What Makes a Great B2B Website?

Capturing your audience with the right B2B website design is key for a great marketing strategy. It should both persuade and inform, giving users value for their time and demonstrating what they can expect in the future.

While many websites are simply about selling, the best B2B sites leave a lasting impression with outstanding design. Here are some key elements to keep in mind when designing your B2B website. 

1. Well Designed and Functional

Standout graphics, a well-proportioned design, and easy functionality should be the premiere features of your website. It should be relatively easy to navigate, without too many distracting elements.

Also, be sure to keep things professional. Your website design should reflect your B2B company’s professionalism and expertise in the field. Having a brand guide and incorporating these elements throughout the design process and website features and communications also will enhance your company’s visual representation.

The structure of your navigation system should be intuitive, allowing users to easily move between subpages without getting lost. You must make it easy for users to find what they are looking for by limiting the number of clicks required to get where they need to go.

2. Easy to Use  

Make sure the design is easy to navigate and offers clear calls-to-action (CTAs). Prioritizing communication and being sure customers can contact you on any page is a great place to start.

Although you may be tempted to go with a full-width banner or other oversized visuals, these can have the opposite of the desired effect. Your website design should not detract from your product or service offering. It is important to remember that you are trying to sell something.

In addition, people often visit websites out of boredom, so adding cool features or other distractions will not increase your conversion rates. Instead, make sure the design is easy to navigate and offers clear calls-to-action (CTAs).

Be attentive to color and font choices as well. Your website should be easily scannable and free of clutter for those “skim” readers that tend to jump from site to site. As a rule of thumb, the more text on the screen, the less likely it is that people will stay and read it.

Also, be sure your design does not leave users frustrated or confused as to where they should go next. Offering a clear path for conversion–whether that means signing up for a newsletter, adding an item to a shopping cart, or taking advantage of a trial offer–will increase your chances of gaining interest and business.

3. Mobile-Friendly

More than half of web traffic originates from mobile devices. Having a solid mobile web design strategy in place will improve your company’s website performance and user satisfaction.

Your b2b site should have a responsive design that adapts to the device being used. You also should consider that many employees will use their devices to access company information; it is important, therefore, that your website is easy to navigate on the go on both the customer-facing and employee side.

 4. Fresh, Quality Content

In today’s lightning-fast world, there are high expectations for businesses and their online presence. Your B2B website design needs to not only make people want to look around, but it should also help them get what they need quickly. Quality content is critical to making this happen, and the type of user experience you offer will determine whether customers act.

To keep your viewers interested, be sure that engaging video and photo elements are included throughout the B2B website design. They are easy enough to include, and they offer an efficient way to engage audiences. Make sure your video is clear, crisp, and short–less than two minutes. Also, photos are an important part of the design because people love beautiful visuals! If you have employees, consider including them on your site as well. However, make sure they come across as professional and only include the necessary information.

5. Readily accessible contact and location information

Your B2B website will likely be a primary source of contact information for customers and prospects, so this content must be accurate and easy to find.

To accomplish this, all information should be in one place on the homepage. A footer bar with links to important site pages might seem like an efficient idea. However, users are more likely to click the links they are looking for if they are clearly written and prominently displayed.

Positioning frequently used phone numbers near social media icons is an excellent way to allow customers to connect with you quickly. It will increase your chances of being contacted by both prospects and existing customers.

There should also be a map showing your location, either on the homepage or buried in the footer bar. This will be helpful to those who are looking for directions.

6. Clear Calls to Action

Your company and your service have value and calls to action can help make your B2B website visitors your customers. Calls to action ultimately encourage people to use your product or service and be sure to include plenty of direction.

For this to happen, though, it needs clear calls-to-action that have an easily measurable outcome–whether that is email signup or a download.

Offer your viewers as much information as they need and provide several options for them to act.

 7. Optimized for Search and the Social Web

For people to find you on Google and other search engines, you must optimize your site.

The biggest thing that will help with SEO is the use of original, quality content in a blog or frequently updated portion of the B2B website. This provides freshness and increases the page rank.

Also, pay attention to keywords when writing your content. Pick the most important keywords and hashtags that best describe your business, and sprinkle those throughout your content as they relate to it.

You also want to take advantage of social media!

Offer a convenient way for visitors to follow you on major social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter–this will keep them up to date on all your latest company news.

The best websites are the ones that have the best user experience, so feel free to contact us if you need any help with yours!