Does Your Business Need a B2B Website?

Author: Vicki Harte Category: B2B, B2C, E-commerce & Retail, Healthcare & Life Science, Industry, Marketing, Membership Marketing, Nonprofit, Technology & SAAS Date: November 15, 2023

If you sell a product directly to consumers, having a website is a no-brainer. But when you have a B2B business with a complex sales cycle that doesn’t transact online, it is a little less clear-cut. What impact, if any, does a B2B website have on a business’s bottom line?

While most B2B businesses do have a website, many don’t prioritize it in their operations, with just 51% including it as a top-line item in their budgets. (1) Some B2B business leaders grossly underestimate the importance of their website in the overall success of their business. In a recent study of 600 small business owners, 30% say they don’t have a website. Within the study, most stated they would not add a website to their marketing strategy, believing websites are irrelevant in their industry. Instead, they rely heavily on social media to serve as their online presence. (2) This is a mistake.

Your B2B website is your business’s digital front door and is a critical piece in your overall marketing and sales endeavors.

The Proven Value of a B2B Website

A well-designed website is foundational to a business’s success in today’s digital era. Regardless of industry, customer profile, or the type of product or service offered, the value of a good website pays dividends in supporting a thriving business—and here’s why:

• It builds trust and credibility. In a digital world fueled by online connections, a B2B website is the entry point by which most customers build a relationship with a business. It is often where they form their first impression, determine the business’s legitimacy, and decide if they want to pursue that business further. In fact, research shows that 56% of consumers would not trust a business that doesn’t have a website. (3)
• It creates visibility and exposure. According to research from Google, 89% of B2B researchers use the internet during their research process and the average buyer conducts 12 online searches before interacting with a business. (4) A website allows prospects to find a business, learn more about their products and services, and consider buying from them. Without a well-developed website to deliver the information buyers are looking for, businesses risk losing prospects to competitors.
• It supports sales. A B2B website can help generate leads and nurture prospects, then propel them through the sales funnel. A study conducted by Chief Marketer revealed that website SEO and content marketing rank among the most effective lead-generating tactics that produce the highest ROI—second only to email marketing. (5)
• It sells products and services before the salesperson gets involved. By the time a buyer engages with a salesperson, they are already 57% of the way to making their buying decision, and 67% of their buying journey happens digitally. (6) An estimated 70% of buyers get their information from a vendor’s website before making a purchasing decision. (7)

A B2B website is one of the most effective ways to communicate a company’s value proposition, highlight how it stacks up against competitors, and illustrate features and benefits. A visually appealing, high-functioning, and informative website is not a nice-to-have—it is essential to any business’s success. Does a B2B website impact sales? The answer is a resounding “yes!”

At Paradigm, we work every day to help B2B business leaders to understand the power their web presence holds and help them to avoid the impact of a bad website. With our wraparound services, we create marketing and branding strategies and tools that work in lockstep. Whether it is a WordPress site or other platform, our web design and development services align with your business goals and conveys your brand and value proposition to your audiences. Contact us today and learn how our B2B website development services can help you generate business and build your brand.

(1) https://www.smartinsights.com/b2b-digital-marketing/b2b-strategy/b2b-marketing-trends/

(2) https://upcity.com/experts/small-business-website-survey/

(3) https://www.verisign.com/assets/Research-small-business-september2013.pdf?inc=www.verisigninc.com

(4) https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/the-changing-face-b2b-marketing/

(5) https://www.chiefmarketer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-b2b-marketing.pdf

(6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJHt_irVc0w

(7) https://startupbonsai.com/b2b-marketing-statistics/