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You’d think it’s needless to talk about this in 2016, but the truth is that many B2B companies still dramatically underestimate the importance of impeccable user experience on their websites. A recent research from the Nielsen Norman Group showed that many B2B websites are “stuck in the 1990s,” failing to provide the information that clients are looking for and offering an overall disastrous UX experience.
When was the last time you, as a regular user, went back to a website that provided you with a horrible user experience the first time? And, most importantly, why would your customers do that?
Obviously, this doesn’t apply to everyone, there are fantastic UX designs out there that deserve a People’s Choice award, but even if you are already one of them, take a couple minutes to review these UX tips B2B companies can use to increase their conversion rates.
1. Ensure device-agnostic UX
Most of us are used to hearing terms like “traditional web design” or “mobile-first design.” In both cases the emphasis is on the device. Many companies tend to go with the second option as a considerable share of searches and visits comes from touch devices. A device-agnostic approach to responsive design is different from those two because they prioritize content over device. Based on this new approach, you should take the time creating the right content, and once you do, it’s sure enough to convert!
2. Ensure easy navigation
As a B2B company, the goals of your website are more complex than those of a B2C site. You are dealing with decision-makers under pressure and you want to have the most important information readily available, with easy navigation from step one to the others, avoiding any external distractions.
Let’s remember that the ultimate goal of your website is conversion. Therefore, the visitor must be able to convert into a lead, and the lead must be able to convert into a client. This means your UX design team should put in all the efforts so that prospects arrive at a “conversion-ready” website. Skillful web designers will offer solutions ranging from calls to action across the entire website, smooth sales funnels, logical navigation and menu structure. The customization will be done based on your business type.
3. Limit the number of conversion paths from one page
While having conversion points is important, make sure not to go overboard with them. Instead of calling everyone to purchase your products all over the website, you should design a step-by-step conversion process by implementing well-thought UX design and content marketing based on the Buyer’s Journey.
4. Place the right content in the right place
Your website has a homepage which is similar to an elevator pitch for your business. So here you need to elaborate on effective headlines and shorter copy.
The subpages, on the other hand, are your online “meeting rooms,” so if the user navigated here, chances are they are interested in details that should be waiting for them on the page.
There’s one last thing to remember, no matter if you’re writing content for homepage or the subpages, your readers will be more interested in “configurable software for increasing productivity within teams” than in “a custom-tailored software outlet ensuring synergistic augmentation of cross-functional team structures”! So, try to be simple and to the point – speak their language!
5. Pick a successful color palette and typographical hierarchy
Most of the information on your website is written language, so typography can make a huge impact. B2B websites are instances where prospective clients do judge the book by its cover, so you don’t want to scare them off with poor choices of typography or color palette.
We are all creatures of habit, and we all read in similar patterns. Users skim your website in 2 main reading patterns: F-pattern or Z-Pattern, as shown in the picture below.
Your UX design team can definitely make use of this to put the most important pieces of content in the active areas, increasing engagement and, consequently, conversion rates.
Finally, remember that successful UX means better chances for more conversions, and that’s exactly what your business should be striving to achieve! If you’re looking for further material on web optimization, download our free ebook below.
