“Your website is incomplete, you look fake, we don’t want to work with you!”

I had a client once tell me, “I contacted a supplier in Japan who refused to work with me, he said our website is incomplete and that our company is fake.” I smiled. This company has been operating on the market for more than 80 years now! Their website indeed was incomplete, the majority of the text was dummy lorem ipsum that has not been updated. Even their contact details were not revised. Apparently their domain was linked to a default model website.

Who to blame – The company or the developers? Both! The company should have double-checked or made more effort to update the website and provide the website developers with the needed information. On the other hand,  the developers needed to insist on completing their job or at least, they should have updated the layout and content in order to remove all dummy text and keep basic simple information.

Now, moving on, let’s talk about why B2B companies actually need GOOD websites.

Websites are Important

Nowadays, what is sure is that if you have a bad website, you better remove it rather than keep it. As we saw in the example earlier, when you have an underdeveloped website, people will think your business is fake, or that you stopped your business activities.
Today updating the website regularly is crucial for a business. The first thing a consumer does when searching for products and services online is look for them on search engines, such as Google. Think of it this way, your website is your online business card especially if you operate on the international level.

BONUS TIP!  Visitors are always looking for more information about your business that will give them the feeling of security to engage in a business activity with you. That is why adding a physical address is important, especially in countries where virtual companies are not yet trending. However, if you have a virtual company, use your home address.  

Check out below some recommendations to have an up-to-date website that covers your back.

Pre-Built Websites

Some people think you need to spend thousands of dollars on a website. That’s not necessarily true.
You can always resort to pre-built websites. WordPress for example, has the simplest backend, and can be easily managed without the need for an expert in web development. You simply have to fill in the blanks.
What you need is to purchase a domain and a hosting plan, install WordPress on your hosting plan. Look for a theme that is suitable for your business. Install it and fill in the information.
It is not rocket science (I failed in science, so I really know what I’m talking about) you simply need to have the patience and read the instructions. Themeforest is the best website to find high quality WordPress themes that suit your needs at very low cost. There are also many tutorials online and you can always google when you do not know how to proceed.
But, sometimes, you really need the pros to handle it. Here’s where I recommend Socialprise.

Notes to Keep in Mind

You can have a very simple and basic website. What matters is that you are present on search engines and your website is up to date.
You have different options to have a website, here are the main requirements:

• You need to have a private domain for the company and address
• Use pre-built websites, my favorite is WordPress. Why? For many reasons, but most importantly it is a great tool for those who want to have an informative website. It is an affordable solution that can be setup without the need for website development skills and that can be easily updated. You need to focus on the content rather than the website development. WordPress has a flexible backend that allows you to manage the website, it is perfect for businesses who want to have a presence online. Optimizing for search engines is very easy as well, you simply have to fill the pre-set fields.
• Logo, company name, brief about the company, list of services, main clients, location or address, phone number, contact person, email, LinkedIn profile link of the executives with decent information, social media profiles icons even if they are not active but they should be well setup with basic information.

Complementary Actions

You can take additional actions to boost your online presence.

• Set up Google Analytics to monitor the activity on your website.
• List your website in Google Search Console.
• Get listed in online directories, there are some free directories, these will help link to your website and improve your search results.
• When you are selling your products and services to other businesses, this means you need a B2B strategy Create a LinkedIn profile, people will find you there. I know many people find me there.
• Social media are always of great help, especially if you share some of your activities or knowledge on these profiles.
• Get listed on other websites that will link to your website. Ask your partners or clients to add your logo on their website if possible.

For more information, do not hesitate to contact me or drop me a comment.