B2B Website Tips From Bigfork
Hi and welcome to our latest Web Insights newsletter, which aims to share our knowledge at Bigfork of creating successful B2B websites. If you haven’t already subscribed to the Web Insights newsletter then please click the ‘Join the Conversation’ button at the end.
WHAT WEBSITE FRUSTRATIONS DO B2B BUYERS EXPERIENCE?
Our report, The Big B2B Disconnect, confirms that B2B buyers are not happy with suppliers websites. Buyer behaviour is increasingly moving online so its vital that suppliers make sure their websites are customer centric.
In this issue of Web Insights we look at three key frustrations buyers have with B2B websites - slow loading times, lack of differentiation and inadequate customer support.
SLOW LOADING TIMES
Nothing frustrates people more than slow websites and B2B buyers are no different. According to Contentsquare’s Digital Experience Benchmark, 18% of B2B buyers experienced loading times over three seconds.
Failure to provide B2B buyers with fast experiences will result in lost sales. Contentsquare’s report highlighted speed issues more in manufacturers websites than any other B2B sector.
B2B companies need to optimise their websites for speed or risk losing business to faster websites from their competitors.
LACK OF DIFFERENTIATION
Differentiation from competitors is a clear issue in B2B marketing, and this is reflected in their websites. This lack of differentiation is a big frustration for B2B buyers when they see the same messages, benefits, and products on suppliers websites.
With B2B buying behaviour changing to more independent research, companies need to up their game and stand out from their competitors or risk drifting towards becoming a commodity product.
B2B websites are often accused of being dull. They don’t need to be, especially as the buyer wants to see what makes each potential vendor different. Classic B2B differentiation strategies include attribute leadership, market specialisation, customer experience, and unique technology.
"Many B2B businesses fail to differentiate their website offering. The B2B buyer sees similar sales messages, too many features, not enough benefits. Websites are focused on what the vendor wants to say and not what the buyer wants to know."
INADEQUATE CUSTOMER SUPPORT
A MacKinsey article states that overall B2B customer experience ratings are less than 50%, compared to B2C ratings of up to 85%. B2B buyer expectations are rising and they are wanting customer support to be as good as B2C offerings.
B2B companies can rise to the challenge by making their websites not just about sales, but also customer support tools. Improving customer satisfaction can help businesses stand out from the competition and increase customer loyalty.
EXAMPLES OF CUSTOMER SUPPORT WEBSITE FUNCTIONS:
- ?Live chat support
- ?Interactive AI chatbots
- Contact forms
- Customer forums
- Knowledge base / FAQs
- Phone support and call back options
- Customer portals
- Video tutorials and webinars
- Ticketing systems
Discover all of the main frustrations B2B buyers are experiencing with supplier websites in The Big B2B Disconnect Report.
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