You are having decent success getting people to your B2B website. You have mastered the art of search engine optimization (SEO) and feel pretty darn good about yourself. But then, you notice your conversion rate could be better. What is the point of spending all your time and effort getting people to your site if they don’t become clients? Good question. Obviously, as important as SEO is, your conversion rate is even more crucial because that leads to money in your pocket. So, what can you do to improve B2B conversion rates? Read on!
1. Evaluate Ease of Use
One of the biggest reasons a potential customer leaves a site is because they get frustrated. Whether it’s a slow loading time or they simply can’t find the information they need easily, these customers (with money burning a hole in their pockets) just move on without giving it a second thought. To improve B2B conversion rates, view your website from an outsider’s point of view. Is it easy to find pricing and product information, request a quote, or contact you for more information? If not, you better fix that before you do anything else.
Your business-to-business conversion rate optimization (CRO) should be designed to look at your website and identify ways the navigation and structure could be easier for prospective customers.
What is CRO, you ask? Great question! It’s the process by which elements of your website are optimized in ways that convert visitors into customers. It encompasses a number of elements, including:
- A/B testing
- Heatmaps
- User surveys
- Web analytics
- Web forms
- Calls to action (CTAs)
- Email marketing
- Load times
- Well-designed landing pages
2. Spruce Up the Content
First, does your content draw you in? Of course, it is strong on the SEO front, but does it inspire readers? Does it motivate them to buy? Is it formatted in a way that is easy to scan? You also want to make sure your website provides a variety of content. Blog articles are undoubtedly important, but the more value you can offer your visitors, the more likely they will purchase.
Do you have any whitepapers that prove the effectiveness of your product? Is there anything you can give away as a free download? Are there videos your users can watch to quickly get the information they need in an entertaining way (Fun fact: Videos can improve B2B conversion rates by as much as 80%)? The more information you can deliver, the more credible you become and the more sales you make.
You’ll start gaining traction with business-to-business conversions when you offer valuable, relevant, and shareable content.
3. Consider Live Chat
When someone has a question, what do they need to do? Perhaps they must search an FAQ section, send you an email, or fill out a contact form. Imagine how much easier and quicker the process could be if they could instantly get their questions answered via a live chat. Because remember, if they leave your site (like when they are awaiting your email reply), there is a high probability they will never be back.
If you’ve been trying to figure out how to get leads, you’re leaving money on the table if you aren’t using a chat system. This format offers even the busiest of people a way to contact your company on their time and within the confines of their own privacy restrictions, which is particularly important for people who share office spaces.
4. Capitalize on Your Customers
If you still need to, ask your past and current customers for testimonials and reviews. These valuable insights can help you improve your company and are a gold mine for conversion. Whether you want to hear it or not, your prospects will trust their peers’ (aka other customers) opinions over yours when it comes to what you have to offer.
Lead generation for B2B businesses often starts with word-of-mouth advertising. You can say all the amazing things you want about your business, but your future customers want to hear from people in their shoes and share their pain points. Your sales conversion strategy should always talk to your customers’ pain points and address how you can remedy those situations.
5. Highlight What Makes You Unique
Focus on what makes you stand out from the crowd. You likely have several competitors, so why should your clients choose you over them? Perhaps you have award-winning customer service and a faster turnaround time, or your product is locally made. Whatever it is, make sure that every visitor to your site understands exactly why you are superior to any other options out there. Be loud and proud; the sales will soon be yours.
To boost your B2B sales, you must set yourself apart from the competition. People shouldn’t have to guess what makes you better than the other guy. Make your competitive advantages clear in your content, and don’t be afraid to toot your own horn a bit.
6. Target High-Quality Leads
High-quality leads tend to convert from a lead to a paying customer. It doesn’t make sense to send your marketing out to the universe, hoping one or two people will pay attention to your messages. Instead, hone your content so you can talk directly to the people who are most likely familiar with your brand or the products and services you offer. Use sites like LinkedIn, which are marketing gold for B2B interactions, and make sure your content speaks to the solutions you can offer readers that will improve their lives.
B2B conversion rates increase when you target the right audiences in the right places with the right content. A business-to-business marketing service like Zero Gravity Marketing can help you identify the best platforms for your goals so you send appropriate messages to the people most likely to receive them well.
7. Personalize the Content
When it comes to digital marketing for B2B industries, personalization is a key factor that can help shorten lead times and convert customers. You can customize your content and landing pages to talk to specific segments of people. Here are a few ideas:
- Hero Images. You can display images based on prior website behaviors or particular industries. For instance, show prospective customers images of their locations or industries, rather than displaying the same generic image to all visitors.
- CTAs. Create calls to action that tap into each prospect’s needs. For instance, you might encourage one group of people to sign up for an enterprise plan with your company, while offering smaller operations an SMB sign-up plan.
- Lead Magnets. Offer targeted lead magnets to various segments you’re trying to talk to. As an example, you might entice sales- and marketing-focused folks to download a checklist to improve their sales and marketing processes.
Creating individual landing pages for specific groups of people is one of our favorite tips to increase conversions.
8. Make Sure Your Website is User-Friendly
A positive user experience enhances the chances of success for your brand. Not only can it boost sales and revenue by itself, but an intuitive navigation also helps you rank higher with the search engines.
B2B SEO looks at a lot of things, but one of the most important is ensuring customers can easily get from Point A to the shopping cart without a lot of extra hassle. Business-to-business SEO is founded on the idea that visitors can enjoy a seamless experience from the very moment they arrive on your website.
As you explore sales funnel marketing, put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Is your website’s interface intuitive? Can people easily determine how to contact you if they have questions or need more information?
The more you understand your audience, the more you’ll figure out how to get users down the funnel.
9. Add Credibility to Your Content
Do you have case studies? Maybe you’ve commissioned a survey that’s filled with lots of stats and facts?
For anyone wondering how to increase sales in B2B marketing, the key is credibility. Showcase the value you bring to the table by creating infographics that contain survey results. Curate whitepapers that showcase your biggest wins and help other companies see how you can problem-solve their own pain points.
One of our favorite tips to increase online sales is to use visual aids, such as videos and images to help audiences better understand exactly how your brand can help them overcome their own problems.
10. Incorporate User-Generated Content (UGC)
User-generated content, such as reviews, is a great way to add context and reliability to your brand’s image. People want to see what other customers have to say, how they use your products and services, and how your brand has solved their problems. As you build your website optimization for conversions, look for ways to incorporate UGC into the context of your content.
Need help improving your conversion rates and driving leads? Contact us to help improve B2B conversion rates today!
