B2B Websites - Are you annoying visitors?

When talking with a client about their Website in the B2B space, I try and get everyone focused on why prospective buyers and customers come to their site. The obvious objectives were reinforced in a study by Dianna Huff of DH Communications, Inc., and Derek Edmond and Casie Gillette of KoMarketing Associates as reported here in the Center for Media Research, Research Brief, March 20, 2014.

"Buyers come to a vendor website with a stated purpose, says the report: to gather information, research a vendor, make a buying decision, and annoying elements interrupt buyers’ train of thought. Elements that cause buyers to leave vendor websites due to annoying them include video or audio that plays automatically (93%) and animated ads that crawl across a page or pop up (88%)..."

One of the questions asked was, “When you’re on the home page [of a vendor’s website] what information do you want to see available?” The overwhelming majority of respondents indicated they want to see “Products and Services” information. Buyers also want to see “About” or company information “Marketing Collateral” and “Testimonials.” This information is a form of supporting validation."  Few buyers looked for “Social Media Buttons” or a blog.

There are exceptions to every rule or best practice but here are some of my observations:

1. If we look at heat map studies the "above the fold" should convey any offers you are making and the all important "menu" so visitors can get to the products and services. Many sites, including consumer sites, have search capabilities that are below par. What are visitors looking for an not finding?

2. The left hand corner should position your product/service so don't put a photo of a child doing a yoga pose if you are not selling yoga related services and products to owners of yoga studios.

3. About is about you and your team. Relationship marketing didn't go out the door with the digital age, rather it moved front and center. I want to know who I am doing business with and if you send someone to follow up with me and they are not on your Website and you're not the size of Bank of America,  I figure they aren't important to your business and neither am I.  Who's in the wheelhouse?

4. I like pop ups - always have and find they are annoying because they don't help me most of the time. Technical folks hate them and if you let your technical staff drive the design of your Website and your marketing team takes direction from him/her then I recommend a third party to come in and evaluate your site based on best marketing practices. 

5. Executives rarely ask for or are provided statistics on the performance of a Website. In addition to who is coming and going, when are you loosing your visitors? What keywords are they using to search your site and which fail to bring up a "result?" It would help to set objectives to improve performance with direction and encouragement from the top.

6. As one who has stabbed around for contact information, the study reports up to 55% of buyers will leave your site if it lacks contact information with 68% citing it as critically important.  I also like to know the headquarters address. Again, relationships begin with an exchange of telephone numbers whether written on the back of a napkin or printed clearly on a business card and, as the study points out, your email address is even more important.

 "Yet, vendor websites often lack this information – with vendors often forcing people to complete “contact us” forms rather than providing email or phone information."


 Ruth Ann Barrett, Digital Savvy, March 20, 2014, Portland, Oregon

P.S.

The "info@companyname is to be avoided at all costs.  It's an email address that might as well read  info@blackhole.com.

Source of heatmap example here.