B2B websites can be grouped into three types: brand story, number driven, and targeted microsites

1. What type of Website Does
Your B2B Firm Need?

2. As much as you
admire websites
like Amazon, ESPN
or Apple as a user...

3. ...the likelihood
is that your B2B
firm has an
entirely different
mission.

4. So, you’re strategy needs to be tailored
to reaching the right audience and
motivating them to action.

5. Whether you’re just starting up or looking
to commission a website redesign,

6. B2B websites can be grouped
loosely into three categories:

7. Brand Story:
Paint a compelling picture in prospects’ minds.
1

8. Number Driven:
Lead generation is priority #1.
2

9. Targeted Microsite:
Messaging-oriented, built for a specific
purpose or time period.
3

10. Common Elements

11. 3All three website types require you to define a core
message and combine it with outstanding design
to enable your brand to stand out from the clutter.
Within that, though, there
are two key components
that are of vital importance
to a successful website
design or redesign:

12. 1compelling copywriting:
headlines and intros that
guide the viewer through
a visual hierarchy, leading
them to the action you
want them to take.

13. stunning visuals:
photography, video
and illustration/
graphics that evoke
certain emotions and/
or help the user find
the product/service
that they need.

14. These pieces are essential to developing a site
that engages and converts the customer.

15. But there’s an important time factor, too:
In light of the Forbes article, “Now is the
time for responsive design,” it’s absolutely
paramount that you incorporate responsive
web design into your planning.

16. Having a website that seamlessly accommodates
your users’ needs—whether mobile phones,
tablets, or other devices—isn’t just about
keeping your Google rank intact, it’s a matter of
ensuring maximum usability for your
customers and potential clients.

17. On the other hand, a website can’t
be all things to all users, and
decisions need to be made
about priorities:
Key Differences

18. A brand-story site may put
an emphasis on durable
emotional connection, for
example—not asking for
the sale as immediately
or abruptly, but rather
wooing the prospect
with client case studies
or testimonials that allow
them to “see” themselves
working with you. In
essence, it’s a softer sell.

19. For a number-driven
website, you need to put
your Type A hat on and
cut to the chase: What
are the key facts and
figures that are going to
provoke action, i.e.,
generate leads?
What are the tech
aspects that you’ll
need to have lined up,
such as email campaigns,
SEO metrics, etc.?

20. A microsite will
probably incorporate
aspects of both.
Although its targeted,
theme-based
marketing probably
has more goals in
common with the
number-driven
methodology, the
method of persuasion
may lean toward the
brand-oriented pitch.

21. This is obviously a simplification of the overall
ecosystem of websites. A number-driven site
still needs a brand story, a brand-story site
still needs measurable results, and a targeted
microsite needs to incorporate elements of both.

22. But there is a benefit to defining
your end purpose in its
simplest terms from a
B2B perspective:

23. You can always
increase the
complexity of
your website to
accomplish your
goals, but having
a clear mission
ensures that it’s
always done for
a reason.

24. Click here to read the
entire post on the
Briefcase blog
Click here to find out how BCD can help leverage
design to deliver powerful B2B business results