Oftentimes when we work with start-ups and growing organizations, a new website or a website redesign is typically our first step in the marketing engagement. This is because a website is the main meeting place for people to learn about you, your product or services and develop their first impressions before deciding to work with you. If you are experiencing any difficulty converting leads and making the most out of your website traffic, it could be because of a poor user experience, slow load speeds or a misuse of information. If you cannot grab your visitor’s attention almost instantly, then they will become disinterested and leave.
 
In a digital space that is constantly evolving, it is difficult to keep up and make sure your website continues to meet today’s standards online. In this post, we aim to share some easy tips to improve your B2B website design initiatives. The areas below are design components that can drastically increase user engagement.

 

Navigation

 
If someone has difficulty navigating your site, naturally they will feel lost.
 

• Do you have breadcrumbs? (and not the ones left over after a sandwich). Breadcrumbs help people see where they are on your site. It is almost like a visual path that shows them how they got to a particular page.

• Keep your catalogue simple! Try to simplify your top navigation as much as you can. Your products and services should be easy to find. Clean this up – you might not need a page within a page, within a page, just to communicate a simple message. Venture Beat calls this “recalculating your route” and advises you should consider shifting scarce design and content resources away from the “desert” below the fold on the homepage.

Language

 
A great rule of thumb is you should try to write your copy so that you are answering your client’s questions before they think of asking them! Also, when it comes to B2B website design, your products and services may be more sophisticated or complex for everyone to understand off the bat. Just remember that you might be experts on what you’re selling, but your user might not be.
 
For more help in this area, check out one of our blog posts that teaches you more about web copywriting that works!
 

An Example

 
Hootsuite does a great job at displaying just enough information that is easy to read and uses a no-frills approach to their website design.
 
Hootsuite’s most important calls to action are bright pops of colour, conveniently placed and are designed for conversion. A call to action at the top of the page is a “must-have” to include in your B2B website design if you don’t use them already!
 

 

Visual Design

 
Does your brand have a solid identity? The elements of size, colour and images should make sense with your message and be used to establish a hierarchy. Think about how to use visual elements to draw attention to the most important aspects of your product or service. Decide what needs to pop first, then second and everything else that should follow in a specific order as your user scrolls down the page.
 

Colouring

 
The main colour should be used about 60% of the time and creates the overall unifying theme of the design. The 30% should contrast with the 60% for visual interest. The 10% is an “accent colour”, which should complement your primary or secondary colour.
 

Optimizations

 
Optimizing your website for mobile is crucial. The majority of us mainly consume information from our phones and if your site doesn’t work well on mobile, you could be missing out. When it comes to your B2B website design, your mobile site should be designed for what Moz calls “the fat finger.” This means your site on mobile should be easy to navigate for touch. If your links or buttons are way too large or way too small, the mobile user will accidentally click through your site and become frustrated.
 
Also, your site should have a responsive design. This way your site is responsive depending on screen resolution and size (mainly desktop, tablet and mobile).
 

Source: Moz.com, “Mobile Optimization”
 
Although B2B website design options are seemingly endless, considering the efforts above will help you be well on your way toward success online.
 
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