A B2B web design agency specializes in developing and improving websites targeted at other businesses, as opposed to ones targeted at end consumers (B2C). While some of the broad principles of web design apply to both audiences, business-to-business web design has its own unique nuances that can require specialization.
If you’re a business attempting to attract other professional clients, working with an agency that understands those interactions can be crucial to your success. Partnering with the right one will boost your ability to attract new clients, engage them, and finally convince them to convert.
User Experience Design
User experience (UX) design can make or break your website’s effectiveness. You need to guide users along on the journey you intend and ensure they receive the information they need to choose your services. You also must head off any frustration or confusion that might make them click away.
B2B UX design is a little trickier than B2C, as business-to-business interactions tend to be lengthier and more complex. You need to engage multiple different people in different roles, such as salespeople and executives, each of whom is concerned with a different aspect of your product. For this reason, B2B sales cycles also tend to take longer than B2C.
B2B UX designers also need to understand the motivations of a different type of target audience. Instead of emotional appeals and exciting designs that get consumers to buy now, B2B audiences are more likely to be persuaded by hard data.
From the moment they land on your website, a business is going to be looking for what your business can do to improve theirs. A good B2B web design agency will build a website architecture made to engage the types of companies you serve.
Lead Generation Optimization
B2B leads aren’t necessarily more difficult to get than B2C ones, but what keeps users anchored to a website can be a bit different. A B2B web design agency can help you make your leads stickier. First off, they can make sure your SEO is firing on all cylinders. With some institutional knowledge and competitor research, they can identify the keywords most likely to attract quality leads to your page.
From there, it’s all about the design. Using a dynamic, interactive landing page is an easy way to grab someone’s attention and prevent them from bouncing off the site. The average user forms an opinion of a site in about 0.5 seconds, making that first touchpoint vital. Having a clear call to action when a user first arrives has also been shown to motivate conversions, whether it’s to make a purchase or even to do something as simple as signing up for a newsletter.
Since B2B consumers are so data-driven, creating video content to explain relevant information can be an excellent way to keep them engaged. Working with an agency that understands how to appeal to your target audience can give you a huge boost when it comes to lead optimization.
E-Tail Design
E-tail, or electronic retailing, is the foundation of any online shopping. While a B2C shop can closely emulate the experience of a brick-and-mortar store, the complex nature of B2B transactions calls for additional functionality in your design. A B2B web developer can help you integrate design elements into your e-tail system to address the needs of your consumer.
For instance, whereas an individual consumer is likely to simply enter their credit card number to pay, businesses might require more options. A professionally designed B2B e-tail system can account for cards, as well as purchase orders, bank transfers, corporate accounts, and more.
B2B customers might also need more options when building an order than simply moving a product into their cart. B2B designers can help you incorporate tools that allow customers to easily place bulk orders, view and find invoices, or prepare and manage orders for their convenience. The overall goal of B2C and B2B e-tail is the same: to make purchases easier for your customer. A business-to-business agency can help you develop an e-tail system that addresses the specific and unique pain points that B2B customers have.
Industry-Specific Functionality
Each industry has its own specific retailing needs. You might know your needs like the back of your hand, but it can still be difficult to integrate that knowledge into your website if you aren’t familiar with web development. A B2B web design agency can work with you to develop custom functionalities for your website to serve all your customers’ needs.
It may be as simple as presenting your product catalog in an easy-to-search format or as complex as integrating CRM or ERP systems to streamline the experience. An agency can go through all the functionalities you need from a website and then utilize their knowledge and experience to build a site that meets those requirements.
Development and Iteration
Any good website, whether it’s B2C or B2B, needs to be dynamic. It’s not good enough to design your site once; you need to keep iterating in response to your customers’ changing needs. Some marketing agencies, such as InnoVision Marketing Group, offer additional services such as branding, graphic design, or analytics monitoring to help optimize your website over time.
An agency is great for this kind of continuing development, serving as a partner to you as you process consumer data and adjust accordingly. They can help you survey your customers for any pain points they may have encountered, while also tracking bounce rates and conversion tracking to see where any problems may lie. They can also help you run A/B tests on your site design to learn what features get the best results.
B2B web designers can also work with you to align your website with any marketing campaigns you already have running, such as building relevant landing pages for particular ads or social media posts. This kind of follow-through helps you build a consistent web presence.
A good B2B web design agency isn’t just there to develop your website and send you on your way. If you think you could be getting more out of your web presence, it may be time to reach out to a web design agency to see what they can do for you.
