When Big Bolt redesigned its website, they had two main goals in mind: to rank high on search engine results pages when people searched for fasteners, and to accelerate the path to solutions that solve specific problems, resulting in more requests for quotes.
Our team took a new approach using B2B website best practices, including optimizing the site for key terms while also keeping the language direct and memorable. The result was a significant increase in search engine-sourced traffic.
The takeaway from this case study is the importance of writing homepage content for both search engine robots and humans. That’s just one of many content-focused best practices for producing a homepage that achieves a company’s business goals. We’ve rounded up five of the most important best practices companies should leverage to create more impactful and successful homepages.
AI is quickly changing the way people research solutions. Instead of just typing in a short phrase like "HIPAA-compliant accounting software," your target audience is more likely to give highly specific criteria.
Consider this inquiry: What is the best accounting software that is HIPAA-compliant, supports multiple entities and is compatible with Microsoft applications?
The answer, according to ChatGPT, is Gravity Software. This reflects a lot of foundational SEO work our team has done to make sure Gravity fulfills all these requirements.
We've invested significant time into writing detailed pages that include many frequently asked questions, publishing in-depth comparisons to other solutions and helping Gravity Software rank on search engines for certain key phrases like ‘multi-entity accounting software.’
At the same time, marketers and writers in and around B2B need to balance that with maintaining approachability and writing for actual people who will visit your website. This goes back to understanding what's most important for your target audience and focusing on providing value for them in addition to using more technical language, adding schema to ensure Google readily understands your pages' purpose and leveraging data from SEO research to strategically position and deploy content for user intent and rankability.
Another example of a company that strikes this balance well is Gingr, a software provider for dog groomers and dog daycare providers. They wanted to speak to dog parents in fun ways while both conveying their professionalism and innovation and still rank for search.
Some companies offer solutions for several buyer personas, which can become confusing for visitors.
We encountered this challenge when we first started working with Remington-Davis, an independent clinical research site in Columbus, Ohio.
Their original website attempted to speak to both clinical trial sponsors and potential trial volunteers, but needed to offer clearer paths for each. Patients wanted to know what studies were available, how participating in the studies would benefit them, and what amenities they could find on site. Sponsors wanted to know more about Remington-Davis’ expertise in managing clinical trials, what types of trials they had previously conducted, and the services they offered.
We updated the homepage design to make that distinction and send each audience to a page tailored to their needs.
Leading with a strong value proposition can be a powerful way to start your B2B website messaging.
This is a short, simple statement that explains why someone should do business with you and what sets your brand apart from others.
Mentioned above, Gravity Software is an accounting solution in a highly competitive market. It clearly defines both its niche and audience right from the homepage by stating it’s built for multi-entity companies. 
Below that value proposition statement, the site elaborates on the primary reasons someone would consider Gravity Software. The biggest reason is that they’ve outgrown QuickBooks or another entry-level accounting solution. They also may be in need of a better solution that allows them to manage wealth for many different entities within a single family that has numerous stakeholders.
The need to incorporate better business intelligence within the accounting and finance departments is also a key driver for some users, particularly if they already use software like Microsoft Power BI.
As you think about what messaging to include on your B2B website, consider these best practices:
Many companies say they have the best customer service or the most user-friendly software. Take time to conduct a competitive analysis of other websites within your industry, and be specific about what you offer that they don’t. If you’re focusing on something like user experience, be specific about what makes it better.
What does it eliminate for the user? If the average onboarding time for other solutions is three months and users can learn to use yours in a day, lead with that.
Remember, you only have a few seconds to get the attention of your target audience. If you can keep your value proposition under 10 words, you’ll have a much better chance of them immediately understanding it and remembering it.
It may be tempting to position your solution as the first of its kind, but don’t try so hard to be different that you ignore the terminology your audience actually uses. If you sell employee benefits software but your value proposition focuses on employee engagement, there are thousands of people searching for your solution each month who won’t find it in a Google search. Anyone who does encounter your website might be confused about what you’re actually selling.
TopBuilder is a leading business development platform for specialty construction professionals in commercial construction, helping them grow their business with more profitable projects. The software includes business intelligence, bid management, a CRM for contractors to communicate easily with customers and prospects.
Specialty contractors use other software solutions for managing projects and creating estimates, and they’re familiar with the CRM solutions out there. This made it critical to showcase TopBuilder’s capabilities to integrate with solutions their target buyers are already using and how its specific features make the bidding and business development process more seamless.
The company’s CEO shared the most common challenges contractors express in the first consultation. They needed a single source of truth for data, wanting an easier way to forecast revenue, and needing a better platform to collaborate with different team members throughout the bidding process.
As we planned the website, we mapped each of these challenges to a specific feature and showed how that feature solved the problem. We also used supporting proof points where we could.
One common challenge we see among companies that haven't done a lot of marketing is that they're relying on just one or forms to generate leads. They have a demo page and may have a free trial available, but they don't have a true user journey.
New visitors should have options to take action and learn more that don't require a lot of commitment, such as subscribing to your newsletter, downloading a resource, or getting a quick estimate.
Chatbots can be another way to encourage visitors to ask questions while capturing some basic information upfront.
Once they've converted, provide them with additional resources that address their pain points and help them compare their options. This can move them closer to becoming potential customers.
Employee recognition software Inspirus offers multiple ways to engage visitors when they first come to the website. After learning more about the solution and scrolling down further, they can read articles on HR trends, download whitepapers like the Employee Engagement Trends report, take a quiz, or try a number of different ROI calculators that help them see the impact of using the platform for employee recognition programs.
They can also schedule a demo or chat with someone if they’re ready to learn more.
Responsive, mobile-first website design is non-negotiable in an age when the average American spends over four and a half hours on their phone each day. While most business to business purchases don't happen from a phone, your target audience is still doing research while they're away from their desks.
Good B2B website design accounts for this, with pages that load quickly and stack easily on a mobile device. Lead capture forms need to be large enough for someone to fill them out on a phone, and you should keep form fields to only the essential information you need to have a first conversation.
A few other general B2B website best practices will help your website be mobile-friendly, including:
Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to communicate. The more you can tell a captivating story that helps your audience understand why your company exists and connect it with a larger mission, the more it will resonate.
Consider e2Companies, a provider of on-site power solutions for enterprises. The bigger story they're telling is about how they're helping the world transition to more reliable and sustainable energy sources. They support this by talking about how challenges with the modern electric grid creates downtime and equipment damage for many businesses. At the same time, many companies have sustainability goals to meet to satisfy regulations, investors and the general public's demand for more responsible operations.
As visitors move down the page, they can see more specifics about how e2Companies' Virtual UtilityⓇ helps them improve reliability, achieve energy savings and use more sustainable energy sources.
Your website isn’t just a digital storefront—it’s the first interaction many potential customers will have with your brand. A well-crafted website balances compelling messaging with SEO best practices, clear user pathways, and multiple opportunities for engagement.
By implementing these B2B website best practices, you can create a clear path to attracting more prospects and converting them into customers.
The best websites are an ongoing evolution. Continuous testing, analyzing user behavior, and optimizing based on insights are crucial for long-term success. Growth-driven design and SEO audits ensure your homepage remains relevant as search algorithms and user expectations evolve.
Kuno Creative specializes in helping B2B brands transform their websites into powerful marketing tools. Whether it’s optimizing the design and user experience, refining messaging, or implementing lead-generation strategies that nurture visitors throughout the buyer’s journey, our team has the expertise to elevate your brand.
Let’s build a homepage that sets your company apart. Schedule a consultation to see how we can help you drive measurable business results through your website.
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