“I have been in business for [enter number] years, and I managed just fine without a website/with my current website. I don’t need a [new] website to get more clients.”
Within the same breath: “I want [large number] new and high-quality leads from my website” – says business owner with a 10-year old website.
These common declarations demonstrate the misunderstanding many business owners have about the function of a website and how business works in the digital age. It’s understandable – if you’re say an engineering, manufacturing or industrial supplies business, it’s likely that you operate in a niche where the competition isn’t that a fierce, where there is enough business to go around. You focus on getting the work done or the project completed. The last thing you ruminate on is your website – you have one because you’ve been told it’s important and it lists your contact details.
This is one of the biggest threats for established b2b businesses. The rate at which the digital revolution is happening, the changes in the buying process, regulatory changes and buyer behaviour means what worked for businesses 10-20-50 years ago is not relevant or sufficient to take them into the future.
As a business owner might feel a proper website is overrated – just remember though the average b2b buying process involves 4-10 people of varying demographics, personalities and behaviours. Younger people are also replacing old-timers and taking up decision-making positions – they don’t have a reference for your way of doing business for the last however many years. The way buying happens has also changed significantly with buyers conducting up to 12 different online searches before interacting with a b2b website [Google]. You will have to adapt to what your buyers’ needs are. And they include:
- Content that answers their questions and shows that you understand their pain points
- A digital presence that is consistent, where they can get to know and trust your business
- A memorable user experience with your business and its touch-points
- Authentic engagement (they don’t want to be sold to)
- Options to engage with you on their terms (via email subscriptions, a blog, customised collateral, online meetings, demonstrations, video content etc.)
Your website plays a crucial role in this regard as it’s your business’ digital avatar and under-utilised 24/7 sales rep. In addition, your website is supposed to be a dynamic and ‘living’ thing that changes and adapts over time to keep pace with the age we are in, and for you to benefit from in the process. There is however considerable opportunity in what might feel daunting, to create and leverage truly engaging and memorable client experiences, foster loyalty and drive organic brand awareness that aren’t subject to algorithms, social media platforms, changing regulations and trends.
Let’s look at a few website user experience stats to keep in mind:
- 47% of users won’t wait longer than two seconds for a website to load
- 88% of online users won’t return to a site after a bad experience
- 57% of users won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website
- 38% of users won’t engage with a website if its layout is unattractive
- Users form an opinion about a website in 0.05 seconds
[Forbes]
The majority (89%) of B2B researchers gather information about potential purchases through the internet.
[Google]
To conclude, don’t be left behind with the horse-and-buggy. Re-evaluate your website and incorporate this incredible tool and its potential into your strategy. Remember there are numerous elements that plug into your website, so get the help you need from specialists that know what they’re doing (it’s an investment) – they’ll look at its design, layout and navigation, how fast it loads, the user experience, security and backups, what you want to achieve with the content, and Search Engine Optimisation to help with brand marketing and lead generation.
That’s it for this week.
Cheers.
