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 They are intolerant of slow loading and outdated web pages.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.
