{"id":307,"date":"2022-04-19T07:36:44","date_gmt":"2022-04-19T07:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/?p=307"},"modified":"2024-05-01T17:02:57","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T17:02:57","slug":"ux-ui-best-practices-to-increase-sales-with-your-b2b-website-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/suimy.me\/index.php\/2022\/04\/19\/ux-ui-best-practices-to-increase-sales-with-your-b2b-website-design\/","title":{"rendered":"UX & UI Best Practices To Increase Sales with Your B2B Website Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
B2B website design with appropriate UX and UI can increase lead generation and support prospective customers at every stage of the purchase process.<\/p>\n
There are key characteristics of B2B websites and B2B customers as well as effective UX and UI design practices that can help you convert new users into leads.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, it\u2019s extremely important to provide customers with more\u00a0helpful and relevant shopping experiences<\/strong>. Brands have to get creative and find new, more meaningful ways to connect with consumers. To follow the latest\u00a04 COVID-era trends<\/a>\u00a0and to further improve products and consumer experience, it makes sense to dive into the broad theme of what distinctive needs characterize B2B customers compared to B2C customers. Understanding these unique characteristics and the needs of your target audience is the key to the successful creation and implementation of the most relevant\u00a0UX<\/a>\u00a0(user experience) and\u00a0UI<\/a>\u00a0(user interface) web design decisions. Let\u2019s start!<\/p>\n First of all, unlike most B2C customers, B2B clients often\u00a0research potential purchase for several weeks<\/strong>. The reason is that B2B customers often involve multiple people in this process, from both the vendor\u2019s company and their own.<\/p>\n B2B purchases are often\u00a0big\u2013ticket items<\/strong>\u00a0or service contracts<\/strong>. The sites\u2019 products and services are often extremely specialized, with complex specifications. Finally, decisions made on B2B websites can have\u00a0long-term implications\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 after all, customers aren\u2019t just making one-time purchases. They\u2019re often buying into a long-term vendor relationship that includes support, follow-ups, and future enhancements and add-ons.<\/p>\n Research and multicriteria decision-making dominate the B2B user experience. B2B websites must provide a much wider range of information than what\u2019s common in the B2C sector. A B2B website has to\u00a0offer simple facts<\/strong>\u00a0that can be easily and quickly understood by an early prospect who\u2019s just looking around to see what\u2019s available.<\/p>\n Creating a well-designed and informative B2B customer journey<\/a> map can greatly enhance this process, providing a clear roadmap for engaging and converting prospects at each stage of their buying journey.<\/p>\n Another major difference is that B2C users typically buy for themselves. Therefore, they use a one-person decision process: a single user provides the budget and approval, researches the options, makes the decision, completes the purchase, receives the shipment, and uses the product. In contrast, in B2B, each of these steps might\u00a0involve different people<\/strong> and different departments. That\u2019s why among B2B salespeople there are widely used terms like \u201cchoosers\u201d and \u201cusers\u201d. Later, as companies and individuals send transactional emails<\/a>, these become more personalized and precise.<\/p>\n But a B2B website must address many different types of users with various needs. That\u2019s why this added complexity only strengthens the argument for B2B websites to emphasize\u00a0<\/strong>usability<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in their\u00a0UX design<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the meantime, you should also take security measures such as regarding\u00a0DDoS attacks<\/a>, cyberattacks, etc.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter whether you close the sale online or offline,\u00a0supporting your target users\u2019 purchase process<\/strong>\u00a0is essential to converting prospects into paying customers. The key component in effective B2B marketing and sales is establishing credibility among prospective clients.<\/p>\n The nature of B2B products and services often demands\u00a0long sales cycles<\/strong>\u00a0that can take months or even years. Additionally, depending on the purchase phase, customers will have different needs. Therefore, B2B websites must consider all these variables, in order to:<\/p>\n Usually, B2B customers start with a\u00a0company problem<\/strong>\u00a0that needs solving, not with a product they\u2019ll have to justify purchasing.<\/strong>\u00a0Especially when this is a new challenge to their business, this initial research phase is all about seeking out common solutions and identifying the top vendors. Some buyers skip this step for industries or problems that they are already familiar with.<\/p>\n What a good B2B website design needs at this stage:<\/p>\n At this stage, users want to find\u00a0lists of top vendors<\/strong>, learn more about the shortlisted companies, get a feel for them, call if necessary to fill in missing details, and refine research by getting answers to specific questions. Colleagues will often share options and collaborate to help put together a rubric or requirements for assessing the shortlisted companies.<\/p>\n What a good B2B website design needs at this stage:<\/p>\n This stage features a heavy\u00a0collaboration with colleagues<\/strong>\u00a0from multiple departments to narrow the list of companies and make a final decision. Many B2B customers create presentation materials for the leadership to explain their decision in order to be granted authorization.<\/p>\n What a good B2B website design needs at this stage:<\/p>\n Customers engage with sales representatives to\u00a0negotiate a price<\/strong>\u00a0or make an\u00a0online purchase<\/strong>.<\/p>\n What a good B2B website design needs at this stage:<\/p>\n In the initial aftermath of the purchase, your customers will have higher support needs from your B2B website, ranging from technical support to questions about migrating from a competitor\u2019s product to requesting adjustments.<\/p>\n What a good B2B website design needs at this stage:<\/p>\n Providing top-notch customer support is therefore essential in this stage. If you\u2019re using email to do that, using an email verifier<\/a> to ensure good deliverability might be a good idea.<\/p>\n At this stage, your customers will be looking to extend the life of their purchase as much as possible. For large mechanical equipment, this often means buying parts, accessories, or consumables; sometimes users will want to upgrade service contracts to accommodate company growth. For software, this can mean purchasing upgrades, modules, and other stopgap solutions to make an older product retain usefulness until the next major purchasing cycle.<\/p>\n What a good B2B website design needs at this stage:<\/p>\n The process starts again when a service contract ends or equipment reaches the end of its life.<\/p>\n What a good B2B website design needs at this stage:<\/p>\n Understanding the purchasing phases for B2B customers is extremely important when you plan to implement\u00a0user-centered design<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0processes<\/strong>\u00a0(UCD) while working on a website project. At the same time, if you already have a website, you can instantly identify the stages where your users\u2019 needs are poorly covered.<\/p>\n B2B customers are ruthlessly focused on just one thing: how you can solve their problems. Your prospects come to you because their business faces a challenge they cannot deal with on their own, due to the lack of time, resources, or skills. Whether your prospects just need to replace the toner in the office copier, or they look for a partner to help them develop and implement a business strategy,\u00a0they want to solve a problem<\/strong>. That\u2019s why you should remember to always emphasize these topics on your B2B website and prove you know these challenges inside\u2013out with solutions included.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a great practice to consider the\u00a0context of the buyer\u2019s problem\u00a0<\/strong>and describe your products or services in a way that precedes any questions a client might have. Don\u2019t just say \u201cour cartridges contain 0.8ml of ink\u201d, but rather \u201cwith our product, you can print up to 600 pages\u201d. Another great example is Apple\u2019s genius approach to marketing and their famous \u201c1,000 songs in your pocket slogan<\/a>\u201d \u2014 they could have said \u201c5GB of storage\u201d, but instead they\u2019ve turned the information around to make it more relevant to an average customer while addressing the issue of limited space on a device.<\/p>\n Another angle is to consider how people form their queries on Google. Most of the time, they\u2019re not looking for specific models of printers \u2014 they will search for solutions to their problems (\u201cwhy does my printer have lines\u201d) or search for models with specific, non\u2013technical characteristics (\u201cwhich printer has the cheapest inks\u201d) which also suggests an issue (in this case, limited budget). That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to target all these questions in advance and always be one step ahead of the customer.<\/p>\n Customers need to know immediately whether your organization has the capability to solve their problems. Provide signals on your site to let people know you cater to them.<\/p>\n It is worth emphasizing your\u00a0unique\u00a0<\/strong>value proposition<\/strong>\u00a0too. Determine which elements of your business approach are key differentiators, then advertise them on the homepage and other relevant site areas. In this case, the price can be a key factor, but you should also include:<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to mention how you\u00a0solved customer problems in the past<\/strong>. B2B prospects are seeking solutions to their challenges, and while a perfectly written copy might capture their attention,\u00a0they will still demand proof.<\/strong><\/p>\n Case studies, testimonials, reviews<\/strong>, and other ways of demonstrating success in past ventures are critical to turning skeptical website visitors into paying customers. For instance, you can offer reviews conducted by external, reputable sources or provide short and true-to-life\u00a0case studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n To summarize, demonstrating how you solve your prospect\u2019s problems is a smart approach that can convince users to take specific actions and help you generate new leads on your B2B website.<\/p>\n Most B2B websites\u00a0don\u2019t sell to prospects immediately<\/strong>\u00a0upon their first visit. With a long sales cycle, B2B websites have to be able to provide valuable information to prospects on a recurring basis in order to close the sale. In fact, the sites that provide the most\u00a0helpful information<\/strong> to prospects are ones that they return to over and over again as they near the purchasing phase of the sales cycle. This recurring engagement is a crucial part of the customer success process<\/a>, ensuring that businesses build strong relationships with their clients and guide them through the sales journey effectively.<\/p>\n Providing business value for customers and showcasing valuable content for them is one of digital marketing\u2019s main tasks. There\u2019s lots of talk these days about\u00a0content strategy<\/a>\u00a0(which should be supported by content marketing) and its value for B2B websites.<\/p>\n Content is generated on a recurring basis to both build SEO (Search Engine Optimization)<\/a> value and to draw returning visitors to your website. Content strategy is only valuable if it helps your prospects\u00a0understand the business challenges<\/strong>\u00a0that you solve, and why your expertise helps them.<\/p>\n Focus your efforts on\u00a0describing common challenges<\/strong>\u00a0your prospects face and how your company solves these issues. Remember when writing the content that many of your best prospects may have no idea who you are, but if you have a blog post that offers a simple breakdown of their problem, they\u2019re more likely to revisit your website and put you on their shortlist. Providing\u00a0useful resources differentiates you from your competitors<\/strong>\u00a0by establishing your organization as having expertise and credibility \u2014 qualities every organization seeks.<\/p>\n Considering all of the above, you can use such types of resources as:<\/p>\n So to increase organic search traffic and lead generation on your B2B website, you should optimize the content on the entire site not only for search engines but also for your specific target audience.<\/p>\n A first impression can make or break potential transactions. People judge the company\u2019s competence by the way the website looks. An organized and coherent website instills trust and proves competence. UI designers should keep in mind the \u201cless is more\u201d concept \u2014 cluttered design and bad information architecture will only lead to confusion. That\u2019s why in the design process, this concept helps to prioritize user interface (UI) elements and, accordingly, reduce the number of unnecessary elements on each page layout.<\/p>\n Also, people have different expectations for what websites should look like\u00a0depending on the industry<\/strong>. For example, people expect a website in creative industries to reflect a company\u2019s philosophy. Technology companies aren\u2019t held up to the same aesthetic standards as design agencies. More emphasis is placed on clean designs that express professionalism and expertise.<\/p>\n On the other hand, your UI design impacts the audience\u2019s perception of your organization. In a split second, users interact with an interface and decide whether the website is worth their effort. When there\u2019s a mismatch between a site\u2019s user interface design and the company\u2019s business image, people assume that the organization doesn\u2019t have what they want and go elsewhere. UI design also serves another important purpose: people can instantly identify whether they\u2019re on the right web page.<\/p>\n Every UI or web designer should remember that a B2B website design isn\u2019t about a lifestyle brand, it needs to\u00a0convey professional expertise and competence<\/strong>. Carefully consider whether trendy design patterns and visual styles support a message of stability and reliability \u2014 especially since many design trends come and go. Pay attention to\u00a0core\u00a0<\/strong>design principles<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and visual guidelines\u00a0<\/strong>that help users understand your website: visual hierarchy, negative space and balance, and element affordance.<\/p>\n No matter where your organization falls on the creativity spectrum, it\u2019s important to have a simple interaction design.\u00a0Simple interaction models<\/strong>\u00a0match people\u2019s mental models by behaving in expected ways. Business customers need websites to streamline their processes, answering their questions quickly and easily. Although creative designs can be delightful, simplicity must come first.<\/p>\n Make your UI design more user-friendly and provide subtle cues. Even when users think a website has what they want, scrolling takes effort, and they typically do it only if they see the proper visual cues. How you place critical elements on the web page can dictate whether people scroll or not. Placing indicators such as headers or content that peeks out into the display\u2019s viewable area suggests that there\u2019s more content below.<\/p>\n Make sure that your site loads quickly. If it takes more than six seconds to load,\u00a0the users abandon the site<\/a>. To avoid that, remove unnecessary elements and media that negatively impact page speed. Buggy or unstable elements that take too long to load reduce the user experience and prospect\u2019s impression of your organization. Optimize file sizes and minimize loading time, especially when designing for business audiences.<\/p>\nTime for a Decision\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/span>Services and Products Specifications<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/span>Content Requirements\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/span>Target Audience<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/span>The Purchasing Phases of B2B Customers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Research Company Problem<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>Collect Options and Assess<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>Discuss and Decide<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>Purchase<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>Post-Purchase Support\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>Upgrade and Maintain\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>Replace<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>Best Practices for B2B Websites<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/span>Demonstrate How You Solve Your Prospect\u2019s Problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>Keeping Your Customers Engaged<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>Create Good First Impression\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/span>UI Design<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/span>Subtle Cues\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/span>Loading Time<\/strong><\/h4>\n