Typically, B2B sales are more complex, more focused on the bottom line, and take longer to convert than B2C sales. The best B2B websites don’t just acknowledge these differences, they lean into them at every user journey stage to maximize user engagement, build trust, and increase conversion rates.
Marketers familiar with B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) marketing know these fields are distinctly different. While B2C web designs often use interesting interactions, like parallax scrolling, and beautifully presented images to draw attention, B2B designs aim to build credibility, differentiate the business from its competitors, and demonstrate how the product or service benefits the target audience’s bottom line.
To build the best B2B website, web designers must understand exactly how the business’ needs differ from those seeking to build personal or small business websites.
Website design for B2B can be challenging; we’ll guide you through the process and share some inspiring examples to set you up for success.
Unique challenges of B2B websites
As mentioned, B2B websites and B2C websites are different creatures. Following B2B website best practice helps you turn the challenges of B2B marketing into your site’s areas of strength.
Challenge 1: Longer conversion times
The challenge: B2B sales take a long time. One study by the Miller Heiman group found that the sales cycle takes at least four months in 74.6% of B2B sales, with 18.1% of sales taking over 12 months to close.
The solution: Focus the site on building relationships with prospective customers instead of pushing them to buy. Show them how your product or service stacks up against competitors, show them under the hood with video tutorials, and explain the return on investment they’ll receive if they choose your product.
On average, B2B buyers consume 13 pieces of content, eight from the actual vendor, before making a decision. Offering valuable content on your website can guide buyers’ decision-making and prevent them from bouncing to a competitor. Use calls to action (CTAs) like “learn more” to connect with and engage visitors, followed by risk-free prompts like “book a demo” or “try for free” to encourage prospective customer interaction.
Challenge 2: Responsive design
The challenge: Around 60% of all internet traffic goes to mobile sites, so both B2B and B2C clients need responsive design. While the number of B2B buyers searching on mobile devices is increasing, most still research products on their desktops or laptops. This is especially true for video content — 87% B2B buyer video views are on desktops.
The solution: To create a sleek mobile site and a well-balanced desktop version, use a responsive-design-friendly website builder. Optimize both versions and ensure all videos maintain high-quality on larger screens.
Challenge 3: Aesthetics and functionality
The challenge: High-level business decisions often carry substantial financial implications, involve a long-term commitment, and directly impact a company’s position in the market. As such, B2B site visitors need more than an engaging user experience — they’re looking for reassurance that your company understands and caters to their specific needs.
The solution: Unlike B2C, B2B customers are already interested if they’re on your site. Hold their attention with your content, metrics, and interactive experiences rather than extra effects like flashy animations or pop-ups.
Challenge 4: The number of stakeholders
The challenge: A Gartner study found that B2B decisions involve an average of six to 10 people at the buyer company. Buying groups are usually diverse, too, spanning different departments and levels of seniority. Your site has to appeal to all stakeholders.
The solution: Reflect on the customer’s perspective. Gartner also found that 77% of B2B buyers rated their most recent purchase decision as complex or challenging. Given this insight, conducting user research is crucial to understand your target audience’s needs, pain points, and goals. You can use user-centered design strategies from this informed position to tailor your site to their needs.
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8 successful B2B website examples
The best B2B sites use a range of the above strategies. Here are eight B2B website examples that showcase how the experts do it.
1. Anrok
Software as a Service (SaaS) sales tax varies by geographic region, posing a challenge for SaaS businesses. Anrok solves this challenge by automating sales tax compliance for businesses. This site’s landing page provides a simple software description, an enticing value proposition, and a schematic illustration of the client dashboard.
The site also features case studies with key company staff members using Anrok that appeal to different types of stakeholders. A company co-founder interview might appeal to a senior executive researching the product, while interviews with controllers directly involve people in the company’s financial details.
This B2B site educates visitors through map-based visualizations, transparent pricing information, and free resources, including a tool that estimates prospective customers’ sales tax exposure. Providing free high-quality resources proves you know what you’re doing, and is also a great way to build your email list for digital marketing campaigns.
2. Unmind
Unmind aims to improve employee mental health through its workplace well-being platform. This B2B company’s website is an excellent example of creating meaningful interactions that demonstrate a product’s value. One of these interactions, a slider, shows the numerical relationship between employee headcount and the cost of mental health issues to the company, allowing visitors to personalize the experience by finding their headcount on the slider. This dynamic presentation provides research-backed metrics that are easy to present to a decision group to earn their buy-in.
3. Nas Studios
Seven in ten B2B buyers watch videos as part of their decision-making process, and Nas Studios takes advantage of that majority. Designer Diego Toda de Oliveira’s site for this studio showcases Nas’s work through high-quality videos, engaging yet professional animations, and testimonials from big names like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. While the Nas site includes some animations and special effects, these are on-brand for a business that enhances user engagement online.
Nas’s site also follows accessibility best practices. The background video plays when users prompt it, making the site more accessible for people with sensory processing issues. The designer has also added ARIA attributes to the site and included alt text for people who use screen readers.
4. UpGuard
Cybersecurity company UpGuard works with companies to improve the security of their websites. To encourage potential clients to try the company’s services, UpGuard offers a free cybersecurity report showing website owners where their online vulnerabilities lie — a tactic focused on the information-gathering stage of the decision. This report gets visitors thinking about cybersecurity threats while nudging them to use UpGuard’s product. If the threats are urgent, this report might convince prospective clients to shorten the decision-making process and sign up for UpGuard immediately.
To receive the report, website visitors have to enter their company email. This requirement expands UpGuard’s email list while avoiding disclosing security issues to people outside the target company.
5. Sendlane
BB Agency’s website for email marketing business Sendlane lays out the company’s services with a fresh color palette in pink, white, green, and black, plenty of white space, and clean design elements. The site’s copy clearly explains the service while focusing on what sets it apart from similar businesses, an integral approach in such a crowded market.
Sendlane’s user-friendly site includes a well-stocked resource library with articles, gated eBooks, and podcast episodes. Besides educating prospective customers and helping them gather information, resources like this can incorporate keywords for an effective search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing strategy.
Sendlane also offers a free 14-day trial of their service that doesn’t require a credit card, lowering the psychological barrier holding customers back. Alongside the signup page, strategically placed testimonials encourage visitors to finish filling out the form. The statement “You’re in good company” makes people completing this step feel like they’re already part of a wider Sendlane community.
6. Cubbi
Canadian B2B business Cubbi promises to boost the health and productivity of its clients’ employees through a unique meal service. Nortenho’s website redesign puts this value proposition front and center on the landing page, over the top of a background video that shows an office worker engaged in mundane tasks, eating a bland lunch, and then brightening as he sees colleagues use the Cubbi. This relatable video speaks to anyone who’s ever experienced monotony at work and sets up the Cubbi as the solution to their boredom.
While the video speaks to rank-and-file office workers on the decision committee, the text targets high-level decision-makers by focusing on how the Cubbi improves overall worker health and productivity.
7. Dinergy Marketing Solutions
Branding and design firm Dinergy’s site, created by Bien Studio, offers insight into its collaborative design process on the site's homepage. Instead of flashy visuals and showy animations, the agency takes a muted approach, opting for subtle scrolling effects that capture attention without overwhelming visitors. This understated design is a backdrop that allows their impressive credentials — including their 32 global awards — and thought leadership pieces on their blog to take center stage.
On the same page, the agency shows off their previous work for heavy-hitting clients, such as Coca-Cola, the Australian Defense Force, and Shell Oil, highlighting the potential reputational benefits of hiring them. Not many companies can say they share a design agency with Nelson Mandela, after all. A persistent CTA also offers a free brand strategy resource, providing an entry point for decision-makers still in the initial stages of their search.
8. Ecobliss Retail Packaging
Eco-friendly packaging brand Ecobliss provides businesses with customized packaging solutions. Designer Guy Borghouts uses a smooth, scroll-triggered 3D animation to show the packaging. A discreet CTA button encourages visitors to learn more about the process of working with Ecobliss, illustrating how the business operates. Users farther along in their decision-making process can also use the dropdown Solutions menu to navigate directly to the type of packaging they need, streamlining their user experience.
If visitors are hesitant about purchasing Ecobliss’s packaging solutions, a low-barrier CTA in the middle of their page offers a free product sample in exchange for customer contact information. Offering samples gives potential customers a tangible experience of the product’s quality. Strategically, the mid-page placement of this CTA targets prospects who’ve shown engagement by scrolling, indicating their interest and making them more likely to convert and accept the sample offer.
Your B2B website will come together with Webflow
Strong B2B website design helps businesses capitalize on opportunities and navigate the challenges of the B2B marketplace, and designing an effective B2B website requires a focused approach.
By setting clear website goals, employing performance analytics, and continuously refining through strategic A/B testing, you can transform the complex sales landscape into a navigable path to success. By embracing these principles, you’ll not only meet the unique demands of B2B clients, but you’ll also create a site that engages, builds trust, and drives conversions.
Published
August 2, 2023
Category
Inspiration
