Good B2B web design is about creating a website that looks nice.

Great B2B web design is about creating a website that looks nice and generates quality leads for your business.

Otherwise, it’s like designing a beautiful shop window display but always keeping your door locked.

In some cases, the website design gets so out of hand that it’s like making your customers go through a maze before they can even get to the front door.

But, you don’t want to go so far in the other direction that your website looks unprofessional, which can damage audience trust.

When you get that balance right, the impact can be massive.

In this guide, we’ll explore the foundations every website needs and cover some current B2B website design trends that could help bring your website to the next level.

Not every trend is a good fit for every business, so we’ve explored the pros and cons of each.

The Impact of Great Web Design for B2B Brands

In today’s digital age, web design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about functionality and results.

While many of the latest web design trends focus heavily on style, this approach often overlooks a critical aspect for B2B brands: lead generation.

Winning design awards is great, but the true measure of a website’s success lies in its ability to generate leads, drive sales, and enhance the buyer journey.

This is why all of Thinkplus’s website designs are built on thorough SEO and conversion rate optimisation (CRO) research.

User Experience (UX) Driven B2B Website Design

User experience can be the difference between someone getting confused and leaving your site, or converting right away.

If you’ve gone heavy on a design that looks “cool” but doesn’t help your visitor get the information they need to convert, then you’ll need to make some changes.

Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)

The main goal of any B2B website should be to convert visitors into leads and, ultimately, into customers.

We consider a well-designed website to be one that uses conversion rate optimisation (CRO)

This includes relevant calls-to-action (CTAs), intuitive navigation, and clear value propositions that will encourage visitors to take the next step.

This could mean filling out a contact form, subscribing to a newsletter, or requesting a demo.

Without taking CRO into account, even the most visually stunning website will struggle to deliver tangible business results.

Design for the Buyer Journey

A smooth and intuitive buyer journey is key to keeping visitors on your site and guiding them through the sales funnel.

Effective B2B website design considers the entire user experience, ensuring that each interaction is seamless and purposeful — everything is useful to the visitor rather than only being there to look good.

From the moment a potential customer lands on your homepage to the point they make a purchase decision, every click and scroll should be designed to improve their journey and make it easy for them to convert.

The B2B buyer journey is already complex before they even reach your website — you don’t want your website’s design to make it even more complicated.

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Highlight Your Offer

Your website, especially your homepage design, should be focused on promoting what you offer.

That might seem obvious, but time and time again, we see brands with websites that are promoting the fancy things their web design agency can do rather than their business.

The above the fold section (that’s anything a user can see before they scroll) should make it obvious what you are selling through the imagery, headings, text and CTAs.

If your website looks good but your offer is unclear, you’ll need to make some changes.

Don’t know how clear your offer is? Check with people outside the business to see if they know what your business sells from the website alone. If they don’t, you need to rethink your design.

Everything on Calendly’s homepage is there to help communicate its offer.

The heading of “easy scheduling ahead” immediately lets you know that Calendly offers a scheduling product that makes things easy.

The copy says “easily book meetings”, reinforcing the ease of use and telling you what the product does (meeting booking).

The imagery on the right-hand side reinforces the offer again, saying, “reduce no-shows and stay on track”. It also shares some examples of how the software can do this through text and email reminders.

They could have used an image of some people having a meeting, but that wouldn’t have done as much to explain what Calendly is offering and the problems it solves.

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Easy to Scan

Another element of website UX is having a site that is easy to scan-read.

Attention spans are shorter than ever, and people want to know if the web page they’ve landed on is selling what they need or sharing the information they’re after as fast as possible.

Let’s say they land on a product page.

They expect the product imagery to be on the left, with information about the product, like its name, price, specs and reviews to be on the right.

You can change this formula up to make it more exciting or to stand out from competitors. But, remember people are used to viewing product pages with the left to right format. If your page goes too far from this, they won’t be able to find the information they need easily.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun with your product pages, though.

This product page from Unmind is vibrant and keeps things simple, meaning that even though it doesn’t look like a typical product page, it’s still easy for the viewer to find what they need.

It highlights the benefits and features of the software in a simple way, and gives the viewer the option to click on each point to read more.

The main thing this page is missing is a clear CTA, but other than that, it’s a great example of how you can create beautiful product pages that don’t overwhelm your audience with information, instead focusing on the main benefits of the product.

B2B Website Design Trends in 2024

Now we’ve laid out the foundations of a good website, we can explore the trends.

Just because something is trendy doesn’t mean you need to implement it on your website. Keep in mind that your site needs to be updated every 3-5 years; otherwise, it’ll start looking outdated.

As much as we tell people not to judge books by their covers, they do, and they’ll judge your website if it looks outdated and unloved.

Illustration

Illustration and character design can be used in B2B website design just as much as in B2C.

We use illustrations on the Thinkplus website to communicate that we’re a fun digital marketing agency — but we don’t let the illustrations take centre stage.

Instead, they’re there to complement our great results and knowledge, rather than to undermine what we’re trying to say.

Often, in B2B, especially B2B SaaS, you’re selling something that’s hard to photograph.

Illustrations can help bring your business to life and explain what you offer visually.

Travel booking software Rezdy could have added an image here of its software, but using an illustration helps it show the different types of travel businesses that can benefit from its product in a more engaging and fun way.

Rezdy also uses custom icons across the site to fit the business. Adding a visual that’s related to their product helps to quickly communicate the growth a business might have depending on the package option they go with in a way that’s relatable to them.

If you want to go down the illustration route, remember to keep it related to your brand, and ensure it doesn’t overshadow your offer and what you’re trying to communicate.

You want to get leads and sales, not be an art gallery.

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Pops of Colour

Another B2B website design trend is clean designs with pops of colour. All the examples we’ve shared so far have used some kind of pop of colour in their designs.

Pops of colour are great for drawing the visitor’s eye to different parts of your website.

In the below image from Hootsuite, the red colour guides the viewer’s eye from the image to the text.

The image includes lots of aspirational elements – a high like count on a social media post and the ideal times to post, which gets the viewer excited, and then the right hand side hits them with the offer.

It’s important here that you go with pops of colour rather than bright colours everywhere. If your site is too bright, it will be difficult for visitors to look at, and it might be challenging for people to read if you’re not using enough contrast.

Deep Scrolling

Deep scrolling is the name given to web pages that reveal more the further you scroll. They morph and evolve, giving you the feeling that you haven’t moved down the page but that your scrolling is changing it.

However, lots of designers aren’t so keen on this from a CRO perspective, as it’s more about revealing things to the viewer slowly than sharing your offer with them.

This style can sometimes work for “About” pages or in blogs where you are telling a story, and you want to build some suspense and immerse the reader in the page.

Bold Text

2024 has been the year of big heading text.

Big text can help you tell a visitor what you do, but it shouldn’t be used on its own above the fold.

This big text needs to communicate what you’re offering. If it doesn’t, then half your above the fold section will be taken up by something that doesn’t benefit your business.

This heading from Craft is a great example of big, bold text being used well on a website. It tells you exactly what the business does, which is helping you craft the best documents in the world.

While big heading text can be impactful, it’s important to balance it with other design elements, like subheadings, images, or interactive elements. These will provide additional context and guide users towards conversion.

Remember, the effectiveness of big, bold text ultimately depends on how well it aligns with your overall brand strategy and resonates with your target audience.
A/B testing different variations can help you determine the best heading for your specific website and business goals, eliminating the guesswork.

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Dark Mode Vs. Light Mode

The debate about whether dark or light mode is better rages on in offices everywhere.

Instead of picking sides, some businesses have opted to design their websites with both light and dark colour schemes that the visitor can switch between.

Not only is this great for people who have a preference, but also for those who struggle to read one or the other. It’s a design choice and an accessibility feature.

It isn’t as simple as just inverting colours, though. Implementing this type of theme switching effectively requires careful consideration of the following things:

1. Consistent Design: Ensure that both light and dark versions maintain your brand identity and provide equally good user experiences.
2. Colour Contrast: Pay attention to colour contrast ratios in both modes to ensure readability and meet accessibility standards.
3. Easy Toggling: Place the theme switch in an easily accessible location, typically in the header or navigation menu.
4. Performance: Optimise the switching mechanism to ensure smooth transitions without affecting page load times.
5. User Preference Memory: Consider using cookies or local storage to remember a user’s preference for future visits.
6. Testing: Thoroughly test all site elements in both modes to ensure functionality isn’t compromised.

Web Design Trends in 2024

Remember that the key to success in the B2B world isn’t just about following the latest fads.

It’s about finding that sweet spot where eye-catching design meets practical functionality.

Whether you’re making an impact with bold text, playing with light and dark modes, or keeping things clean with pops of colour, always keep your audience and their journey in mind.

After all, a website that looks great and generates leads is the ultimate win-win.

And who knows – you might just create the next big trend yourself.

What to Watch Next

What to Listen to Next

• THIS Part of Your Funnel (Probably) Sucks
• How To Get Qualified B2B Leads using PPC
• How We 10x’d Leads for a Finance Company.

What to Read Next

• How to Optimise Each Page of Your Website
• How to Get Qualified B2B Leads Using SEO
• Link Building for B2B Businesses.

The post B2B Website Design Trends 2024 appeared first on Thinkplus.

This term usually describes the actual act of positioning — for example, devising a marketing campaign that communicates whether a brand is premium or affordable.

Yet brand positioning is also a simple phrase that has made its way into competitive vocabulary to describe the commercial playing field.

You could say, “Apple’s brand positioning is strong” or “Did you see how Walkers positioned their brand in that last ad?”

Fun fact: At the time of writing, Walkers is positioning its brand as so tasty it causes Mariah Carey to hit new heights of being a diva. See for yourself by watching the 2019 Christmas ad.

Brand Positioning Is All about Your Brand, but It’s Not about You

Importantly, brand positioning is less about where you think your brand belongs and more about matching this belief with the belief of your customers.

• Does your customer view you as the best quality provider?
• Does the everyday customer relate to you?
• Do they think of you as a brand they want to shop from regularly?
• Are you building a brand everybody talks about, but few can afford?

With that said, brand positioning is important for every type of company.

It’s not just for those who want to climb to the “top” or dominate the concrete jungle, so to speak.

After all, solidifying your position as an affordable go-to brand can be just as lucrative as upholding a luxury status. Just look at Burger King or Primark as “every day” success stories.

What’s more, whether you value the term brand positioning or not, as a marketer, you’ll be inevitably engaging in the act.

You take control of positioning a brand each time you promote a service or product. Targeting a particular group of people, using specific language and selecting certain visuals to communicate a brand message are all elements of brand positioning.

What Is the Effect of Brand Positioning?

The long and short of it is, effective brand positioning generates more sales.

If you do a good job of positioning your brand with a certain audience, you’ll be more likely to engage the right people — or at least some of the right people.

Those who fail to think about brand positioning are usually non-committal.

These brands don’t identify a niche or even major audience to strike a chord with and ultimately fail to attract anybody in an ever-expanding marketplace.

Remember, in this competitive era, brands need to be an exact match for a customer, or another brand will take your place.

The concept of brand positioning is to make your ideal customer feel as though your products and advertising are tailor-made for them.

It’s the equivalent of cupid making a perfect match between buyer and brand.

Instead of wandering aimlessly in the marketplace, you can now focus on a neighbourhood you belong to. Hopefully, the locals will feel the same, deciding to shop with you rather than a brand that metaphorically lives a few blocks over.

Brand positioning is also what gives you that all-important USP (Unique Selling Point). What differentiates you from your closest competitors?

Well, it’s fair to say that Adidas and Nike may “hang around the same streets” keeping a close position to each other. Yet brand positioning activities — that span from marketing to product development — allow both brands to scoop up a slice of the pie.

While Nike is increasingly focused on performance, Adidas focuses on play.

The same goes for the sophisticated scene that Cafe Nero displays versus the charitable Costa Coffee and the stylish Starbucks. These major coffee brands often compete physically for positioning in town centres and shopping malls, as well as fighting for brand positioning in the minds of consumers.

How to Successfully Position Your Brand

The key to positioning your brand is selecting the right neighbourhood. In other words, the right group of people to market to.

Not only will this narrow down your list of direct competitors, but it will also give your marketing efforts much more guidance.

You’ll have more time to worry about the markets that matter and spend less time trying to keep a watchful eye — well, on everything.

Should you be chasing the customers populating affluent areas like Manhattan and Chelsea? Or, is your brand a more modest personality that could feasibly attract punters in every major town and city across the country?

Once you’ve identified the right audience, you can speak their language.

Brand positioning is a subtle activity that breathes life into every area of your marketing department. It sways the small choices you make like the music on your latest advertisement and the representation of your models. And it also influences important decisions, like which product to develop next or what strapline to choose.

Let’s be clear. There’s no right time to look at brand positioning and it’s never too late to start.

It’s not uncommon to think about brand positioning before a company is even formed.

Entrepreneurs consider brand positioning constantly to find a gap in the market.

Is there a product that’s currently inaccessible to minimum wage households? Does an everyday product have the potential to become bespoke and luxurious? These types of brand positioning questions might help you to market a new idea for a company that could penetrate an existing market.

Similarly, brand positioning can be tweaked and changed “in the moment” without spelling gloom and doom for a business.

Large corporations make decisions like this frequently as a response to industry change and consumer behaviour.

You’ll have noticed the decor in McDonald’s has been revamped since the ’90s to become as mature as a hamburger and fries can get.

Kids parties and Ronald McDonald sightings are much less prevalent with technology and muted colours in place.

This action was the result of McDonald’s changing its brand positioning as the habits of fast food eating altered. Now, McDonald’s positions itself as a go-to for affordable food for all ages. The focus turned to attract the parents of the kids that McDonald’s advertisements once aimed to please.

As you can see, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to brand positioning.

The act of positioning is moldable, allowing you to constantly redefine what it means to shop with your brand.

With that said, some things will never change. Brand positioning is always influenced by the customer, what they want and what your current competitors are failing to deliver.

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