Whether you’re a startup or an established B2B enterprise, a powerful company website is crucial for success. It’s the hub of all marketing activities and often provides the first impression of your company to potential customers and partners.
According to recent research by Gartner, B2B buyers spend the majority of their time researching online when they are considering a new purchase or investment. Having a website that stands out and delivers a great user experience can help potential buyers find your business and encourage them to engage, be that making a purchase or sending an initial enquiry.
The most effective B2B websites are continually nurtured and developed. If you don’t have a website or you fail to regularly review its design, content and usability, you could be missing out on countless opportunities for brand exposure and revenue generation.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at the top five things every B2B company should regularly review on their website. And don’t forget to keep an eye on competitors’ websites too. If you’re not sure how to review a website, use this list to help you gauge how well the competition is performing online and to identify any potential opportunities for you to grab a larger portion of the sales pie.
Is your website optimised for specific and relevant keywords?
The first function of a B2B website is to increase the visibility of your company online. You should optimise the website for specific keywords that are highly relevant to the services and products you offer. This optimisation will make it easy for potential customers and partners to find you.
Conduct thorough keyword research to identify the top search terms entered by relevant internet users and frequently review this list, adding or removing keywords as trends, business needs and services change.
Do you make good use of reviews and testimonials?
Customer reviews and testimonials are a great way to boost the visibility and credibility of a B2B business. The more people who can find your site, the more traffic it is likely to receive and the more trust visitors have in the company, the higher the chance they will engage. Make sure reviews are prominently placed, perhaps with some of the best making the home page. It’s important to regularly review testimonials and provide responses — to both good and bad reviews.
Sharing testimonials is traditionally viewed as more of a B2C marketing tactic, but B2B companies are increasingly realizing the benefits. B2B purchases tend to involve a bigger financial commitment than B2C purchases and positive reviews can be reassuring.
Is content high-quality and up-to-date?
According to recent research reported by Forbes, 93% of B2B companies say that content marketing generates more leads than traditional marketing methods. It’s not enough to add any old content to your site and hope for the best. Lead generating content provides the target audience with useful and relevant information that helps them solve a problem. It is up to date and written in an easy-to-read style and format.
Be sure to frequently monitor the content on your site to make sure it is high-quality, accurate and consistently posted. Choose a schedule and stick to it, be that weekly or bi-weekly posting. It’s better to post longer, well-researched articles less often than to add daily blogs that add nothing new to the conversation. Having a blog with the last post dated a year ago sends the message that the business does not keep up with trends and simply doesn’t care about helping people find a solution to their business problems.
Is the design user-friendly?
The company website may well be the first impression an interested party gets of a business. It needs to look clean, professional, modern and well-maintained. A design that hasn’t changed in ten years suggests — at best — that the company is not up to speed, and at worst, it’s lazy. Equally, a high-tech, all singing all dancing site will mean nothing if it’s impossible to navigate. The dream combination is powerful aesthetics and excellent usability. B2B purchases are rarely low-ticket affairs. Would you spend tens of thousands of pounds with a company that can’t be bothered to maintain their website or make it easy to use?
Do you have a strong brand message?
The brand message needs to be strong, clear and consistent. A visitor to the site should quickly be able to see what the company offers, their values and what the USP (Unique Service Proposition) is. This doesn’t mean once set, branding can never be changed. Many companies undergo a rebrand at one time or another and sometimes it’s necessary to keep up with changing times, trends and business needs. Provided the messaging remains clear and transitions are swift — no muddying of old and new — rebranding can be a straightforward process. Try asking test users (those outside the business) to view the site for just a few minutes then ask them if they can answer a few simple questions such as — What does the company sell? What makes the company different from competitors? What values are important to this business?
B2B companies operate in an increasingly competitive arena. The majority of businesses receive more than 10 sales presentations every day. By regularly reviewing the company website and monitoring a handful of key elements, you can stay ahead of the curve and boost brand awareness while driving sales.
Susanna Kemp is a content marketing ninja at the digital marketing agency Exposure Ninja,
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