55 percent of readers stay on a web page for less than 15 seconds. That's not a lot of time to grab their attention. But it's critical you do.

Your B2B website is a key component of how you sell your services to clients. It's often the first stop potential buyers make when evaluating your firm. Attracting a potential new client is hard work no matter what, so the last thing you want is to have your website turn those prospects away.

Make your website work for you, not against you, by avoiding these 11 website mistakes:

1. Not having a responsive website.

Internet usage on mobile devices has surpassed usage on desktop computers. Google's most recent algorithm update acknowledges this fact, making mobile-friendliness now a greater ranking signal in mobile search results. With the majority of individuals accessing sites from mobile devices, it's important that you have a responsive site that reflects your brand and keeps the experience consistent—no matter what device is used.

2. Not guiding users through your website.

You look at your website all the time and may think the navigation all makes sense, but outside eyes may tell a different story. There are few things more frustrating than complicated navigation or an inefficient layout. Have someone look at your website from a user perspective. Is it easy to understand? Does the flow of information make sense? Do you have the information a prospective client would need? Get unbiased feedback and make adjustments as necessary. If your website navigation isn’t intuitive, visitors will get frustrated and leave.

3. Not having your website reflect your brand.

Your B2B website should be a clear reflection of and should align with your brand. It should have a similar look and feel to all other branding efforts and it should depict who you are and what your brand represents. Use your website to show what you are passionate about and how you are different from your competitors. Make everything on your site a seamless reflection of your brand—from logos to coloring to the tone of your content.Lead Generating Website Guide

4. Not making it easy for clients and prospects to contact you.

Contacting you should be as simple as possible for potential clients. If it's too difficult to find a way to contact you, visitors will quickly move on to another site. Make sure you have a “Contact Us” call out on the homepage and your site's navigation. Include a phone number, email address and/or form fill. Be sure to not bury your contact information in text or deep in your site’s navigation.

5. Having too much copy on each page.

Yes, you want to get the point across, but web copy should be succinct and easy to skim and read. While it’s difficult to provide an exact word count, because there is no one size fits all formula, it's important to evaluate the goal of each page, the level of awareness your readers have around the topic, and what information you need to provide to move them to take the desired action you want. Make sure your copy is doing all those things in as few words as possible.

6. Not including links to your social media accounts.

These days, people like to receive and digest information in different ways. Make it easy for your target audiences and clients to find your social accounts by including social media icons. Pro tip: Make it clear that they are to follow you, not to share your content. Some people will click on a Twitter icon and be confused when a sample Tweet pops up.

7. Not including educational content.

Content marketing can no longer be thought of as just a passing “fad.” Your prospective clients are eager to see how you could potentially solve their problems and what your depth of expertise is. Consider starting small with a blog, even if it’s just posting a couple times a month. Keep in mind that consistency is key. Then, grow to include other types of content such as emails, guides, white papers, webinars, and more.

8. Not using great imagery (or none at all).

Images matter. A lot. According to research from Skyword, total views increased by 94 percent when content contained a relevant photograph compared to content without an image. In an eye-tracking study by Nielsen Norman Group, some types of pictures, such as purely decorative images or stock photos of generic people were completely ignored while other types of photos, including photos of real products or people (as opposed to stock photos of models) were scrutinized as important content.

If you must use stock photography, find photos that reflect the individual personality of the firm and are different from your competitors. For example, if you’re in government contracting, avoid cliché photos of American flags or eagles, and find something a little more interesting. And of course, make having photos of your firm's key leaders is a must.

9. Not talking about the client (vs. yourself).

Including case studies is a great way to showcase how you have solved past clients’ issues without being too self-serving. Avoid talking about how you are the best at what you do and focus instead on tangible results, such as what percentage you've helped a client grow their revenue.

10. Not having it SEO optimized.

You’ve worked hard on your website, so make sure it is ranking for people to find you! Make sure you’ve indexed your site on Google by submitting an XML Sitemap, that you’re optimizing your webpages for relevant keywords or keyword phrases, and keep an eye on any Google updates which may affect your search rankings.

SEE ALSO: 3 SEO Elements Web Pages Need to Rank Highly in Search Engine Results 

11. Not updating your website.

Just like with any other marketing or business development effort, your website should not be considered a one and done thing. Update it frequently with new content and consider design refreshes every year or two to stay current with trends.

Now that you know what to do, evaluate your website. How does your B2B website stack up? 

Additional Resources

  • Our Lead Generating Website Guide details how your firm can generate qualified leads with its website.
  • And our free Lead Nurturing Guide will show you how to nurture those leads through the sales cycle.
  • Join us on LinkedIn and Google+ for tips and strategies for a creating a high-performance website.

How Hinge Can Help

Your B2B website should be one of your firm's greatest assets. Our High Performance Website Program helps firms drive online engagement and leads through valuable content. Hinge can create the right website strategy and design to take your firm to the next level.

Lead Generating Website Guide