Your B2B website might not be at the forefront of your mind when it comes to your marketing, branding, and outreach strategy. However, it has the power to either make or break your business. It serves as the core of your content marketing efforts, the ultimate destination for lead generation, and the key to closing important deals. But of course, all of this is only true if you're doing it right.
It's easy to overlook the mistakes we're making until someone points them out. That's where this article can help. Take a moment to review your website and make sure you're not falling into these common B2B website pitfalls.
1. Not meeting the needs of early-stage buyers
About 99% of the people who visit your company website aren't ready to fill out a contact form or call your sales team. If your B2B website is going to be a sales tool, you'll need to address the problems and issues that your potential customers are facing. Are you doing any of the following on your website?
- Building trust with potential customers by providing information that reinforces that you understand their industry and the problems they likely face.
- Providing non-intimidating ways to get answers to their questions without getting a sales pitch.
- Writing content that's not about your product, but instead about your potential buyer's situation and challenges.
- Helping customers decide whether your product or service is an option to meet their needs.
💡 How to fix it:
Edit your website content to better identify with the needs of your customers. Shift your focus from talking about your business to addressing the needs of your potential buyers. By removing the "we-focused" copy and making it all about the buyer, you can build trust and provide valuable information that resonates with their challenges and industry.
A blog is a great addition to a B2B website to give your company a platform to build a library of information about your target industry. Blogs are short enough to read quickly and non-threatening for the buyer who's just doing research. In addition, blogs have the power to engage potential buyers and guide them toward the lead generation pages on your website.
2. Not knowing where visitors come from
We've previously explored the temptation to become consumed by website metrics, highlighting the significance of understanding their value to discover your own unique indicators of online marketing success. The first set of useful metrics you need to track is where your visitors actually come from.
When you keep track of where your visitors come from, you get an accurate idea of where your marketing efforts are really paying off. You can then stop spending money on things that don't work and allocate more of your marketing budget to things that actually generate a return.
💡 How to fix it:
Create a dashboard and take note of website traffic sources every month. Let your management team in on key performance indicators and tie the results to specific efforts. Increase or decrease these efforts as warranted.
When analyzing the origins of your website traffic, it's a good idea to look at the various channels through which visitors arrive. This includes assessing the number of visitors from organic search, referral sources (such as other websites), social media platforms, and pay-per-click campaigns. By gaining insights into these sources, you can effectively evaluate the success of your marketing efforts and allocate resources accordingly.
3. Not updating your website often enough
Consistency is key when it comes to updating your B2B website. Random and sporadic updates won't capture the attention or interest of your target audience. That's why it's crucial to have a regular communication schedule in place as part of your marketing efforts and website updates.
While you don't necessarily have to overhaul your entire website, it's important to keep your website copy up-to-date with your latest products, services, processes, and target markets. Your messaging should evolve based on both internal factors like changes in your offerings and external factors such as the economy or industry trends. By staying on top of these updates, you demonstrate to your audience that you are actively engaged in your industry and prioritize effective communication.
💡 How to fix it:
Ideally, you would change the look and feel of your website every four years and review all of your website content every six months. One way mini companies keep their website up-to-date while publishing customer-focused information is by writing a blog. Publishing 2 to 3 articles every month targeted towards your ideal customers will help you establish expertise, credibility, and consistency. Get started today by brainstorming topics, setting up an editorial calendar, and prioritizing writing time each week.
4. Failing to provide a customer-centric description of your company's offerings
It's common to get caught up in the jargon of your own company or industry. When it comes to describing your company, you might be so well-versed in your field that you use technical terms or acronyms that your customers don't understand. Even worse, some companies use generic marketing language on their homepage that turns potential buyers off. Here are a few examples we've come across from real companies we've evaluated:
- "Company has experienced recent exponential growth by developing innovative approaches and solutions in four primary sectors..."
- "Using proprietary technology, we create and deliver interactive online training that is truly personal and engaging."
- "Company is educating customers and engineers across the country."
- "When it comes to healthcare IT, experience is everything. With hundreds of clients of varying sizes nationwide, Company is uniquely positioned to provide expert-level EHR solutions to your team."
In many cases, prospects may simply dismiss these statements with a lack of interest.
While it’s important to talk about your company at times to distinguish yourself from competitors, going too far is a costly B2B website mistake because customers rarely want to hear about you. What they truly desire is to learn how your company can provide valuable solutions for their needs. You can show them how you can help them by addressing their unique pain points, being transparent, and catering to their emotions.
💡 How to fix it:
Take a moment to evaluate your homepage and consider the following questions. If the content on your homepage doesn't provide direct answers to these questions, it's time for a rewrite:
- Who is your target customer?
- How do you help your target customer in plain, simple language, or language that they use?
- What do you understand about your target customer that no one else does?
- What's your unique value proposition to your ideal customer?
Achieving long-term success requires constant improvement, a principle that successful business owners understand well. To ensure that your website is performing at its best, it's essential to monitor for these common B2B website mistakes and take the necessary steps to fix them. By doing so, you can ensure that your website is effectively contributing to the growth and success of your business.
This article was originally published on October 28, 2014 and last revised on November 8, 2023.
