Wouldn't you hate to spend a whole lot of money only to find out that the very structure upon which you spent dooms you to failure?
Many companies spend big money on websites — only to find that, after the launch, the results aren't really there. People who visit aren't converting. They're not clicking around and learning about you.
Yes, even after you've filled it with great content. Yes, even after you've been through with the finest-toothed SEO comb. Because you didn't make it easy and obvious.
Where's the User Experience?
A crucial factor in designing a conversion-focused website is in providing a good user experience. What it comes down to is simple: make your website easy to navigate and categorize your information in a logical way.
When people land on your page and feel like they know how to find what they're looking for, they'll be more likely to not only inform themselves — but to find their way to, and fill in, a form. Becoming your lead.
Start By Putting Yourself In Your Visitor's Shoes
One of the most effective ways of creating a website with good user experience is the simplest: think about what someone landing on your page is actually looking for.
If you've already worked out your personas, you're already halfway there. There will be certain phrases they'll be using to research their problem and words they'll be looking for to confirm they're in the right place. Use them, or watch your visitor leave for a different site that makes it more obvious.
Don't Mess With Navigation and Content Expectations
Bucking trends and conventions for the sake of it is rarely going to be too effective, especially when we're talking B2B. It may sound boring, but have a plain, obvious, navigation menu at the top (and a hamburger version for your mobile site).
Your first level of navigation should probably include:
- About Us — You can call it something else if it's obvious (Our Story, Who We Are etc.) but this is going to be the first thing (after the home page) someone's going to look for if they're interested in learning more about you. Use this page (and/or its subpages) to talk about what you do, why you do it, and who does it)
- Pricing — Many B2B companies don't like to have a pricing page. If you can afford to not have a pricing page, by all means, don't have one. But keep in mind, when a reader is looking to whittle down their list of companies they want to work with, not having a price will make you an effortless cut. If you're worried they'll be scared off, see if you can offer a low cost or even free version of what you're offering — so you can hook them with essentially a risk-free demonstration of your value and upsell later.
- Services — Break down what you offer. Whether you bundle everything in under one unified service or sell them separately, at least talk about them separately so people can absorb the information in bite size chunks — as well as verify for themselves that you do actually do what they're looking for.
- Contact Us — Don't make people have to think more than a second to get in contact with you. Make sure a contact form is front and centre on this page. If you have a phone number, obviously, put that in. You also might want to list your locations if that's relevant. And don't be afraid to make your contact page link stand out from the others — try it as a button.
Don't Overload Your Front Page
Now that people know how to get around, let's talk about what they'll want to see first on your front page.
Of course you want your website to stand out. You want it to seize attention and compel the reader to stick around. Go ahead and do that with a big image or a splashy tagline. And absolutely use some animations and other effects to make your page feel dynamic. Just don't go too abstract and don't distract from what you actually want people to do.
Connect with your reader and guide them.
Make It Obvious They're In The Right Place
If you sell computers to small businesses? Have an image of a computer, or someone working at a computer. If you sell to a visually distinctive industry, such as construction, have someone in a hard hat and a reflective vest.
Make Your Value Clear
What do you actually do? Don't hide it. If you sell cybersecurity, don't say that you develop advanced IT solutions or that you provide critical services. That's way too vague.
- Say you do cybersecurity plain and simple
- Say you protect the reader's company against hackers
- Say you stop viruses wiping out IT infrastructure
- Say your service allows your customers to operate safer and save more money
You can get into the precise details and nuance later on your service pages or your blog. On your front page, just make it obvious what you do using words your customer would use as simply and value-focused as possible.
Demonstrate Social Proof
If you have reviews or testimonials? Put some on your home page. Or at least list some of your clients. Beyond connecting with your reader and explaining what you do, you'll want to offer them some additional proof that your service is legit. The best way to do this is by showing off the fact that other people value your service.
Tell Them What To Do Next
Whatever it is you want someone to do next, tell them to do it and make it easy. This could mean having a form and asking them to contact you. It could be asking them to learn more about your services by linking their next. Or it could mean sending them to a current special offer.
Try having something at the top and the bottom of the page so that it's there at the two points they're most likely to be wondering about what to do next.
Again: Always Think About What The Visitor Experiences
Do dry runs through your website. Pretend you're your persona. When you arrive on the page, can you quickly find what you're looking for? And how does it compare across stages of the buyer's journey?
- If a visitor's not fully aware of their problem, can they learn more?
- If a visitor's evaluating whether they need the service, is the value obvious and compelling?
- If a visitor's comparing different companies, is it clear why you're better (and can they immediately contact you)?
It never hurts to recruit a fresh pair of eyes, either. Ask a colleague to check it out too!
And it never hurts to have the experts on your side. As part of any engagement, we at Flawless Inbound draw up a website audit — because that's how crucial getting the user experience right is. It's the foundation upon all your digital growth is built. We've helped more than 80 companies across Canada and the US with that growth. And we're always ready to talk to any business looking to take their web presence more seriously through smart marketing, sales enablement, CRM optimization, and conversion-focused web design.