This is part one of a ten-part series called B2B Success in a Digital World. Every few weeks we will post a new digital marketing topic to help you grow your business in a virtual world. Sign up for our newsletter in the column on the right to have the rest of the articles delivered straight to your inbox.
B2B Success Part 1 – What does a restaurant have to do with your website?
I found my dream home and moved to a small town in Massachusetts six years ago. After a full day of unpacking and organizing, my family and I were feeling tired and hungry and decided to go out for a bite to eat. The only restaurant in town was five minutes away and so that is where we went. We walked through the door and were promptly greeted by one of the owners, a small white-haired woman in her 70’s. She grabbed four menus and guided us down a dark hallway and up three stairs to a booth in the dining room.
Looking around from the booth, it felt like we had been transported to a time from decades past. The décor was authentic 1970s with moss-green carpet, brown mustard walls, and gold orb chandeliers. I do not mean retro design; I mean the restaurant was built in the 1970s, it was dark and dingy, and not a thing had been updated in fifty years. I honestly don’t remember how the food tasted, (I heard they had good steak) but we never went back.
So, what does all of this have to do with your website?
B2B Success Begins with Your Website
Your most important digital asset is your website. Most B2B owners and executives understand the importance of having a website but may not realize the message it is conveying to existing and prospective customers.
As your digital kingdom, the look, feel and usability of your website influences your audience’s perception of your business. It is where people go to see what your company is all about and to find out how you can help them solve their problems.
It is where your brand will make that all-important first impression, build trust, and differentiate your company from your competitors. Getting this right is the foundation upon which your digital presence is built.
Make sure your online presence reflects your brand and your customers today and not twenty or more years ago.
If your website was built in the ’90s or even early 2000s, trust me, it looks like it, and visitors may think your business is stuck in the past, lacking innovation or resources.
It is easier and not as expensive as you may think to create a new website with the right partner. Let’s get acquainted with a conversation – it’s free.
B2B Success Website Checklist
Your website can serve many purposes but its primary purpose is to help grow your business. Therefore, the most important thing that your website should do is communicate what matters most to potential customers. The following checklist provides structure to help you convey a clear message that leads your visitors to success.
- Offering – The first thing your website should tell a visitor is that you have what they want and how their life will be better by working with you. What is the value you offer to your clients/customers, your value proposition, competitive advantage in relation to what they want? Remember this is where it is mostly about them and not you.
- Problem – What problem has brought your visitors to your website and how does that make them feel?
- Connection – In what way are you similar to your customers and why can they trust you to help solve their problem? Still, not about you.
- Plan – What is the plan that solves their problem? Your product or service is only a part of the plan. Provide the simple 3-5 step process that solves their problem.
- Action – What do you want them to do next? Ask for the sale, phone call, or whatever the next step is to doing business with you.
- Why – Remind visitors why they came to your website. They have a problem and if they don’t work with you, they will still have the problem that could get even worse.
- Success – What will your customers’ life be like after they buy your product or service to solve their problem? This is where you should use photos and include testimonials to convey the message.
Use this structure as the primary content for engaging your visitors on your website. Your website may also include an About Us, Contact Us and other content that will connect you with visitors’ and answer their questions.
GoldTree Marketing works with B2B owners and executives who have a growth plan and need marketing resources. If our background and experience are a good fit for you great, let’s work together. If not, we have a lot of friends and can introduce you to other marketing resources that specialize in your industry.
