Five Things Every B2B Website Needs

What are the single most important elements every B2B website needs?

The short answer…well, chances are you’ll get a whole bunch of different answers from each person you ask. Nevertheless, you’d be pressed to find one successful B2B entrepreneur who doesn’t agree with the following as fundamentally important website elements/characteristics:

1. Clean, Professional Design
First up, think of your landing pages the same way you would the entrance to your physical premises. If you walked into an office and found yourself greeted by chaos and a complete lack of professionalism, would you want to do business with the respective brand? Of course you wouldn’t – the same also applying to chaotic and low-grade web design. From the second your site loads up, it should paint a picture of consummate professionalism from top to bottom. If it doesn’t, it’s game over.

2. A Clear Brand Messaging
It’s also important to convey your primary brand message and USPs from the get-go. It shouldn’t be a case of the visitor having to search high and low to find out what it is you can offer them that they can’t find elsewhere. Everything about the way your brand, your business and your website should clearly communicate your unique value proposition and what it is that makes you special. If there is any lack of clarity whatsoever, they won’t hesitate to head elsewhere.

3. Your Services or Products
Far too many businesses seem to go to extreme lengths to be cryptic and/or downright confusing when it comes to the products and services they offer. Their websites and content may be impressive enough, but the actual products and services they provide seem to be absent from the equation. If it is necessary to reach out to your company simply to request information on the products and services you sell, it just isn’t going to happen. Show them what you do, what you can offer beyond your rivals and try to answer as many questions as possible as quickly as possible.

4. Social Proof
Anything that helps build a sense of credibility and trust is something you need to pay close attention to. Social proof in particular being enormously influential these days – reviews, testimonials, case studies and so on. It’s a case of letting the positive words and experiences of past and present customers do the talking on your behalf. Make no mistake about it – their voice will always hold far more power and value than your own.

5. Conversion Opportunities
Last but not least, provide every user with as many conversion opportunities as necessary, in order to encourage them to engage with your business. Try to remember that conversion isn’t only about hard sales, but instead anything that encourages engagement and interaction. Signing up for newsletters, arranging product demonstrations or trials, organising consultations, downloading more information and so on – all extremely valuable and important examples of conversions. As a B2B business, any type of conversion is better than no conversion at all.