Why You Need a Digital Strategy before Revamping your B2B Website
Thinking of Improving your B2B Website? Read This First.
by Rosemary Lafferty
Read time: 2 minutes
Thinking about refreshing your B2B website? While it’s tempting to dive into a redesign, it’s critical to first establish or refine your digital marketing strategy. It’s a cliché but ….if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.
In this blog, we look at the reasons why it is essential to have a digital marketing plan before you begin to redesign your website.
What your B2B website needs to do:
Your website should work as a “digital sales rep,” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, attracting prospects, engaging them with helpful information, and generating leads. In order that it can do that, your website needs to:
- Attract suitable prospects only. ( You will want to avoid having a lot of website traffic from unsuitable prospects. Unsuitable prospects will quickly bounce out of your website almost as soon as they land when they realise that they have no interest in what you are offering. Google and other search engines will interpret this low level of engagement as a signal that your website is a low quality website)
- Clearly show who your business serves and how you help them (e.g. “Here at XYZ Company, our software helps SMEs effectively track all sales and order processing in easy-to-use to package”)
- Cause these suitable prospects to spend time on a number of your website pages as they read useful content that helps them to do their jobs better or more easily
- Make it easy for prospects to navigate your website
- Showcase your expertise in your industry
- Build trust by showing prospects who you are e.g. on the “About Us” page, make sure you include photos, names and job titles of key staff members and customer-facing staff.
What does a B2B digital marketing plan include?
To achieve this, it’s essential to analyse all facets of your business, industry, and competition before making any changes to your B2B website. A solid digital marketing strategy helps guide these efforts and consists of six overall steps as listed below. (Note: There is much more detail in a complete digital marketing strategy, these steps are the basic foundations only)
1. Situation Analysis & SWOT
2. Objectives
3. Strategy Elements – target markets, buyer personas, customer journeys, competitors
4. Tactics – specific tools and channels
5. Actions – website revamp, content creation, etc.
6. Controls – metrics for tracking and improvement
As you can see, updating your website (step 5) is only effective if it’s informed by the prior steps. Without this foundation, your website will lack focus and impact.
Need a B2B Digital Marketing Strategy? Let’s Talk.
After creating or updating your strategy, the path to redesign becomes clear. Use the checklist below to evaluate the essential elements of a top-performing B2B website.
11 Key Elements of an Effective B2B Website
1. Clear Business Statement on the Home Page
Your homepage should immediately communicate what your business does and who it serves. Place this message prominently at the top of the page, above the “fold”(i.e. the top part of the website page that users see first before they have to scroll down to see more), and make it specific.
For example:
– Good: “We help accountants and actuaries find talented staff.”
-Poor: “Our services help businesses achieve their goals.”
2. SEO-Optimized Keywords
Optimize your website so potential customers find you via search engines. List key phrases related to your products and services, like “high-quality printed colour brochures,” and share these with your developer to include in visible content and backend tags (e.g., title tags, alt text, headings).
3. Customer Pain Points
Identify common challenges your customers face. Reflect these “pain points” on your website to connect with your audience.
4. Content that Solves Problems
Create valuable content, like blog posts and downloadable eBooks, that addresses these pain points. Ensure it’s accessible to readers outside your industry by explaining technical terms.
5. Lead Capture
Capture visitors’ contact information with newsletter sign-ups, guides, or eBooks. GDPR guidelines mean you should only ask for email addresses when necessary; however, downloadable resources can still serve as lead-nurturing tools.
6. Mobile Responsiveness, Navigation, and Readability
Your website must be mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and readable. For best results:
– Ensure responsiveness across all devices.
– Use a readable font size (16px is ideal).
– Keep navigation straightforward, following common patterns that users expect, like the “Contact” button at the end of your menu.
7. Fast Load Times
Ensure your website loads quickly across all devices, especially if it has media-rich content. Test load times and ask your developer to make adjustments if necessary.
8. Social Media Links
Include social media links and encourage visitors to follow your channels. This helps build brand awareness and credibility.
9. Building Credibility, Trust & Authority
Establish your business as a trustworthy source. Add testimonials with full names and company details, display quality certifications, and showcase industry-related content.
10. Focus on the 4 Most Visited Pages
Prioritize high-traffic pages like the Home, Products & Services, About Us, and Contact Us pages. Make sure they are clear, engaging, and SEO-optimized. Personalize the About Us page with real stories about your company, key team members, and community involvement.
11. Content Management System (CMS)
Install a CMS, such as WordPress, so you can update your content easily. Frequent updates signal search engines to prioritize your website, which boosts visibility.
Before You Start: Prepare for Success
1. List Current Website Dislikes
Survey relevant team members (e.g., sales reps, customer service) about your site’s shortcomings.
2.Walk Through Your Website as a Customer
Imagine you’re your ideal customer. What questions would they have? Would they understand the terms and images used? What actions would you want them to take?
Gather these insights and share them with your developer to guide a focused and effective redesign.