What type of Website DoesYour B2B Firm Need?

As much as you admire websites

like Amazon, ESPN or Apple as a user...

...the likelihood is that your B2B firm has an entirely different mission.

So, you’re strategy needs to be tailored to reaching the right audience and motivating them to action.

Whether you’re just starting up or looking to commission a website redesign,

B2B websites can be grouped loosely into three categories:

Brand Story:Paint a compelling picture in prospects’ minds.

1

Number Driven:Lead generation is priority #1.

2

Targeted Microsite:Messaging-oriented, built for a specific

purpose or time period.

3

Common Elements

3All three website types require you to define a core message and combine it with outstanding design to enable your brand to stand out from the clutter.

Within that, though, there are two key components

that are of vital importance to a successful website

design or redesign:

1compelling copywriting: headlines and intros that guide the viewer through a visual hierarchy, leading them to the action youwant them to take.

stunning visuals: photography, video

and illustration/graphics that evoke

certain emotions and/or help the user find the product/service

that they need.

These pieces are essential to developing a sitethat engages and converts the customer.

But there’s an important time factor, too: In light of the Forbes article, “Now is the

time for responsive design,” it’s absolutely paramount that you incorporate responsive

web design into your planning.

Having a website that seamlessly accommodates your users’ needs—whether mobile phones,

tablets, or other devices—isn’t just aboutkeeping your Google rank intact, it’s a matter of

ensuring maximum usability for yourcustomers and potential clients.

On the other hand, a website can’t be all things to all users, and

decisions need to be made about priorities:

Key Differences

A brand-story site may put an emphasis on durable emotional connection, for example—not asking for the sale as immediately or abruptly, but rather wooing the prospect with client case studies or testimonials that allow them to “see” themselves working with you. In essence, it’s a softer sell.

For a number-driven website, you need to put

your Type A hat on and cut to the chase: What

are the key facts and figures that are going to

provoke action, i.e., generate leads?

What are the tech aspects that you’ll

need to have lined up, such as email campaigns,

SEO metrics, etc.?

A microsite will probably incorporate

aspects of both. Although its targeted,

theme-based marketing probably

has more goals in common with the

number-driven methodology, the

method of persuasion may lean toward the

brand-oriented pitch.

This is obviously a simplification of the overall ecosystem of websites. A number-driven site

still needs a brand story, a brand-story site still needs measurable results, and a targeted

microsite needs to incorporate elements of both.

But there is a benefit to defining your end purpose in its

simplest terms from aB2B perspective:

You can always increase the complexity of your website to accomplish your goals, but having a clear mission ensures that it’s always done for a reason.

Click here to read the entire post on the

Briefcase blog

Click here to find out how BCD can help leveragedesign to deliver powerful B2B business results