Business

Have you been neglecting your B2B website?

Yes? Then it’s time you give it the attention it deserves!

While it’s no secret what a website is, what your website can do for you is a different matter altogether.

Many B2B businesses are still unaware of just what their B2B website can do for their business.

Your website is no longer just a place for your product catalog with a few images and descriptions. It has the potential to become a formidable marketing tool.

Yet, a study by clutch.co found that “As many as 29% of small businesses have not yet created a professional website.” (source)

Are you missing out on developing your B2B website into a powerful tool?

Don’t sweat it if you are! It’s never too late to start.

Here are 3 ways how a professional website can benefit your B2B business.

1. Improve Your Brand’s Visibility

Imagine the internet as a large phone book.

It contains the information of businesses from all around the world, each one of them is categorized according to the industry they belong to and the kind of product or service they offer.

How convenient for researchers!

But not having a website is akin to not having your number listed on the world’s most used phonebook.

How can researchers find something that is not there?

Your B2B website is your way into that phonebook. Setting up your site registers your business information onto the internet for all to find.

When you put in the work to optimize your website by placing relevant keywords, metadata, and creating valuable content, you increase the likelihood of potential prospects discovering your business.

So guess what happens when the next person searches for a product or service in your niche.

They find you.

It’s equivalent to having your information highlighted in the phone books.

Not only are you now listed in the world’s most used phonebook, but you have also put your B2B business in a better spot for it to be found.

2. Create a Positive First Impression

You are meeting a client for the first time, and you want to present yourself in the best way.

You put on your favorite shirt with your favorite tie, and you wear the best pair of pants you own. You get a clean shave, a haircut, and even polish your shoes!

After all, you know that first impressions are vital to making a deal.
It creates connection and trust with potential clients, and it sets the bedrock for business to happen.

That my friend goes the same for your B2B website.

These days, the first impression a client gets of your business is usually from your website.

According to a study done by Northumbria and Sheffield University, “The first impression users have of a website are as much as 94% design-related.” (Source)

“95% of users indicated that a positive user experience is the most important factor when they visit a website,” reported Econsultancy.

So dress to impress and leave no room for doubt. Design your website in a way that wins your researcher’s trust and heart!

3. Your Personal Sales Rep

Once your website is set up, it runs rain or shine.

This is a contrast to the traditional office hours of physical businesses, where researchers have to call or visit during opening timings to obtain information from a sales personnel – assuming that the line is free and the salesperson is present to take the call.

Your B2B website provides a reliable source of information and support for researchers to access wherever and whenever it is convenient for them.

With the marriage of good design and content tailored to your audience, your website becomes a capable tool that drives visitors to take action.

It’s like that fishbowl that businesses place in their shop for interested customers to leave their name cards.

Call-to-actions on your B2B website can do that too, and it can also be made to collect messages or questions or even complete an entire sales transaction
.
Even while you are asleep!

Wrapping it up

Many B2B businesses underestimate what their B2B website can do to boost their business activity and influence their sales.

No matter how big or small your B2B business or budget is, investing in a professional website is something that companies can do at all stages of their growth.

As your business grows, so does your website.

And as your website grows, so will your business.

It’s a win-win situation!

Need help from professionals to improve your B2B website?
Contact us today!

Imagine yourself going to the market to get some fruits.

There are 2 stalls, one of them located in a dimly lit area of the market surrounded by discarded boxes that block the passageway. The fruits in the booth are mud ridden and piled in an unorganized manner.

The other shop is located at the front of the market with a surrounding kept tidy by the seller. The fresh fruits are clean and displayed neatly. It catches the eye of passersby, inviting them to take a closer look.

Both sellers may be selling the same products, but we all know which stall will receive more traffic and sales.

Why Your Website Matters

The internet is a marketplace. And your website is your fruit stall.

Not a single sale happens in the B2B market without the prospect checking out a seller’s website and their social media platforms.

According to a B2B procurement study by Accenture’s State, “94% of B2B buyers conduct online research before they engage with a sales person.”

“They each do an average of 12 searches before engaging on a specific brands site,” says Think with Google.

What this means is that a strong website is essential to your business.

Investing your marketing dollars and efforts into building a better page creates

• More conversions
• Higher quality leads
• Stronger credibility
• Customer’s trust

All of this translates into higher sales.

Knowing Who Your Customers Are

If your website is your fruit stall, your web content is your fruit.

Creating the right kind of content ensures that you are attracting not just anybody, but potential buyers. To do that, you first have to understand who your buyers are and what they want.

According to a study done by Think with Google “Nearly half of B2B researchers are millennials”
This majority of B2B researchers are expected to continue growing over the coming years.

Millennials are a generation of tech-savvy people who keep up-to-date with current affairs and trends. They are intolerant of slow loading and outdated web pages.

Often, your website creates the first impression for these researchers. It is necessary to create a good impression for these researchers when they land on your page.

Putting attention to craft your website allows you to build a unique look and feel for your business that these researchers can identify and connect with.

Create a Website that Researchers Love

Researchers are generally looking for 4 things in a website.

1. Fast loading pages

In the age of fiber optic cables and 4g networks, every second count. With so much information on the internet and so little time, a slow loading website is not a situation that most B2B researchers want to find themselves in.

2. Easy navigation

You may have a great product, but if researchers are lost on your page trying to figure out where your menu bar is or how they can contact you, you can be sure they’ll leave.

3. Mobile-friendly interface

Research by Think with Google says that “42% of B2B researchers use a mobile device during the B2B purchase process”. Creating a website that adapts to a mobile interface makes it easier for researchers to browse through your content. That’s always a good thing.

4. Solution to their needs

You know the value of your product, and it is time researchers know that too. By creating engaging content and copy, you can guide researchers to realize that your product is what they were looking for.

Video sites like Vimeo and Youtube are playing an increasingly important role in the B2B buyer’s journey. It creates a more intimate way for researchers to learn about your business, your product, and the value you can bring to them.

Where You Should Be Investing Your Marketing Money

Here are three words that could make a big difference when understood correctly:

Buyer’s Pre-decision Phase

Focusing your marketing dollars and efforts in the buyer’s pre-decision phase is giving that little nudge that turns a maybe researcher into a yes customer.

Your website should give potential buyers a good reason to contact you. There is no need to invest in one more salesperson when your site doesn’t attract leads.

Remember that nice fruit stall from before?

A well set up website is like that. It brings in traffic, creates customers interest, and gives them a reason to engage with your business.

Instead of tasking your salesperson to chase prospects, it is better to invest in crafting a website that brings in prospects. Let your salesperson focus on closing the deals!

Why Your Website Is Better Than Any Salesperson

When crafted with the right content and features, your website acts as a powerful lead generator. It is a hub where all your social roads can lead to.

Regardless of which social platform profile you use; every video, caption, or image you post should convince viewers to take some kind of action. Be it buying something, reading your latest blog post, or signing up to your newsletter; every post should be created with an intention and a call to action.

These direct action will usually take place on your website. It acts as a hub where all your channels lead to for you to close the sale or drive them towards a specific action you are after.

Your website is an integral part of your business. Digitally speaking, your website IS your business itself.

It is your storefront, your store, and your product all at once. It is also your marketer, customer relation, sales personnel and more.

The only difference between your website and a person?

Your site doesn’t need to sleep or eat.

Taking time and funds to build a reliable website is an investment that will pay itself many times over. Your stall is already in the market, and your fruits are ripe and ready. It is time that buyers know that too.

Ready to Improve Your Website?

We have created a course that guides B2B businesses like yours towards creating a better website to gain more customers. We’ll walk you through the process with simple bite-sized videos that you can access and refer to whenever you need.

We know that one of the main challenges facing fair trade organisations is finding new buyers. A way that you can alleviate the problem is by investing time in digital marketing. So what do we mean by digital marketing exactly? Well, this includes a wide variety of tools such as creating a website, using social media platforms, online videos, email campaigns, sending newsletters – to name but a few options!

The above list may sound overwhelming, but we suggest going with online platforms that work for you. You can then build on your organisation’s online presence and work on creating and updating your chosen platforms with quality written and visual content. If you still need convincing, here are 4 reasons why digital marketing can benefit your company:

1/ Interact with a whole new demographic

Reaching out to millennials will set you on the right path! Younger people are a lot more willing to support ethical and fair trade brands – your organisation can capture this opportunity. As we all know, young people are spending a lot more time online, so if you want their attention and support, you need to be sending your messages through online channels to connect with them. If you need help with a digital marketing strategy, why not look to employ digital-savvy millennials for your company? Their enthusiasm and expertise will drive your organisation’s message to the forefront and help you reach a millennial audience.

2/ Shine a spotlight on your successes

Learn to celebrate your successes! Not only will you showcase the work that you do, but it will help lift employee morale by sharing your organisation’s achievements publicly. Be proud of your work!

3/ Attract potential clientele

You can attract potential buyers through a strong online presence. Many fair trade organisations suffer from sticking with an outdated website which doesn’t convey a feeling of professionalism. A refreshed and engaging website can work wonders to help you gain the attention of potential buyers.

4/ Encourage more people to join the movement

Fair Trade organisations can appeal to consumers who are already ethically, socially and environmentally conscious. Your organisation is in a good place to gain traction with this audience – a digital marketing strategy is a way forward to capture their attention to join the Fair Trade movement.

It’s also important to understand that it’s not enough to have a website or social media pages, but it is about what you make of it that will make an impact. Work out how to use these tools to get the attention of potential buyers and ensure buyers take the specific action you want them to take.

 

“Your website should cause an action, not just a reaction”

– Elle Robertson

These actions can perhaps be to call you directly, downloading a product catalogue or watching a specific video. Whatever that action may be, having a digital marketing strategy means everything from setting the goals to implementing the actions, to driving the person where you want them to be and having them conclude this specific action that will lead to new buyers for your organisation.

Can Fair Trade Connection assist you with your digital marketing strategy? Get in touch with us here and we’ll be happy to help!