Investing in a sophisticated website is often considered a more valuable tool in the B2C, however, with figures revealing that B2B professionals are now relying upon the internet to source information and aid the decision making process it is now time for the B2B sector to focus on their website.

A study by The Association of Online Publishers has revealed that the internet has become the most important form of media for business decision makers in the UK. The survey further revealed that websites are one of the most used and essential tools for decision making, taking precedence over traditional media such as print and events, there is no question for businesses- the internet is the quickest way to source information.

As many B2B marketers already know the internet is not the domain of the consumers it is also a very powerful tool for the B2B sector, meaning that businesses need to spend as much time and effort on their internet presence as they would on offline marketing tactics. A website is the company’s online brochure and more, it is presenting the company to prospects, is a key lead generator and is often the first thing a prospective client will assess before making a final decision therefore the information, design and quality of the site must be of a high standard.

A B2B website will often hold differing aims to that of a consumer led website, and B2B products or services are often complicated and customised with long term implications and high costs, making it very difficult for businesses to select and compose content. Given a B2B website’s purpose it should be information rich and easy to use. Usability is one of the main factors restricting access to information, using multiple segmented sections and pages can be confusing for users, and not necessarily follow their specific thought pattern thus further limiting their ability to access the information they seek. Requiring users to register for the information is a barrier that will deter as decision makers are hesitant to give details to a company they do not yet trust.

With the range of users varying from administration up to industry experts, written content cannot be compiled with the assumption that everyone reading it will understand. Do not fill content with jargon or complicated terms; always provide some form of help that will break the difficult areas down further.

Pricing is often an area many B2B websites neglect, understandably many business products or services are bespoke and therefore it could be more misleading or inaccurate to display prices, further to this it makes better business sense to discuss costings face to face.

With the internet now taking precedence over the more traditional medias the time is now for businesses to assess their current internet presence. It is common for B2B websites to be uninformative and unsupportive to customers, leading to online failure and a disregard of the internet. Just by simply focusing upon usability, in the same manner a company would focus on customer service, an improvement in calls to action and enquiries would be seen. The B2B customers are out there it is simply a case of ensuring your corporate website has the information and environment to give them what they want so that when they make their final decision it is a fully informed one, and in your favour.