- Gartner found buyers spend only about 17% of buying time meeting suppliers. The rest is research, much of it on websites.
- Buyers check five things: what you do, proof, the next step, mobile, and whether you look current.
- Fix the first screen before you redesign anything else.
Why your website is the first sales call
Gartner’s 2019 research found B2B buyers spend about 17% of their buying time meeting potential suppliers, and when they compare several, only 5–6% with any single one. Your website is doing most of the selling before anyone calls.
1. Can a visitor explain what you do?
Ask someone outside your industry to look at your homepage for ten seconds, then describe what you do. If they can’t, the rest of the site has to work much harder.
2. Can they find proof?
Show relevant work, capabilities, certifications where they apply, and customer evidence you have permission to publish. A cautious buyer looks for reasons to trust you before reasons to like you.
3. Is the next step obvious, and specific?
A buyer researching specifications needs a different next step from one ready for a quote. Our diamond exporter client replaced a generic contact link with “Request an Assortment” site-wide, and the form captured the details sales needed to quote.
4. Does mobile feel deliberate?
Check hierarchy, forms, navigation, tap targets and how dense information is presented on a small screen. Many first visits happen on a phone, even when the deal closes on a desktop.
5. Can you learn from visits?
Measure meaningful actions such as qualified enquiries, not only page views. Without that, every redesign decision is a guess.
Questions people ask
How often should a B2B website be reviewed?
A light review every quarter and a deeper one each year works for most businesses, plus a review whenever your offer or audience changes.
What should I fix first?
The first screen of the homepage and your main service pages. That is where most buyers decide whether to keep reading.