Think fast – what’s the first thing you do when you need a B2B service provider?
If you answered, “Google it,” you aren’t alone. Many people searching for B2B service provider turn to the internet first. This little (unscientific) experiment is important because it demonstrates that your B2B web design often is the first impression a prospect gets of your firm. Not sure you should believe us because we are a San Diego web design company marketing to B2B firms? We aren’t asking you to take our word for it.
Let’s look at the facts:
- 81% (Wow!) of B2B purchase cycles start with a web search, and 90% of buyers say they will “find you” when they are ready to purchase (Earnest Agency).
- 46% (almost half) of people say a website’s design is their top criterion for determining the credibility of a company (NewsCred).
Not quite convinced? Check out All the Responsive Web Design Statistics You Need. According to these statistics, your B2B website is typically the first interaction a potential client has with your firm AND it’s likely their top criterion for deciding the credibility of your company. Since your website is essentially a credibility piece, how can you use it to build trust? The short answer is responsive web design.
Responsive web design is a simple, straightforward way to build trust with your website. As a B2B web design company in San Diego, we’ve talked a lot about responsive design and how important it is for a website and a user experience. We’ve touched on why responsive design matters for the user experience, but here we are going to exam how responsive design actually works to build trust.
How Does Responsive Web Design Build Trust?
Essentially, a responsive web design adapts your website to fit the size of the user’s screen and reorganizes the content for maximum functionality on that device. That’s all well and great, but HOW does your web design build trust in your firm?
Easy to Navigate
The main purpose of responsive design is to serve up your B2B website in a way that’s easy to navigate. Ease of use innately builds trust since it communicates that your firm is not only easy to do business with, but you are sharing all the information the prospect needs to know about your firm. Conversely, a web design that isn’t responsive makes it hard to navigate and makes the user question why you don’t want them to find information about your company. Not having responsive design can give the impression that you are hiding something.
Avoid Misdirection and Frustration
Another aspect of responsive design for websites is that links on your website are appropriately spaced so that users won’t accidentally “fat-finger” their way onto the wrong page. Removing the roadblocks of many non-responsive websites enables users to use your B2B website in the manner they like. By taking out possible frustration, you are creating a seamless experience. A seamless experience means that the prospect doesn’t have to “jump through hoops” to get what they need. Your company’s job is to make life easier for your clients, start doing that via a great user experience on your website.
Client Satisfaction
Do you introduce yourself to a potential client by punching them in the shoulder or by shaking their hand? Why is that? A handshake is more likely to satisfy a client. A B2B web design that is adaptable and meets the potential client’s needs seamlessly creates a great user experience. Your efforts to create a great user experience shows the user that your company is reliable and can be counted on to not only share the right information, but also to make it a pleasurable experience. Being reliable is the first part of being considered trustworthy.
Now, we aren’t saying that building a responsive web design is simple. It’s not. It takes a skilled designer, developer, and project manager to make it work. However, as a B2B firm looking to build trust and attract new leads to your firm, implementing a responsive website design is one of the simplest decisions you can make this year.
