<img height="1" width="1" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1807441876190667&amp;ev=PageView &amp;noscript=1">

3 Steps to Build a More Personalized B2B Website

Posted by: Rushal Patel Date: Jan 11, 2016 4:42:22 PM

Personalized_B2B_Website.jpgAn exasperated executive at a successful B2B found the causes of inadequate response to the company website by conducting a personal investigation. He recalled seeing a training film in which a video camera moved around an office, focusing on improper practices such as a stack of undelivered telephone messages.

With little experience in using the website himself, he approached it as a prospective customer or an established client. An early observation of the company website noted that it was essentially an electronic version of the company brochure, formal and lacking personalization. Compounding the problems that rendered the website unproductive, the site offered no new content. Further, it failed to engage visitors in a personal way. As a result, he instructed his web team to revise the site with these steps that transformed its effectiveness.

 

1. Develop a Dynamic Approach

The static nature of a brochure makes it remain the same until the supply of printed copies runs out. By ignoring the dynamic and interactive nature of electronic communication, the website missed the opportunity to engage visitors in a personal manner. A free ebook provided essential guidance on dynamic marketing.

A first impression is often indelible, and a website has a short time in which to make it a good one. Formal brochures frequently use jargon unique to a company or generic descriptions that deter visitors and deflate their interest. Demonstrating an understanding of the interests of potential customers presents an engaging and personal approach.

 

2. Offer New Content

Using technology to make visitors feel welcome to a website is an extension of practices that shop owners have traditionally found effective. Familiarity may breed contempt, according to an old English proverb, in relationships that have possibly outlasted their purpose. However, on websites, it can convert visitors into frequent guests and prospective customers by making them feel at home in a familiar environment.

The need to personalize a website for visitors depends on how engaged they are, the stage of the marketing lifecycle that they are in and their areas of interest among other factors. Generating leads that can move through the sales funnel is the primary goal of a website, and personalization can expedite the process. An outreach that is as simple as addressing a visitor by name can make a significant difference in the amount of time spent on a page.

Personalizing a website changes its approach to visitors, and it requires presenting what they want to see. Personalization is about identifying with the needs of visitors and not about changing the nature of products. Making strategic decisions to meet potential customers on their terms gives a site the newness that it needs to keep them coming back.

 

3. Reach Out to Engage Visitors

Taking into account the number of visits to a site that a lead makes opens the opportunity to offer information that gradually becomes more product-centric (or salesy). Getting it closer to the bottom of the sales funnel leads to increased chances of a customer making a purchase. The key to success lies in treating people like people.

Sophisticated customers today use smart devices to connect to the web, and they expect to find smart content when they get there. Targeting content that addresses specific stages in the buying process makes use of prospects’ past purchases and browsing habits. Engaging visitors by knowing their name or their preferences may rouse their curiosity or help them save time. Either way, the practice offers personalization that has appeal.

Achieving satisfactory results from web page performance may depend on frequent monitoring and critical evaluation. Personalizing a website requires constant attention.

Free eBook: Selling B2B Tech Using Targeted Marketing

Topics: Demand Generation, B2B Marketing