5 Pitfalls Of Choosing The Wrong B2B Web Design Agency

In the past decade, a phenomenal development in global and international trade has been the rise of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platforms. Manufacturers and suppliers have realized the power of using them for marketing their products to a wider customer base. Through B2B platforms, manufacturers and bulk importers worldwide were able to connect with each other more conveniently.

However, the benefits of network and product expansion are not realized if the platform is poorly designed and developed. Thus, if you are looking at establishing your own, seeking the help of professionals may be one of your best bets. Consulting with a B2B web design agency will help you achieve more significant returns on your investment. Similarly, it will also help you avoid some of the common pitfalls that client companies experience if they work with the wrong design agency. These include:

1. The Website Becomes Out Of Touch With The Target Users

One of the pitfalls experienced by companies when they choose the wrong B2B e-commerce web design agency is that the latter doesn't have a clear grasp of how to make your website speak to your target users. A B2B e-commerce site is different from an online retail store in many ways. For one, the target user persona of retail e-commerce sites is the direct consumer.

By contrast, the target user persona of a B2B e-commerce platform is the business itself, typically through its procurement officer or other key decision-makers for bulk purchases, such as the production manager. This makes the needs and requirements of B2B e-commerce sites so much different from those of a retail e-commerce site.

If a company chooses the wrong website design agency, the latter might build a website that doesn't match the basic thrusts and requirements of commercial enterprises. Instead of creating a website design that would appeal to procurement officers, the website might come off as an online retail store or virtual shopping mall. This usually occurs when they work with a new agency with no experience with B2B sites, perhaps because they're cheaper and the company is trying to cut costs.

This can be avoided by vetting the website design agencies you're considering before engaging them. Try to check their previous projects and whether they have significant experience designing and building B2B websites.

When the wrong B2B website design agency comes up with a design that doesn't speak to your preferred target market segment and audience of decision-makers, this can result in low website visitor conversion, reduced sales, and poor establishment of a company identity.

2. Poor Market Reputation And Brand Image

A poorly designed website may not only fail at representing your business's identity, but it may also ruin your brand's image and reputation. A website basically represents you and your store on the internet. Keep in mind that most people might not have any other interaction with your firm aside from visiting your website. When you have a poorly designed site, this might create a negative brand image of your company.

Established procurement managers and purchasing officers usually have their own assemblies. When they gather for business events, it's inevitable that they talk about their suppliers too. Some even have their own social media communities where they talk about common issues and challenges, share best practices, and compare notes and recommendations about the best suppliers.

If one procurement manager lands on your web pages and has a bad user experience, they'll most likely remember that. In worst cases, negative comments may circulate, and they might even bring them up on social media groups. In time, a poor market reputation and brand image can result in a loss of market trust and credibility.

3. Loss Of Market Trust And Credibility

 



As mentioned, a company can suffer the loss of market trust and credibility when the wrong B2B e-commerce website design agency comes up with a website design that doesn't quite meet the buyers' expectations. If your target market feels that your website isn't suitable for their needs, your business may come across as lacking in experience and, subsequently, credibility.

For instance, when the final website output looks more like an online retail store or virtual shopping boutique, procurement officers who land on the website might feel that your website is out of touch with the B2B sector. This can happen even if the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) algorithm directs them to the site. The wrong website design can still make them think that the products and services they are looking for are not available on your platform.

This can be avoided by carefully selecting a website design agency with considerable experience in designing and building B2B e-commerce sites. To guarantee that you will be working with a reliable supplier, ask for a list of their projects and thoroughly assess the B2B e-commerce sites that they have developed. If time permits, ask their previous clients about their experience working with the company to get a grasp of their work processes. In addition, check out any comments or reviews to see how their design affected market trust and credibility.

It's understandable for individuals and some small businesses to have a limited budget. However, selecting the cheapest one shouldn't be the sole basis. Neither a famous, high-priced supplier will guarantee an excellent design output. To make it easier, come up with a decision criteria. List the factors or elements that are most important to you and see which supplier will be able to give you the most number of checks.

4. Diminished Revenues

When a company is not perceived as trustworthy and credible due to poor website design, it may turn away prospective purchasers. They may think that they have landed on the wrong page. Procurement officers also have very little time to go beyond their initial thoughts and the homepage when it comes to filtering websites. If they feel that your website is a blog or anything else, they might not proceed with a chat inquiry or request a quotation.

Low website traffic and time spent on your web pages will harm the lead generation efforts of your sales and marketing teams. You will have fewer leads in your sales funnel if the visitors to your website don't stay beyond a few clicks. The key here is to make them stay at least until they enter their contact details so your sales teams can reach out to them later on, even if they exit your page. But if they leave as soon as your landing page appears, you won't have any chance to recover the possible lead.

Your sales funnel is the lifeblood of your company's sales and revenues. If fewer names are going into your sales funnel because of a poorly-designed website, then your sales teams will have fewer new leads to work on. Fewer leads mean fewer prospects, and fewer prospects mean fewer opportunities to make a sale.

Keep in mind that most procurement managers of large companies already have established relationships with business suppliers. If they look for new ones, they are most likely considering firms that can support their business expansion or alternative suppliers who can offer better deals. Some of these businesses might be your direct competitors, and your website page could've been the chance to get one foot inside the door. Having an excellent website design could spell the difference between making a customer of your competitor stay for a little longer to explore what you have to offer.

Whatever their reason is, the fact that they landed on your web pages is an opportunity for your company to position your products and services to meet their needs and requirements. But if your pages seem off to them, they might not have more than five or 10 minutes to find out whether there's more to your website than their first impressions.

For instance, if your website design or theme gives off the vibe of a signature clothes store or luxury brand boutique, procurement officers from industrial and manufacturing companies might just click 'x' and move to the following website on the search results list.

5. Restricted Teams

Apart from increased revenues, another goal of a B2B e-commerce website is to make business operations more efficient. An excellent B2B platform should make business operations flow seamlessly with a lesser need for human intervention.

However, choosing the wrong B2B e-commerce web design agency can make your internal teams and stakeholders feel left out and useless because some website features and functionalities don't match their needs.

Take this as an example. Suppose a sales team finds out that the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system integrated into the site was tailored for online retail selling operations instead of large volume sales to B2B purchasers and other institutional clients. In that case, it will have a negative impact on their productivity. It may increase employee downtime because they will spend more time attending to client issues brought upon by a poorly designed site.

In the worst case, it may also encourage ill feelings towards the management because they may feel that the company does not provide them with the right tools and equipment in the workplace to maximize their time, talents, or capabilities.

Conclusion

Competition among B2B businesses has become more intense in the past few years. This reflects the ever-increasing share of B2B platforms across all markets for goods. Fierce competition has made it even more important to have a website design that can capture the attention and meet the needs of the target market segment.

Remember that your website will play a key role in achieving your business objectives. This is why it's crucial to select the right B2B website design agency. Instead of reaping benefits from a major investment, choosing the wrong one can result in the pitfalls discussed in this article. Therefore, take the time to learn, consult, and select your website design agency carefully to avoid these dangers.