Top B2B Website Features for 2023
Upgrading your B2B website or adding new features to improve customer experiences is always time well spent. Visitor expectations are higher than ever, and a fast, responsive, and immersive website showcases professionalism and will form a positive first impression with prospective new buyers.
However, it's also important to focus on the right areas and look at trending website features that will produce the highest returns.
Let’s look at some of the best B2B website features to consider for the year ahead.
Bios for Blog Posts and Content Libraries
Almost every B2B business will have a blog up and running on its website. You might call this a content library, knowledge hub or guides section, but either way, it's a valuable resource for visitors.
Blog posts don’t simply provide added value, boost your SEO, and answer buyer queries, though. They're also a major element of establishing yourself as a credible company and an expert in your sector or field.
Our tip for 2023 is to add a short and sweet author bio to your blogs (you can chop and change these each time if you have several contributors!).
Why? Because an author bio makes your blog feel more personal and puts a face to the content your visitor is reading. It also enhances authority and presents the information within your blogs as trustworthy and reliable.
Adding an author bio is a simple tweak, but one that can make a meaningful difference to the way readers perceive your content and the credence they place on any recommendations or advice you provide.
An author bio makes your blog feel more personal and puts a face to the content your visitor is reading.”
Adding Value to Service Pages
Service pages don't typically need a huge overhaul or a complete rewrite. But adding value with interactive features such as videos, explainer guides, or FAQs is a good call.
The standout theme in B2B website development is self-service, where each visitor can find every answer they are looking for or complete their intended task without requiring any further touch points.
By inserting a useful FAQs section, you can increase your position on the SERP, help visitors resolve their own queries, and ensure every buyer has all the information they require available within one click.
FAQs are also a really great way to tackle common objections – for example, if you often have buyers query a specification or ask how you’re able to meet a complex performance standard, you can explain this in greater detail without clogging up the service page with excess text.
Showcasing Your Team
Many B2B businesses assume buyers are less concerned with a personal approach or building long-term relationships than B2C buyers, but this couldn't be further from the truth!
For a buyer to invest time, budget, and energy into researching your products or services, completing a supplier onboarding process, and pitching you as a shortlisted supplier to a procurement board or management team, they need to like and trust you.
A team page is a perfect opportunity to personalise the buyer experience and present your staffing structure. If a visitor needs to call or visit your offices, they'll know who they're looking for and will find it far easier to engage and establish a dialogue.
You can also use team pages to add further credibility, with accreditations, qualifications or a brief paragraph of content explaining what each person does, their specialisms or experience, and how to get in touch with them directly.
Social Proof Content
Social proof is a massive element of digital marketing and online PR. Think of it as a third-party endorsement of your brand that buyers rely on to determine whether what you say is true.
There are plenty of options to establish and grow social proof, but some of the possibilities include the following:
- Buyer reviews and testimonials. Asking long-standing clients to write a quick review is a fantastic way to add weight to your brand positioning! A buyer is considerably more likely to buy from a business where they can see other buyers have had a positive experience.
- Case studies. A case study is another excellent way to show what your product or service does in action and the positive impacts it has had on other B2B clients – perhaps even a competitor to your prospective buyer. A case study is also ideal for newer or more technical products because you can show how it works and provide context about the advantages you can offer.
- Client ratings. Buyers are often busy, and adding visual references that don't require any time to digest is a quick, straightforward way to show that your company is professional and delivers high-quality services. Asking existing clients to click on a rating score (usually from one to five) takes little time or effort and is an easier ask than requesting full-length reviews.
This list is far from exhaustive but should give you some ideas to add content and visual graphics to your website that solidify your position and back up your marketing messages.
Advanced Customer Service Tools
We mentioned the self-service trend earlier, and interactive features are part and parcel of making your website work harder to meet the needs of every visitor.
B2B buyers are often more interested in customer support than in other sectors because it’s very likely they will, at some point, need to track a consignment, verify a product price or specification, or access further details.
Chatbots or live chat features are both beneficial, one connecting to an AI-enabled database of information and the other to a colleague.
Linking your chat functions to customer account records means a buyer can ask a question about their balance, an invoice, or request copies of statements or receipts without needing to pick up the phone or type out an email.
Clear Calls to Action
Finally, consider the CTAs on your B2B site and place relevant, eye-catching, and clear action buttons in logical positions. CTAs improve site navigation and ensure buyers don't drop off your sales funnel because you've missed an opportunity to engage or capture their contact details.
CTAs should be crisp and concise and show exactly what you'd like a buyer to do – whether that's registering their interest, downloading a guide, signing up for an event, or requesting a brochure or call back.