Believe it or not, there are still many organizations that don’t understand that Business to Business (B2B) websites are different than Business to Consumer (B2C) websites. Optimizing B2B or B2C sites for conversions require the understanding of some basic differences. Here are a couple that are critical to understand:
- Who is coming?
- Why are they coming?
Who is Visiting the Website?
Marketing to an Individual's Needs : In B2C marketing, we often discuss creating personas or profiles of the consumer who is most likely to buy our product or service. Our message is targeted to that specific persona. We utilize all we know about them, including psychographic and demographic information. In fact, these days we also follow their online behavior so that we can infer their interests and preferences, then combine all of the data we have to target them in our online marketing efforts.
Marketing to a Group's Needs: In B2B marketing, we are not marketing to just one profile. Instead of marketing to one kind of individual, we must market to all of the individuals that are involved in the recommendation and decision phases of the purchasing process. B2B marketing requires us to have different messages for different personas who will visit our website from the same company. A company purchasing agent is likely to have a different set of “messaging” needs than the person who will use the product or service in the field. The latter is dealing with personal wants and preferences while the former is more interested in addressing the needs of the business. Both needs must be addressed on the website.
Why are They Coming?
Visitors to B2B websites are not looking to purchase products or services when they visit a B2B website. They are seeking information. The information they seek may include:
Researching Solutions: Websites should address this business need by making relevant content available. Such content could include whitepapers, blogs, or case studies that are centered around the interests of the company accessing your website. Understanding market segments is critical to this endeavor.
Qualifying the Organization: A major reason why visitors come to B2B websites is for due diligence purposes. They are trying to learn about a company, and specifically:
- What they offer, i.e., solutions to their problem
- What have they done and the outcomes of that work, i.e., case studies
- What organizations have they done work for, i.e., size, industry, similarity to their company
- Who will do the work, i.e., staff
- Third Party Recognitions, i.e. credibility indicators
What You Offer: What you offer should be solutions to the real problems or predicaments that companies experience. Typically B2B websites provide a laundry list of “products and services.” This approach to providing website content is based on "context" from the website owner's point of view. By displaying content based on the "context" of the potential customer's organization is much more "customer friendly." Couching services or products as solutions to specific customer problems and needs is a much more effective and relevant way to present the products and services you offer.
What You’ve Done: This content demonstrates your ability to apply your solutions to specific industries. Doing so translates offerings from abstract to a context with which the customer can identify.
Your website should provide real life examples (an online portfolio) and case studies of how you solved (past tense) specific problems. By highlighting objectives, starting point, strategies and outcomes for a successful case, is a demonstration of the problems solved to those currently experienced by the website visitor. Basically, having done it before provides credibility and competence that you can do it again.
Who You’ve Done Work For: Visitors are looking for the fact that you have worked for organizations similar to theirs, regarding size, industry, etc. Knowing that you have worked for similar companies gives them more confidence that you can do their work as well.
Who Will Do the Work: Companies want to know who will do the work and who they will be working with should they choose to do business with you. They want to know the number, education, relevant experience and background of the staff that will be the solution to their problems.
What Do Others Say About You: Visitors are looking for third party information about your company. Such information can say a lot about your credibility in their eyes. While you cannot control what others are saying about you on other sites, you can provide third party information on your website that will help build trust and credibility. Example of such things include:
- Membership in trade and professional organizations (Use their name and logos)
- Industry, community and staff recognition and awards
- Industry and staff certifications
- Testimonials: Put a name and face to it, and the more specific the better.
- Clients and former clients who are willing to recommend you and take calls from prospects
Bottom line - Make sure that your B2B website goals are aligned with who is visiting your website and what they want to accomplish while they are there.
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