7 Must Haves For Any B2B Website

Optimizing the company website for quality content is an integral part of any online Marketing or Public Relations initiative. Especially in the case of B2B clients, for whom websites are a significant source of generating quality leads.

In this post, I put down my 7 must haves for any B2B website. These might seem basic but let’s admit there are many websites out there which can do with some revamping.

Make your homepage contextually rich

Ensure your homepage clearly spells out what your product or service is about and the problem or challenge your product/service is trying to solve. Since this is the page, you would be promoting the most (in your press releases, collaterals, promotions etc.) it is important it has enough dough to hold your visitor’s attention. However, do not go overboard, you only need to showcase your offering, get their attention and lead them to other pages for more detailed information.

Have pages that address your target audience directly

B2B Companies know exactly whom they would like to reach out in a potential Company when pitching for business – it could be the CIO, CMO, CTO or the CEO. It pays to ensure your have some pages on your website which directly address these decision makers, enumerating how your product/service offering can add value to their business. Following website http://b2banalysts.com/new/services/cios.html is a great example of this method – it directly addresses each stakeholder and explains in detail what it can do for them.

Showcase your Analyst Relations

For any B2B company nurturing analyst relations is often more important than building media relations. Analysts are the voice of the industry – the experts and how they view your Company and its product/service offering is often significant in creating a good image for your brand within the industry. It also helps in building confidence in all your stakeholders. So, work on your analyst relations and don’t forget to showcase those positive reports on your site. These testimonials from the industry experts will ensure you a better rating among your competitors.

Customer Testimonial and Case Studies

Recommendations from your customers are the biggest endorsements you can get for your product/service. Ensure it is part of all your website pages. The visitor should not miss on all the good things your customers have to say about your company. Also don’t forget to put up case studies or success stories on your website – it helps a potential lead to identify with a real life challenge your product managed to solve and he is better equipped to take a more informed decision.

Demonstrate your product offering

‘Those who see usually believe’ – Offer a free demo of your product/service for anyone who visits your site. If that is not possible – at least have a video demonstration or a corporate presentation in place – which clearly in a step-by-step process showcases your product and the solutions it offers answering the hows, whens and whats of the process.

Corporate Blog

In the age of social media, it is essential for B2B companies to have a Corporate blog as part of their website. A blog helps in establishing thought leadership; it helps in showcasing every aspect of your product/service the way you want to. It acts as your personal PR machine – while building credibility and following for your company. As an effective mouthpiece for the company, it allows discussions on many aspects of the company, its offering, its people etc. which may otherwise be impossible to showcase on a website.

Social media – Follow Tabs

Social Media is here to stay. There is no point in ignoring something that is constantly changing the way we do business. Hence, create a Linkedin profile for your company, a twitter account and a company page on any other social media platforms, you feel fits your business requirements (remember it makes sense to be present on those social networks which is frequented by your target audience). Add a ‘follow us’ tab for each of these networks on your website. B2B companies thrive on business networking – social networks just add another dimension to this age old business strategy.

There are many other areas like adding Whitepapers, event details, industry updates etc. which if worked upon can add a lot of value for both your website and its visitors. However, the above 7 are essentials, without which, your website is incomplete and by my standards – ‘unfit for business’.