Conversion rate optimisation

B2B Conversion Rate Optimisation For SMEs

B2B companies increasingly want long-term relationships with suppliers. Therefore, new business relationships can be very profitable. The difficulty nowadays is to reach the interested buyers at the right point in the purchasing process.

Published

08 June 2021

Main photo

©Sammby - stock.adobe.com

Tags B2BConversion Rate OptimizationOnline-Marketing

When buyers search for suppliers on B2B portals, they usually keep going to the company’s website for more information. It becomes problematic if the visitor only informs himself but does not make a request. Conversion is the goal of all online marketing activities, as contact information is collected and potential leads can be identified. In the B2B area, this is not a completed purchase, but a contact or product inquiry. After all, B2B companies export industrial goods such as machine tools, pumps, conveyor belts or special screws, which are not simply sold through a web shop. Unfortunately, mostly only about 0.5 to 2% of the traffic on the website converts. But how can you get more visitors to send a product inquiry?

 

B2B conversion rate optimization: convert visitors to leads

B2B websites often act as an “extended business card”. However, the increasing online research during the first phases of B2B shopping on the Internet means that the websites must be optimized as best as possible for the conversion of visitors. Conversion rate optimization (CRO) should not be confused with search engine optimization (SEO). With search engine optimization, you align a website, i.e. texts and elements, according to the Google algorithm, which ensures that the website is listed high up in the results on search engines. Conversion rate optimization, on the other hand, means that website elements are aligned in such a way that visitors are encouraged to make a request.

Customize the visitor experience

In order to increase the conversion rate of SEA ads, you need to satisfy the need for information that a buyer has after clicking on your search ad. It is downright annoying for interested parties when they are first directed to the homepage and then have to search for the product page that is relevant to them. SMEs with strong exports usually have around 3 to 5 main product groups which they export. B2B companies should use the product groups to create individual landing pages for each of their SEA ads that are linked to the advertising message.

The landing page should look like this for the best possible conversion rate:

  • The structure should be simple and reduced. Top or foot navigation can be reduced (compared to the regular homepage).
  • Meaningful contact elements direct the visitor.
  • A graphic element in the upper area creates emotions.
  • A list of the main points of sale should quickly catch the visitor’s eye and subconsciously convince him.

1.Guide the visitor to the website

Visitors want to be clearly guided on a website and informed about the next steps. This idea is not yet as widespread in the B2B area as it is in the B2C area. So-called call-to-actions (CTA), i.e. fields that open a redirect to another page or a contact form, should be on every subpage or landing page.

For the best possible B2B conversion optimization, the following must be observed with CTAs:

  • Formulating
    Communicate to the customer the advantages of clicking on the CTA, e.g. “Get a free offer now” instead of simply “submitting it”.
  • Coloring
    The CTA must be clearly identifiable as such by a prominent color scheme, which you should keep for the CTAs throughout the website.
  • Placement
    A CTA should above all be set according to specific offer descriptions. In other words, where the customer makes his decision.
2.Reduce the "contact hurdles"

With the actual contact form, a few points must also be observed so that the visitor is not put off by the form. In the B2B area, the contact forms are often still determined by the principle: “The more information, the better”. However, this will reduce the conversion rate.

  • Reduce the number of contact fields. This will greatly increase your conversion rate. Think about whether you really need the visitor’s address and telephone number and leave out optional fields completely. After all, they are optional, i.e. you don’t actually need them anyway.
  • If you make an incorrect entry, mark a field as incorrect immediately, not just after completing the form.
  • For the international context, fields should be adapted if necessary (in China, for example, there is no distinction between first and last name in contact forms)

Adjust your website elements on the foreign pages

Multilingual websites and landing pages are a must in the export business. A corresponding adjustment as part of the B2B conversion rate optimization ensures that you also achieve a high conversion rate with your potential international customers:

  • Provide local contact persons with contact addresses, emails and telephone numbers on the corresponding page. This creates trust and assures the visitor that his request will be understood when contacting us.
  • When choosing the products to be advertised, you should pay attention to country preferences and sales figures. Your foreign customers may be more interested in another product.
  • If prices or delivery periods are displayed, the differences in currency, punctuation marks and the spelling of the date should be taken into account.

One last tip: if necessary, consult external providers for data enrichment

As soon as you have received more customer inquiries through your conversion rate optimizations, it is important to prioritize them sensibly. When doing business abroad, uncertainties often arise because less valid data is available in some cases. For example, some Chinese companies work with non-company-specific mail providers such as QQ or 163, which means that it is not clear who the business partner actually is. Contact requests are also made much more informally here. SMEs should not be put off by this and should call in external providers for data enrichment. These can also provide information about the creditworthiness and financial situation of the business partner. This enables you to better prioritize your online inquiries and process promising inquiries more quickly.

Even the smallest optimization of the conversion rate can result in a massive increase in new customer acquisition. Kyto wishes you every success with the implementation.

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