Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a marketing technique that improves the conversion rate of websites and online stores. Conversion means turning your website visitors into leads and customers. CRO is measured by conversion rate: The number of conversions divided by website visitors.
B2B conversion rate optimization is achieved by measuring and analyzing the activity of visitors on the company's website. Based on the collected data, the appearance, the content, and the CTA's (call-to-action) on the website are then optimized.
The overall purpose of conversion rate optimization is to ensure that you get a better return on your marketing investments. B2B CRO is even more important than B2C because the conversion of a B2B customer takes much longer. For the same reason, lead generation is emphasized more than quick conversion.
Here are the best tips for improving the conversion rate on your B2B website.
Outbound marketing (traditional marketing) is still needed to acquire business customers. However, the other side of the coin, inbound marketing, is often neglected.
B2B marketing and sales often require considerable financial and time investments. So it makes sense to ensure that visitors arriving on your website can be converted into leads and eventually into customers as efficiently as possible. This way, you get a better return on marketing and sales investments.
B2B conversion rate optimization leads to:
In B2B, the transactions are often larger than in B2C. Therefore, a good conversion rate becomes all the more crucial.
Let's say you have 10,000 visitors to your website, and 100 make a purchase; The conversion rate is 1%. If your average sale is, for example, 1,000 euros, your total sales are 100,000 euros in this scenario.
Let's imagine that you do some conversion rate optimization in your online store and improve the conversion rate by 0.5 percentage points.
A 0.5% improvement in conversion rate may not sound great, but instead of the previous 100 sales, you now make 150 without increasing the number of visitors to your website. With an average purchase of €1,000, your total sales are now €150,000. That's a 50% increase in sales.
A significant increase in sales just by optimizing your website or online store. You don't have to spend money on expensive marketing campaigns in an attempt to attract more visitors. Instead, you get more sales out of your current website visitors.
Although B2C and B2B conversion rate optimization share similarities, they also have some key differences.
most notable difference is the B2B customer journey
Whereas a consumer might buy a product or service on impulse, business customers have purchasing processes that often require weeks or even months to complete. As the conversion takes longer, B2B lead generation is emphasized more than quick conversion.
B2B conversion rate optimization is based on an understanding of this long sales cycle. When you have mapped and understood each step of this cycle, it is much easier to optimize them and improve the conversion rate.
The purchase process of a B2B customer can proceed, for example, in the following way:
The process is not necessarily linear, and conversions can happen at different stages of the pipeline. The most important thing is to be aware that each of the different stages must be targeted by different measures.
B2B conversion rate optimization requires monitoring and measuring the different stages of your sales pipeline. Based on the data, changes are made, tested, and implemented. There is no one right way to do CRO, but here are a few proven steps to get you started:
The focus is on B2B lead generation, which should be done strategically and long-term. Conversion rate optimization offers excellent opportunities for lead generation, as it enables raising interest and generating added value without significant new marketing efforts.
Content marketing is a good tool in the B2B CRO toolbox. By providing useful content such as articles and videos, you position your company as an expert in your field and arouse interest in your potential customers.
Make use of your customer profiles and produce content for different stages of the sales pipeline. As a bonus, high-quality content can also increase your visibility in search engines, enabling you to get more visitors to your website.
By utilizing different conversion rate optimization techniques for your content, B2B lead generation and your website's conversion rate will improve.
Social media is a good channel when your goal is B2B lead generation. LinkedIn, in particular, works well for this purpose.
Even if you already have marketing campaigns running on social media, it is worth doing CRO on your website, so that you can get the most out of social media channels.
Optimize the images and videos on your website or online store. Make sure they are large and have a high resolution, yet load quickly. Add buttons to images and videos so that they can be shared effortlessly on the social media channels of your choice.
For example, useful infographics are commonly shared on social media. When your images or videos are shared on social media, you get more visibility for your brand and more opportunities to generate leads.
Lead flows are high-converting pop-up or slide-in style forms designed to attract attention and offer value. These forms have been proven to generate more leads than traditional CTA buttons at the bottom of the page.
B2B lead generation becomes simpler with the help of a lead flow tool, as the forms can be personalized to better suit different stages of the sales pipeline or buyer personas.
A well-designed and functional website is the starting point of conversion rate optimization. Start with optimizing your website, then move on to your sales funnel.
No single action will bring about substantial changes. B2B conversion rate optimization is the sum of many individual factors. Keep in mind the different stages of the sales pipeline, and measure and optimize each step separately.
Don't try to do everything at once. Instead, focus on maximizing B2B lead generation at different stages of the process.
The conversion rate of any website does not improve in a day, and B2B CRO may take a lot of time. The conversion from a website visitor, to a lead, and ultimately to a customer takes time. Any changes you make will become measurable only after the first new customers have passed through the sales pipeline.
Persistence is key and brings the best results.
Conversion rate optimization leads to:
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