BLOG

How is Your B2B Website Looking?

When you first have access to your company's website, you will be taking the time to ensure that it looks up to scratch, how efficiently it works, and all of the other aspects that lay on the surface. However, in the midst of developing and altering your site, you may miss one of the most crucial things that it has to do - generate sales. Rearranging your site so that it is fit for purpose is the key to your future successes as a business, which is why you need to prioritise even the most minute details. In light of this, we will be examining our key areas of inspection when it comes to B2B websites.

Online shopping concept. Close-up woman's hands holding credit card and using laptop keyboard for online shopping

Attracting Buyers: What's the Score?

In order to seize the attention of prospective buyers, you need to consider what you see when you first click onto your website. For buyers to be interested in what you offer, you must give the impression that your company has an element of authenticity to it. Be original and make your website easily accessible with the information that your potential buyer needs. Projecting a clear message is what your site should do, so throw away any obscurity and jargonistic language in exchange for one that your buyer knows.

Constructing Your Site

Ask yourself, how well has your website been built? What does it need? What needs to be repaired or amended? Firstly, your site must be user-friendly, and that includes you, too. You should be able to navigate your website smoothly and it must be responsive. Check the quality of your webpages - do they provide the information that they say they do? Are they fully functional? As with all new projects, or even your own purchases, do your research. Have a browse and see what the latest website trends are. Revitalise your site with inspiration from the design trends you like (don't forget, we can help with this). Engaging effectively with your buyers is essential, so make them know what they are getting and how to contact you.

Leave Clues

You wouldn't set up an Easter egg hunt without any clues, would you? And if you did, it would be mightily difficult. Therefore, when it comes to your website, don't leave your buyer in the dark. Guide them through your site so that it becomes a seamless process - signpost, add extra pages if need be, and show them how they are going to get from one page to the next.

Developing Page Headers

You want your users to be on the same page. That is, know what action has taken place when they are on your site. If a payment has gone through, or a document has downloaded - let them know. Leave no room for confusion and inform them of what happens when they move from one page to the next. Your webpages should also contain fresh, exciting content. Refresh your content as often as users refresh their browser. Okay, perhaps not that much. Nonetheless, keep your content relevant and engaging enough for your buyers.

First Impressions Count: Branding and Visuals

What kind of companies would you like to do business with? Once you have developed a picture of this, you can then start to consider how you would go about attracting those companies. Look at your mission statement and offerings - review them. Businesses want to know whether your company is legitimate and stable, so your website needs to communicate that. Give your website a personality and demonstrate your authenticity. What would other businesses like to know about your company? They don't want a whole spiel about your career, they want to know what you have done and why it is relevant to them. Take a look at your 'About us' page and consider how your background is significant in terms of shaping your company. Were there any moments that sparked ideas or gave you the ambition to run your own business? Let your user know but in a short space.

We have established that content is important, but so are your visuals. You want your content to work in tandem with your visuals to create a specific message. What is the typography like, what images are displaying on each page? The temptation with incorporating images on your website is to overload that space. However, your aim should be to have images dispersed evenly across your pages. This means that your website is less crowded but still contains enough there to give your potential buyer an idea of what you are offering. The graphics and photography on your website should be high quality - not too many flashy animations and no pixelated images. Sourcing license-free images can sometimes be tricky, so if you are left in any doubt, use your own images - even if this means hiring a photographer.

Getting Those Sales

If you run out of coffee and you need it to start your morning, you purchase some more. Similarly, if you run out of content, or leave your site untouched, your sales might dwindle. To maintain and increase your engagement with potential buyers, the key is to regularly supply your site with more news and more blogs. People get bored easily, so nurture your site and don't leave it idle.

A Matter of Trial and Error

You won't get it right every time - you are human. What you can do though, is keep testing your site. Ask your team members, or anyone with a fresh pair of eyes, to look over your website. Can you navigate it easily? Do your pages load correctly? Do your links work? The more you test your website, the more likely you are to solve the puzzle in terms of ensuring that it has maximum efficiency. See a problem? Troubleshoot, adapt, and overcome.

Finished reading? Inspect your own site and see how you score in these areas. You might surprise yourself. Equally, it might give you a little nudge to get that website running smoothly. There's your cue. So go on, get that site in order!

If you need us you can get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] or give us a call on 01923 260519.