ELEKTRONIKPRAXIS column: Part 028: The most important rules for an optimally designed B2B website

9The internet presence of a B2B company is optimal if it succeeds in gaining new contacts and future customers from visitors to the website. This is why companies should follow certain rules when setting up and planning their website. Sanjay Sauldie, expert in B2B internet marketing and inventor of the iROI strategy, explains these rules.

When building and planning B2B websites, there are certain rules to be observed that are partly responsible for the success of the company. Many web designers simply transfer the rules of B2C websites to B2B websites without considering the special requirements of B2B. For example, some B2B websites are designed with Flash animations. These Flash animations are not recognised by search engines and their content is not registered by Google & Co.

There are also many companies that internally prohibit animations from running. This can result in a website being called up that is not displayed correctly in the browser because the animations are missing. Despite this fact, B2B websites are developed with Flash and people wonder why visitors do not become contacts.

Avoid Flash animations on your B2B website

Over the last few years, people have become accustomed to certain processes on the Internet and do not expect animation where it is not necessary, e.g. animated logos, especially in the B2B sector. In addition, time plays an important role, especially in B2B. Nobody really has time to understand the logic of your web designer before finally getting in touch with you.

It's different with B2C websites: if you're a rock star, visitors are happy to wait in front of your website just to watch the "cool" animation. If you're in B2B, then it's important how quickly you can get to the really valuable information - and how easy it is made so that you don't waste any time.

Please remember: People are creatures of habit and the internet doesn't change that. Give the visitor the information where he expects it and therefore does not have to search for it first. Since 1999, the iROI strategy has been preaching the construction of websites according to certain rules and has defined a template for B2B websites that guarantees the maximum return on investment. Those who violate these rules are penalised with visitors who leave the website very quickly.

Basis for the optimal design from the user's point of view

We have christened this layout "3-column design" and tested it time and again - especially in the B2B world. The result: people recognise the design, know how to use it and find their way around quickly and easily. Of course, this design is only a basic template. The details need to be customised for your website. Nevertheless, you have a guideline with which you can proceed optimally.

The logo must be on the left, on all pages and the call to action area, as well as the breadcrumb trail (Home > Category > Subcategory) must always be in the same place to help the visitor navigate. In the meantime, even Google has adapted its search results to the 3-column design. The call to action is very important because the visitor must be able to contact you fairly quickly or find out where they can meet you soon, e.g. at a trade fair.

Turning visitors into business contacts

In addition, a call-back service or a video and newsletter registration can be integrated. It is important that the visitor does not disappear without recognising himself. Whitepapers that are offered for download are also a good help, of course only after free registration.

The navigation belongs on the left and at the top (main navigation) and then comes the content, which should be neatly divided into headline and subheadings as well as the banner text. Images can also support this, as can video, for example.

The search box belongs at the top right (Wikipedia has now adopted it too.) If your agency tells you "That must be a coincidence!", it's time to change it!

Keyword clouds support search engines

Under the content, i.e. under the texts, it has become common practice to use a so-called keyword cloud, i.e. an area in which the keywords are taken from all texts and then displayed in different sizes depending on their frequency. This is a great help for search engines when indexing your content.

The least interesting area for visitors is at the top right. This is where you place the imprint, terms and conditions etc.!

With this design, you can not only pick up visitors better in the future, but also turn them into business contacts with the relevant information. Even if you have just taken the creativity away from your web agency, it is your decision whether you want to win a design award or whether you would rather win new contacts and thus future customers!