Steve Ohanians, Accidental Entrepreneur, Co-Founder, and CEO, WebEnertia
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Lead generation is the first step in a direct route to sales. But B2B lead generation has changed significantly in the last two years. Prior to the pandemic, it was standard for B2B sales teams to travel to meet prospective customers in person—this was expected. Now, research shows that remote human interactions or digital self-service models are the preferred sales experiences for the majority of B2B decision-makers.
The most important thing to note from this information is that most sales are taking place in the digital space. With a digital-first sales cycle, it’s more important than ever to create digital experiences that cater to your customers’ needs. In fact, a McKinsey survey found that 75% of respondents believe this new remote sales model is equally or more effective than pre-pandemic models.
This isn’t the time to abandon your entire sales strategy. Still, it’s more and more apparent that a digital resource—specifically, your website—is the first port of call in B2B lead generation. Digital users are smarter. They do their own research, come prepared with questions and expect companies to provide answers.
If your B2B lead generation is falling flat, the first place you should look is at your digital experience. More specifically, you should look at your website’s product pages and determine if they provide that digital self-service experience that so many B2B buyers are looking for.
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Where Most Product Pages Fail
The most prevalent issue I see with product page design is that companies make them too cool, too cute and too catchy, and the page doesn’t answer the actual questions that prospective customers care about. This is simply wasted space, and it doesn’t serve B2B decision-makers with the self-service model they’re looking for. Too many companies write and develop product pages that look shiny, catchy and clever, but they’re not detailed enough to describe how the product actually works.
When developing your product pages, keep both the decision-maker and the end user in mind. Don’t focus on creating entertaining copy or branding; instead, focus on creating compelling copy that answers essential questions.
If you want to reach prospective clients during their digital-first sales journey, you need to ensure that information is available to them at all times via your website. This is essential in a post-pandemic world because people work at varied hours, in different time zones and from unique locations. Accessibility and ease are crucial to converting prospects into customers.
Communicate The Key Message
Give your product pages a narrative. Set the scene by starting with an introduction and brief overview of the product, then get into the meat of the product’s offerings (more details and insights). Next, help readers understand the context around your product and why it’s worth their while. Provide testimonials, customer feedback or use cases that demonstrate how your product solved a particular issue for another customer.
While you must prioritize clarity and conciseness when writing your product descriptions, you should still provide a wealth of resources and information so that prospective customers can explore your offerings further. Link to blog posts that answer common questions. Formatting blog titles as answers to frequently searched questions will also help boost your SEO ranking. Additionally, you can provide white papers that do a deep dive into the topics your prospective customers are interested in.
Convert Leads To Customers With A Clear Design
The design of your page should tie the content together into a clear pathway to sales. Keep in mind your goal of lead generation and then anticipate the most important elements your prospective clients will be looking for. You already know which content pieces are essential—clear descriptions, testimonials, use cases and resources. Combine that content with a straightforward design that makes it easy for prospects to navigate through the webpage.
The worst thing you can do while developing a product page is to forget the call to action. Don’t leave it out. Determine the logical next step for your sales journey. For some, it could be to contact a salesperson to get more information. Other companies will benefit from encouraging prospects to schedule a demo. Either way, make this message clear and easy to understand so your prospects know that this is the next step in the purchasing journey.
B2B leaders are reevaluating lead generation and sales strategies for the digital age. Your company’s website is the first place that prospects look for information, and product pages can be a valuable resource—if the information is communicated clearly. If your lead generation strategy is falling flat, look at your product pages and identify where they could be more detailed and descriptive. Your product pages are an extension of the digital sales journey; make sure to leverage them.
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Author: Steve Ohanians, Forbes Councils Member
