What are the most important things you think a B2B Web site should feature and do? In other words, how should it support and further our core marketing and business goals? I realize that’s a general question, but I appreciate whatever you have to say on the topic.
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Jay’s Answer: In general, a website should start or continue a dialog with a prospective client. People arrive at a website either from a direct referral or from a online search. The website itself is fairly “safe” way to examine a business. No sales people chatting you up. No pressure to buy. No email clogging your inbox. Since purpose of a B2B website isn’t to sell anything outright (it’s to generate a qualified lead), you want lots of information that describes who your target market is and how you specifically help them with their problems. A case study or two (featuring ROI). A client list. White papers on your methodologies. Make things easy to find (a search box, for example).
You need a clear call to action on why they should act today to contact you. You don’t want them reading your site and thinking, “this looks like a good company with a great offering, but since I don’t need them now, I’ll try to remember it for later.” You want them to take action: a phone call, a opt-in signup, or even simply ask a question. Therefore, make it easy for them to contact you (prominently placed email, phone, opt-in forms, etc.) and make it seem that if they don’t contact you it’s their loss. For example, if you target market are plumbing contractors, then offering a free report of the “Top 10 Ways To Increase Your Plumbing Revenue” might be just the incentive you need for them to take action. The offer must obviously match your target’s problems and have a clear benefit for them.
A website can also help save your sales and receptionist a lot of time. Place frequently asked questions (if you don’t yet have them, ask your sales and reception staff to start writing down the questions they get and their answers), directions, service menus, brochures, etc. online. Even if someone doesn’t find them online, your sales staff can send them a URL to the information.
A B2B website that has great SEO will help customers find you easily instead of having to find your customers.
A B2B website should continue your branding effort. For many new clients, this may be the first touch to your organization. Therefore, set the tone with the colors, wording, imagery, layout, and tone that works for the rest of your marketing materials. You want your prospective client to intuitively know how it will be to work with you.
Your website should have analytics installed (such as Google Analytics) to allow you to understand your traffic. Ideally, your site should also be optimized for conversion (opt-in form completion, for example) (for example, using Website Optimizer ).