9 signs you need a new B2B website design

We’ve already discussed the quick-fix tips to help improve your B2B website…but what if your site design still isn’t hitting the mark? When is it time to wave that white flag and admit you need a revamp?

Well, there are numerous tell-tale signs that suggest your site needs a change, or at the very least some website optimisation. So get your flag-waving arm ready; here are seven signs you need a new B2B website design.

1. You’re unable to update anything

Old, inaccessible websites require expert professionals and code-literate individuals to make changes. The result? A clunky, festering website that nobody has the time nor inclination to fix.

But if you get a decent content management system, changes can be made by anyone in your business quickly and simply. Instead of being stuck with a design only suitable for dinosaurs, you’ll be able to make gradual, informed design updates without having to spend hours (or lots of money) on it. Win.

2. Your bounce rate is hitting the ceiling

If you spend enough time analysing your site visitors, you’ll be well acquainted with the term ‘bounce rate’. If not, it simply means the number of single visitors to your website who, well, don’t stick around for long.

Why is your bounce rate high? It could be because your site doesn’t offer visitors what they wanted, or there were faults in your website design that made their user experience too painful to bear.

The average bounce rate for a content website is between 40-60 percent. This number fluctuates according to your different pages (landing pages, for instance, are higher because they ask for valuable information). If your percentage is higher than this, take a look at your website design and try to remedy things that could be creating a sub-par experience for your visitors.

3. It’s slow and unresponsive

Did you know that 73 percent of mobile users have encountered a site that was too slow to load? What’s more, every second longer your page takes to load, the percentage of drop-offs goes up significantly.

In the battle to keep visitors on your webpage, slow and steady does not win the race. Regularly checking your site speed with tools like PageSpeed Insights and making sure your B2B website is as fast and responsive as possible - on both mobile and desktop devices - is essential for keeping your visitors happy and your conversion rates high.

Bonus tip: you can find more advice for improving your page loading speed here.

4. There’s no consistent stream of content

Keeping a regularly updated and quality B2B blog is essential for good SEO, visitor satisfaction and driving organic traffic and leads. Without one, your visitors will be bouncing off your website like lemmings off a cliff.

So if your website is without a blog or ‘news’ section, consider adding one. But be sure to keep your content relevant, informative and helpful – your visitors don’t want to read mind-numbingly unimportant stuff.

5. The design itself is archaic

When computers first became accessible to the everyday person, amateur website designs weren’t particularly appealing. Unfortunately, unlike fashion trends, outdated websites aren’t coming back into popularity any time soon.

Here are some key statistics to persuade you to freshen up your website:

• 66 percent of web users expect a website to look visually appealing.
• 38 percent of website visitors will stop engaging with your website if the content or layout is unattractive.

If your website design is still decades behind, it may be time to outsource some professional help to get your website looking like it belongs in the 21^st Century.

6. Your design isn’t in line with your brand

Think about your brand positioning and what your business and your B2B website stand for. Your design scheme and imagery should perfectly match your:

• Industry. For example, a technology B2B probably won’t fare well with a flowery website design. (I know, what a bummer.)
• Brand messaging. This is the way you communicate with your clients and present your company’s voice.
• Goals. What are your business goals for the future? Does your design promote them?
• Clients and customers. One of the most important drivers for brand and design are your customers and clients. Your website design must be appealing to your audience - if it’s as suitable and attractive to them as your business, you’re onto a winner.

7. It’s too cluttered

Adding plenty of content to your B2B website is good, but too much is…an eyesore. You want to make sure your website visitors are focusing on the right things, not everything in sight.   

If your homepage is filled with pop-up ads, picture slideshows and sidebars, you may want to rethink your entire website design and invest in a little whitespace. This can improve readability as well as bounce rates.

8. There’s no way to capture leads

Your website can attract quality visitors, but you have no way to convert them. Sound familiar? That’ll be due to your lack of lead capture.

Call-to-action buttons, landing pages and forms are necessary for gaining valuable information about your website visitors and potential clients. Without them, you’ll struggle to convert visitors into those all-important leads and nurture them through the buyer’s journey.

9. Your clients can’t engage with you

Providing your clients with a helpful, thorough contact page and links to active social media accounts is important for visitor satisfaction and lead capture.

Fifty-one percent of people believe that missing ‘thorough contact information’ is the most important element missing from many company websites, according to KoMarketing. Additionally, 44 percent of your B2B website users will leave your site if there is no obvious contact information or phone number.

Are these visitors worth losing? Probably not. If you’re still without a useful way for customers to engage with you, it’s definitely time for a design rethink.

Is it time for change?

‘You must be the change you wish to see in the world your B2B website’ – Mahatma Gandhi

Like with any changes your business makes, it’s up to you to be the change and steer your company’s future in the right direction. Invest time in your website design, spot the tell-tale signs that may be having a negative effect on your sales, lead capture and user satisfaction, and make a conscious effort to improve them.

At the end of the day, your B2B website design must be up-to-date and ahead of competition to stay a success. So, what are you waiting for? Get going!