What Is B2B Website Design and Why is It Important?

If your business offers professional services or products to other companies, it likely falls into the business-to-business (B2B) category. As you may know, promoting your B2B business works a little differently than marketing a business-to-consumer (B2C) business.

Equally, your B2B website design should differ from a B2C site. A website is one of the first places your potential clients will find you online, no matter your type of business. However, a professional website is even more crucial when trying to attract enterprise clients.

There are a few key B2B website goals your site should aim for to win more business and grow. If your target audience is other businesses, you need a B2B website designed to attract and convert picky clients.

What is a B2B website, and why is it so important to get a professional B2B website designed? We tell you that, and more.

What Is the Purpose of a B2B Website?

A B2B website is a site designed specifically with your enterprise clients or potential client base in mind. In a nutshell, a B2B website is designed to convert potential business clients. It should also make it easy for them to purchase your goods or services, ask for a quote, or contact you.

What Are Some Examples of B2B Websites?

There is no one-size-fits-all B2B website template. No two B2B websites are, look, or work exactly the same. Here are five common types of B2B websites and their purpose.

Wholesale B2B Websites

No matter whether you sell wholesale gold, steel, or fruit to local smithies, jewelers, or grocers, a B2B website design geared towards wholesale sales is ideal for you. A wholesale website may include a customer login as well as frequently updated online pricing, order, and quote forms.

B2B Marketplace Websites

B2B marketplaces are slightly different. A B2B marketplace website is essentially a third-party site where you may post your products and business contact details for other businesses to find. The best examples of global B2B marketplace websites are Alibaba, IndiaMART, and Global Sources.

E-Commerce B2B Websites

Not to be confused with a marketplace website, an e-commerce B2B website is also a site where you may sell your products and services. However, this type of site is usually owned or run by your business down to order fulfillment, customer service, and inventory.

SaaS B2B Websites

SaaS stands for software as a service. It refers to software that may be sold or licensed online with no exchange of a physical product. B2B SaaS website design may be demanding, as most SaaS websites sell, license, and store their software directly on the site.

Professional Services Websites

Professionals, such as lawyers, accountants, brokers, designers, and other types of contractors also fall under B2B services. Whether you are a company, firm, agency, or sole proprietorship, a B2B website with content, testimonials, and contact details may boost your visibility.

What Is the Difference Between a B2C, C2C, B2G, and B2B Website?

With terms such as business-to-customer (B2C), business-to-government (B2G), customer-to-customer (C2C), and business-to-business (B2B) doing rounds, it’s fair to be confused. Here are the main differences between B2C, C2C, B2G, and B2B businesses and websites.

Business-To-Business (B2B) Websites

Business-to-business (B2B) businesses and their websites’ main customers are other businesses (including sole proprietorships). Your clients and customers could be restaurants, office blocks, real estate developers, and various other types of companies and professionals.

What you offer could include weekly office cleaning, wholesale materials or goods, software, accounting, construction, or other B2B products/services. B2B website designs vary depending on your specific offering.

Business-To-Customer (B2C) Websites

Business-to-customer (B2C) businesses and websites sell goods and services directly to the public or end-consumer. Generally, these offerings come in the form of goods and services required for personal use, not aimed at other businesses. Food, clothing, toiletries, decor, electronics, furniture, software, automobiles, and once-off services are a handful of B2C examples.

Customer-To-Customer (C2C) Websites

Customer-to-customer (C2C) websites are sites where the general public may buy, swap, and sell services to each other. Though likely managed by a business, the business managing the site offers no direct product to users besides the use of the website or platform. However, in exchange, it may take a cut of the customers’ sales or earn revenue from ads.

Business-To-Government (B2G) Websites

Business-to-government (B2G) businesses and websites offer goods and services directly to governmental organizations. Software, electronic data storage & transfer, supply chain, and infrastructure websites aimed at the government may fall into this category.

The Top Five Reasons to Get a B2B Website Designed

Determining if it’s worth your time and money to get a B2B website designed or to get a B2B website redesign done by a professional B2B web design company requires taking a look at what you stand to gain. Here are the top five reasons why you should invest in a professional B2B website design for your business.

1. You Want Your B2B Website to Stand Out From the Crowd

There’s a good chance that many B2B businesses in your industry already have a website. An impressive B2B website design is one of the best ways to stand out from the crowd. A professional and polished website is also crucial if you want to attract enterprise clients. This is the case even if you are a small business or sole proprietorship or don’t plan to sell goods or services online.

2. You Want a B2B Website That Will Increase Your Walk-in’s

B2B websites direct offline traffic, not just online traffic. This is because a large number of people and businesses find physical businesses online first. A cutting-edge B2B website may drive foot traffic to your location by impressing your potential clients. Alternatively, it might encourage them to call your business or send you an email asking for a quote or consultation.

3. You’re Setting up an Online B2B E-Commerce Store

If you sell products to businesses, you may be looking for the best ways to advertise and sell them online. Opening an e-commerce store is one of the top ways to cast a wider net, putting your products in front of businesses nationwide, or even globally. Unlike using third-party platforms, you won’t lose a percentage of your profits. Your business also gets to dictate the B2B e-commerce store website design, content, and add-ons.

4. You Want a Website That Follows B2B Website Design Best Practices

If you’re not knowledgeable about web design and B2B website design best practices, it might be in your best interest to talk to an experienced B2B web design company, no matter whether you want a simple or a more intricate site. Custom B2B web design demands specific skills such as programming, UI/UX design, and graphic design. You may not possess these in order to create the quality of website you’re envisioning, but a skilled B2B website design team will.

5. Your Website Needs a B2B Website Redesign

If your existing website is not getting your business the attention, leads, or enterprise clients it deserves, it may be time to hire a professional B2B website development company to give it a makeover.

A B2B website redesign may involve adding new sections or building an entirely new website from scratch. Alternatively, it may include optimization of parts or all of your website. No matter what your website and needs, a website design agency will know how best to approach your B2B website redesign.

The Top Five B2B Website Design Best Practices

According to data collated by Review24, 48% of internet users think that website design is the most important factor when deciding site credibility. However, website design is not just about visuals. Here there are other key B2B website goals your site should aim for to win business.

Here are the top five B2B website design best practices a web design company may implement to boost online leads, conversions, and visibility for your business.

Eye-Catching B2B Web Design

When opening and browsing your website, potential clients should be impressed. A unique and eye-catching B2B website design will ensure that other businesses take note of and remember your business. A flawlessly designed website also gives a professional impression, which helps build trust and rapport.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

A B2B website’s design is not complete without SEO because it helps your website rank higher on search engines such as Google and Bing. Without it, even a stellar website could be hard to find in the online world.

Industry-Related and Topical Content

Content is vital for your B2B website. It may include team bio’s, an about page, contact details, and information about your goods and services. B2B website content best practices advise that you also post industry-relevant or topical content on your site. Blogs and informational content related to your industry may boost website visits and SEO.

Calls To Action

Calls to action are usually short, motivational phrases, such as “call us now,” “ask for a quote,” and “grab your X now!” Including calls to action on your B2B website is vital, as doing so may help boost your conversions and leads. The best B2B website designs include “call to action” buttons that help your potential clients to complete the action easily and quickly.

Responsive UX/UI Design

UX and UI (short for user-experience and user-interface) are the latest buzzwords in B2B website design and app development. UX and UI go beyond visuals, branding, and color coordination. Responsive UX and UI web design aim to streamline your site for different devices and users, ensuring that it looks good and works flawlessly. Ease of use is essential in our fast-paced world, where being able to complete an action on your B2B website swiftly and efficiently may mean the difference between converting a client or not.

How Much Does B2B Website Design and Redesign Cost?

If you are considering getting a B2B website designed or having your B2B website redesigned, you’re probably interested in knowing how much it may cost and how much time it might take. Here are some general guidelines on how much a website design or redesign may cost and estimated turnaround times.

B2B Website Design & Redesign Cost

It’s difficult to put an exact price on a B2B website design or redesign. Generally speaking, businesses will spend upwards of a few thousand up to tens of thousands of dollars on a website. According to Freshbooks’ guide on how much web designers charge, $6,760 is the average website design spend for businesses. A B2B website redesign usually costs around the same as a website design unless the required changes are minor.

B2B E-Commerce Website Design

A B2B e-commerce website design may cost on the higher end of the spectrum due to the complexity of these types of sites. Besides adding inventory, an e-commerce site may also need additional software and features to run quickly and effectively.

You may create an e-commerce store using online design platforms. However, if you want a completely customizable site that is future-proof, it’s worth getting your e-commerce store custom designed by a website design company.

WordPress B2B Website Design Cost

A B2B WordPress website is an affordable option for businesses looking for a basic website that they may design and manage. If you design a B2B WordPress website yourself using free templates, it may cost you less. However, you may also employ a professional web design agency to design a completely customized B2B WordPress website for you. In which case, it could cost around the same or less than a regular website.

Additional B2B Website Design and Redesign Costs

Aside from B2B website design or redesign, there are a few additional monthly and annual website costs for which to account. Mainly, you need to budget for hosting, your domain name, server costs (if hosting yourself), as well as website management. B2B website content best practices advise you to add topical content to your website to boost its authority and rank as well.

How Long Does a B2B Website Design or Redesign Take?

The time it takes for a professional web design agency to complete a B2B website design or redesign varies. A very rough timeline is around 50 to 500 hours. Largely, this time frame depends on your B2B website’s complexity and size. A B2B website redesign may take just as long as a B2B website design or slightly less, depending on the required changes and optimizations.

Conclusion

The top B2B websites follow B2B website design best practices, including SEO, content, and conversion optimization. Whether you want a B2B SaaS website design, an e-commerce store, or something else entirely, consulting a reputed web design agency to get your B2B website designed or redesigned might be well worth your while.

Originally posted in: https://www.topnotchdezigns.com/what-is-b2b-website-design-and-why-is-it-important/