you deliver – such as examples or case studies, preferably with metrics
• Consider including a list of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) – but make sure they only highlight positives!
• Include two or more CTAs – including something like ‘Download datasheet’ as not every visitor is ready to make contact! 

Landing pages

Landing pages are primarily used for email and PPC campaigns, and sometimes SEO. They are the page which you will direct clicks to.

Some attributes which can lead to success, are:

• Title or headline should mirror the keyword or search query used
• Consider removing the top nav, keeping a phone number or contact email visible instead
• If your product or service is technical, provide engineers and specifiers with the details they need
• If your products vary, make them browsable with filters (e.g. model, material, sector)
• Think before applying a gate (i.e. requirement to input email address) to download datasheets etc. Don’t hide your best content from visitors and search engines!
• Make sure anything downloadable is in a consistent format (e.g. PDF)
• Offer three conversion paths (e.g. Quick Enquiry, Request a Quote, Book a Consultation). There is evidence that having three options encourages more engagement!
• To provide reassurance and evidence, insert a case study strip or testimonial near the contact form
• Within the contact form, only ask the questions you really need to know. Long forms put off enquiries and you can always ask later!
• Provide instant reassurance once a form is submitted (e.g. what happens next, timeline, named contact etc)

Developing trust

Trust is at the heart of B2B marketing – businesses only buy from suppliers they trust!

Your website can provide reassurance and reduce perceived risk, by including:

• Case studies with outcomes (e.g. the benefits the client has experienced), not just features
• Named experts with bios and headshots which help potential clients see the trustworthy people they will work with
• Standards and accreditations (e.g. ISO, trade memberships) which demonstrate your professionalism
• Security and compliance pages if you handle data or safety-critical work

Measuring success

So, how do you know if your B2B website and the changes you’ve made are successful?

The obvious outcomes to track are the number of visitors, enquiries or customers it generates. However, these are actually results, rather than KPIs – Key Performance Indicators which provide the steps to success.

Therefore, you should also track micro-conversions such as page views, PDF views, time spent on your website and clicks on your contact buttons/forms – which all lead to enquiries or sales.

Common B2B website pitfalls to avoid

Finally, here’s some quick-fire mistakes to avoid:

• Navigation labels which only your team understands!
• Gated (email) access to information
• Forms with too many fields to complete
• Stock photos instead of images of real people and projects

Remember, a successful sales or marketing funnel should focus on nurturing leads, not just generating them. If you design your website with your buyer’s journey in mind, you’ll experience shorter sales cycles, higher conversion rates and happier customers!

Get the right support to improve your B2B website

If your website needs to generate more high-quality B2B enquiries, we can help

At Full Mix Marketing, we’re a full service B2B marketing agency, specialising in delivering the full mix of strategic, digital and creative marketing for companies and organisations who provide products or services business-to-business (B2B).

We deliver marketing which helps our clients – in sectors including manufacturing, engineering, technology, logistics, construction and business services – to create enquiries by building trust.

If you’d welcome support to improve your B2B website, we’d like to help. More information can be found here