Imagine a scenario where a successful B2B company, formerly heralded as a leader in its industry, starts experiencing dwindling inquiries, decreased sales, and diminished ROI–all while their competitors thrive. They haven’t touched their website in years, and its cluttered design and confusing navigation are causing prospects to bounce and sales teams to falter. It’s quickly becoming clear that the neglected website is undermining the organization’s hard-earned success.
Sound familiar? In 2024, as the digital landscape continues to evolve, having a professional and accessible website is crucial for B2B businesses. Consumers are increasingly relying on online platforms for information and services, and a user-friendly interface is crucial for establishing trust and credibility. A well-designed website not only enhances user experience, but also improves search engine rankings to drive more traffic and leads.
In an era where first impressions are often formed online, investing in your B2B website design is vital for staying competitive and meeting the diverse needs of your audience. In this article, we’ll cover what qualifies as a “bad” B2B website, what obvious (and hidden) costs you might face from an outdated site, warning signs that it’s time to act, and next steps you should take to find a B2B website design agency to transform your site and launch your digital presence.
Defining a "Bad" B2B Website
So, what qualifies as a bad B2B website, anyway? Here are some key indicators that your website may be outdated or ineffective:
- Poor mobile responsiveness: A mobile responsive website is a site that is designed to be aesthetically pleasing and fully functional across all device types and sizes. Why is this vital? Not only can mobile responsiveness impact SEO, but mobile phones are an essential tool in the buyer’s journey. Research by Google shows that 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site if they had difficulties accessing it previously, while 40% will bounce to a competitor site.
- Outdated messaging: If your website’s messaging doesn’t reflect current market trends and customer needs, prospects will perceive your brand as out of touch. Outdated information can erode their trust in your expertise and contribute to a negative perception of your brand.
- Slow load times: Slow load times are detrimental to your business. Just look at the data: a B2B website that loads in just one second will convert three times more leads than a site that loads in five seconds and convert five times more leads than a site that loads in ten seconds.
- Confusing navigation: Your site’s navigation should be intuitive and prioritize the needs, expectations, preferences, and behaviors of your visitors. A visitor is likely to bounce from your website if they cannot immediately find the information they’re seeking. In fact, a Clutch survey of over 600 website users determined that easy navigation is the most important feature of a website.
- Lack of clear value proposition: Your value proposition communicates to prospective customers why they should do business with you. What value do your products and services provide over others on the market? How can you solve your customers’ problems? This value should be clearly stated right there on your website’s home page.
- Misalignment with current brand position: Messaging that does not align with your brand’s positioning can confuse potential buyers, making it harder for them to see how your product or service meets their needs.
KEY TAKEAWAY: A "bad" B2B website can be spotted by its poor mobile usability, outdated messaging, slow load times, unintuitive navigation, unclear value proposition, and misalignment with your brand identity–all of which can drive potential customers straight to your competitors.
The Obvious Costs
Your website serves as your business’ virtual storefront, playing a critical role in attracting and converting customers. However, a poorly designed or malfunctioning website can have dire consequences for your bottom line.
Here are a few ways in which an ineffective online presence can translate into lost sales opportunities and challenge your company’s ability to retain top clients:
- Lost leads: According to webflow support company SWEOR, it only takes a half a second for a visitor who lands on your website to decide whether they’re going to stay or leave. If your website does not immediately–in just 50 milliseconds–capture your lead’s attention, they’re going to move on (and likely won’t return).
- Lower conversion rates: Your prospects are not going to complete your desired action and become leads if your website is slow to load, difficult to navigate, or riddled with bad copy. In fact, a report from Hosting Tribunal reveals that 70% of users abandon their shopping carts as a result of poor user experience.
- Reduced average deal size: If your B2B website does not clearly articulate the value of your product or service, demonstrate your competitive advantage, and allow you to properly qualify your leads, your sales team will not be able to close large deals with organizations who have significant money to invest in a new product or service.
- Shorter client retention: A study from American Express revealed that 33% of Americans would consider switching companies due to a single poor customer experience. This goes to show how crucial a good user experience is for gaining loyal, repeat clients who are vital to growing a brand.
KEY TAKEAWAY: A poorly designed website can seriously hurt your business by leading to lost leads, fewer conversions, smaller deals, and reduced client retention, ultimately costing you both customers and revenue.
Hidden Cost #1 - Damaged Brand Credibility
A bad B2B website can damage the credibility of your organization and erode your customers’ trust in your products, services, and brand mission. Here are a couple of ways in which damaged brand credibility can negatively impact RFP opportunities and recruitment efforts:
- RFP opportunities: You probably already know how important it is to secure valuable request for proposal (RFP) opportunities. These documents are what businesses use to compare and evaluate potential vendors for a project. Unfortunately, a B2B business will never make the short list of vendors with an outdated, inaccessible website. And if no one reaches out to you with an RFP, you’ll be missing out on significant opportunities to create long-term relationships with new clients.
- Recruitment challenges: Much like your website is the first thing a prospect sees, it’s also the first thing a potential employee sees. If your website is outdated or unprofessional, it will create a negative first impression that makes it hard for job seekers to see your company as a credible place to work. Furthermore, if your job listings are poorly presented or hard to find, candidates will quickly become frustrated and look elsewhere for jobs.
The Downfall of Blockbuster: A Real-World Example of Damaged Brand Credibility
A notable example of an outdated website damaging brand credibility is Blockbuster. At its peak, Blockbuster was a dominant force in the video rental industry. However, its website became increasingly neglected as digital streaming services emerged.
Blockbuster’s website was clunky and difficult to navigate. It failed to provide a seamless experience for users looking to rent movies online, and customers soon abandoned the video store for competitors like Netflix, whose sites featured modern, user-friendly interfaces.
As consumers shifted towards online streaming, Blockbuster's outdated site reflected a lack of adaptation to changing market trends. The website did not adequately promote their own digital offerings, giving the impression that they were out of touch with consumer preferences. This led to a loss of credibility among consumers who began to see the brand as outdated, irrelevant, and unable to compete with more innovative alternatives.
Ultimately, Blockbuster’s failure to modernize its website—and its overall business model—contributed to its decline, illustrating how an outdated online presence can significantly impact brand credibility and customer loyalty.
KEY TAKEAWAY: An outdated website can seriously undermine brand credibility by leaving a negative first impression that makes it harder to attract clients and top talent.
Hidden Cost #2 - Operational Inefficiencies
In today's digital landscape, a difficult-to-use website can become a significant source of internal time waste, hindering operational efficiency and draining valuable resources from an organization. Here’s how:
- Sales team workarounds: A poorly designed website can significantly impact the efficiency of your sales team, leading to workarounds that decrease productivity. For example, if forms are confusing or don’t function properly, sales reps will have to rely on other means of gathering leads, which can be time-consuming and inefficient.
- Time spent explaining or apologizing for your website: If your website is difficult for visitors to navigate, and they struggle to find product details and pricing, sales teams will have to spend time explaining how to use the site and answer repetitive questions when they could be focused on closing deals.
- Manual processes that could be automated: A website that doesn’t integrate well with your CRM and other marketing automation tools leads to slow, disjointed processes. Sales reps might need to manually input data, which increases the chance of errors and consumes valuable time.
- Employee productivity impacts: A bad website can waste employees’ time due to technical issues and poor usability, diverting them from more productive activities and resulting in low engagement. According to a meta analysis from Gallup, companies with high employee engagement are 21% more profitable.
KEY TAKEAWAY: A poorly designed website not only wastes time and resources but also hampers your team’s productivity, leaving employees frustrated and disengaged when they should be focused on driving sales and efficiency.
Hidden Cost #3 - Employee Morale and Retention
Your B2B website is not just a tool for customer engagement. It also reflects your values and professionalism. When a website fails to function effectively, it can create frustration for employees as well as customers, hindering their ability to efficiently perform their daily tasks and leading to decreased job satisfaction and lower morale.
Here’s how a bad website can negatively affect employee experiences, contributing to higher turnover rates and fewer sales:
- Sales team confidence: Confident salespeople are better equipped to make sales, establish trust with customers, and overcome challenges they face in the workplace. Unfortunately, 55% of salespeople report feeling like they lack the confidence and skill set needed to efficiently do their jobs. A confusing or unprofessional website creates a negative impression for prospects right off the bat, which can further hinder your sales team’s confidence and their ability to close deals. A website that does not accurately reflect the quality of your products and services can also lower morale and dampen your salespeople’s motivation to sell.
- Marketing team effectiveness: A website that lacks clear branding and has no clear message causes confusion for visitors, making it difficult for marketing teams to properly market your products and services. This can lead to high bounce rates and lost conversion opportunities, meaning fewer leads and sales. Poor website design and structure can also negatively impact search engine optimization (SEO) and make it harder for potential customers to find your website through organic search.
- Employee retention: Issues with your website that hinder collaboration and stifle teamwork can result in feelings of isolation and frustration, making it more likely your employees will walk out the door. According to data from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), it costs businesses $4,700 on average to hire new talent, and around $986 to onboard the new hire.
KEY TAKEAWAY: A bad website not only frustrates customers, but also drags down employee confidence and morale. This can lead to higher turnover rates and less effective sales and marketing teams.
Hidden Cost #4 - Missed Market Opportunities
A bad B2B website can lead to significant missed market opportunities, hindering your competitive advantages, ability to build partnerships, and ability to effectively showcase your products and services in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.
- Lost competitive advantages: A bad B2B website will put your organization at a disadvantage in a competitive market. If a prospect lands on a website that is slow to load, difficult to navigate, or unclear, they are likely to bounce to a competitor site that is well-designed and prioritizes their user experience.
- Industry leadership position: You’re unlikely to be viewed as a leader in your industry if you have a website that is outdated and inaccessible. Why does this matter? Being recognized as a leader means customers will be more likely to trust in your expertise. It means you’ll shape market dynamics and help set industry standards. It means you’ll be able to attract top talent, retain loyal customers, and have better access to funding, resources, and technology.
- Market share in emerging segments: A clunky, ineffective B2B website can significantly impact market share by limiting your visibility when it comes to your prospects. If your site fails to effectively communicate your value proposition or provide an intuitive user experience, it can deter potential customers from engaging with your brand. Poor SEO and inadequate content strategies can result in lower search rankings, making it difficult for you to reach your target audience. As competitors with user-friendly websites capture attention and build trust, your site risks losing out on valuable leads and partnerships in fast-growing markets, which can stifle your growth and prevent your organization from successfully capitalizing on emerging markets.
- Partnership opportunities: Without a quality website, you’ll be less likely to attract partnerships and collaborations with other businesses and affiliates, leading to missed opportunities to reach new markets and increase sales.
Case Study: How a Modern Website Creates Opportunities
Let’s take a look at an example of a business that sought out the B2B web design experts at Trajectory Web Design to help them overhaul their site and create the user-friendly interface their tech-savvy audience expected.
EVPassport is a company that is revolutionizing electric vehicle charging with its innovative infrastructure-as-a-service model. They were being held back by an outdated website that failed to capture their innovative spirit and communicate their unique business model. They needed a website as cutting-edge as their technology.
We redesigned and modernized the EVPassport website to enable them to capture new opportunities. Here’s how:
- We implemented a new site structure to seamlessly guide visitors through their offerings, with industry-specific pages tailored to their diverse clientele.
- We created an interactive pricing page to demystify the IaaS model, making it easy for potential clients to understand and compare options.
- We prioritized responsive site design to ensure a smooth user experience across all devices.
- We integrated case studies and client logos to showcase EVPassport's impressive track record and boost credibility.
These updates resulted in a 75% improvement in page load speed and a significant uptick in qualified leads, further cementing EVPassport’s position as industry leaders.
Learn more about how we helped EVPassport transform their online presence and electrify their digital strategy.
KEY TAKEAWAY: An inaccessible, outdated B2B website can cost you valuable market opportunities, keeping you from standing out as an industry leader and making it harder to attract customers and partnerships in a competitive landscape.
Hidden Cost #5 - Technical Debt
The long-term implications of technical debt stemming from a poorly optimized website can profoundly impact your organization's security, operational efficiency, scalability, and overall financial health in several key ways:
- Security vulnerabilities: An outdated website is more vulnerable to security threats such as cyber attacks, ransomware, malware, data breaches, and more. These types of threats can impact your company’s operational functions, safety, and data integrity.
- Increasing maintenance costs: When your B2B website is poorly designed, you’ll have to constantly invest time and money into ongoing fixes and optimizations to address barriers to performance, usability, and accessibility.
- Integration limitations: An outdated website will not be compatible with certain integrations and other necessary technologies, such as CRM systems, e-commerce solutions, and APIs. The inability to adopt new tools can severely hinder opportunities for automations and growth.
- Scalability constraints: Poorly optimized websites may experience slow load times and crashes under increased traffic, making it difficult to scale operations or handle growth. Additionally, a cumbersome content management system can make it difficult to effectively update content and expand your site.
Technical Debt: A Real-Life Example
Let’s consider the downfall of Adobe Flash in its early implementations for enterprise solutions. Prior to its demise at the end of 2020, many businesses relied on Flash for interactive content and applications on their B2B websites. Over time, several issues arose:
- Obsolescence: Flash became outdated as web standards evolved. Companies that had built their platforms around Flash faced significant challenges in migrating their content to newer technologies.
- Compatibility issues: The reliance on Flash led to compatibility problems with mobile devices and modern browsers, resulting in a fragmented user experience and lost business opportunities.
- Increased maintenance costs: The need for continual workarounds to maintain Flash applications added to the technical debt, as developers had to focus on keeping the system running rather than being productive in other areas of the business that could generate sales.
As a result, many businesses incurred significant technical debt that accumulated over years of reliance on a poorly designed (and ultimately unsustainable) solution.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Neglecting your website's design can lead to serious long-term issues, like security vulnerabilities and increased maintenance costs, that ultimately stifle your organization's growth and operational efficiency.
The Compound Effect
The compound effect is the idea that small, consistent improvements compound over time to eventually lead to significant results. Unfortunately, the inverse is also true: if you continue to allow small issues to plague your B2B website, this will eventually result in a drastic loss of search engine rankings, lead generation, and sales.
A bad website can damage your company’s long-term value by negatively impacting your reputation, decreasing your customers’ trust in you, hindering lead generation, and ultimately causing revenue loss.
One way to determine how these costs multiple over time is to use the opportunity cost calculation framework:
Opportunity Cost = Return on best foregone option (FO) – return on chosen option (CO)
This is a key tool many businesses use to make decisions and maximize profits. You can use this formula to calculate the difference between the expected return of each of your options. Learn more about how to calculate opportunity cost here.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Letting small issues linger on your B2B website can snowball into major setbacks, costing you search rankings, leads, and ultimately revenue, so it's crucial to address them before they compound.
Warning Signs It's Time to Act
How do you know when it’s time for a website redesign? In this section, we’ll provide some clear indicators that website issues are impacting your B2B business. Here are some warning signs that it may be time to reach out to a B2B website redesign agency and start a conversation:
- Declining metrics: Declining sales performance metrics are nearly always an indicator that you need to reassess your website and determine what’s not working. These metrics might include increasing bounce rates and load times, decreasing page views, drops in conversion rates, declines in organic traffic, and more.
- Negative feedback: If you’re receiving negative feedback about your website from visitors and current customers, it’s likely past time to reevaluate the effectiveness of your site structure, content, and design.
- Internal frustrations: Your B2B website should be a tool that enables your marketing team and sales teams to do their jobs efficiently. Listen to your employees if they start expressing that your site has become a hindrance to their goals.
- Competitive disadvantages: Searching for products and services is easier than ever these days due to constantly improving search engines (and everyone having access to the internet right in their pocket). If your website visitors find your site difficult to navigate, they’ll X out and head straight over to your competitors.
Checklist: How to Assess Your B2B Website
Think it may be time to act? At Trajectory Web Design, we recommend assessing your B2B website using the following criteria to determine whether it’s time for a website redesign:
- Take a look at your key metrics (traffic, click-through rates, conversion rates, bounce rates, etc.) and determine if you’re experiencing a decline
- Check if your website has been penalized by Google (look for a sudden drop in rankings and search your company name to see if you can find yourself in search results)
- Evaluate your website’s load times by running a page speed test
- Determine whether your website is responsive (manually resize your browser window and see if the content and images automatically adjust)
- Check the accessibility of your website using a free accessibility checker tool
- Note whether your website is compatible with the latest web standards, browsers, and devices
- Assess your current design and determine whether its graphics and layouts appear dated
- Assess your website’s messaging and tone to ensure they match your brand identity
- Talk to your employees, survey current and former customers, and assess customer reviews and complaints regarding your website
- Evaluate your relationship with your current web developer
Dive into our blog titled “Do You Need a New Website? 3 Ways to Find Out” to learn more.
KEY TAKEAWAY: If you're noticing declining metrics or receiving negative feedback on your website, this is a clear sign to consider a website redesign to boost your B2B business needs.
The Path Forward
The path forward involves a strategic approach to addressing website issues. When you partner with a B2B website design agency like Trajectory Web Design, you will receive a streamlined, step-by-step website redesign strategy that is personalized and aligned with your business goals.
Here are several key phases of the B2B website redesign process:
- Assessment phase: In this phase, quality B2B website design agencies like Trajectory Web Design will take a deep dive into your business, audience, and objectives. We’ll research your industry and perform a competitive analysis to design a comprehensive strategy tailored to your products, services, and goals. A data-driven approach sets the stage for success.
- Wireframing phase: The first part of the planning stage consists of wireframing. When you work with a company like Trajectory, you’ll receive wireframes that optimize user flow while simultaneously crafting compelling messaging–an approach wholly based on conversion.
- Design phase: You’ll then receive multiple design concepts that aim to capture your brand’s essence while centering your audience and business goals. A quality B2B website design agency will always present custom-crafted visuals and refine the design based on your feedback.
Investment Considerations
Prior to hiring a B2B web design agency to revamp your website, you’ll need to consider how much you are willing (and able) to invest. You’ll need to determine your overall budget, factoring in the design, development, testing, and ongoing maintenance required to keep the site functional and current. You’ll also need to consider whether you will need to invest resources into training your existing staff to navigate the new website efficiently.
Timeline Expectations
One of the questions we’re most frequently asked is how long the redesign will take. Here’s the quick answer: a website redesign can be completed within six weeks if you provide prompt feedback and request minimal revisions. But we recommend doubling that timeline to allow for a more relaxed pace and more revisions.
Website development timelines can vary drastically depending on the scope of work, but the B2B website design agency you work with should have their own refined project timeline to keep everything on track. At all times throughout the project, they should be able to tell you where they are, what comes next, and the date of the final projected launch. Here is some more information about website redesign timelines and tips for speeding up the process.
At Trajectory Web Design, we believe in strategy-driven design focused on improving ROI and achieving your desired business outcomes. You can learn more about our B2B website redesign process here.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Partnering with a B2B website design agency like Trajectory Web Design ensures a tailored, strategic redesign process that aligns with your business goals and sets the stage for online success.
It’s Time to Invest in Yourself and Revitalize Your Online Presence
The hidden costs of a bad B2B website extend far beyond mere lost sales—they ripple through your entire organization, affecting employee morale, operational efficiency, and brand credibility. If you find yourself in a scenario where your website is struggling to meet the demands of today’s digital landscape, it’s time to take action.
Invest in a professional redesign and reach out to the B2B website redesign experts at Trajectory for a free website assessment. We’ll show you how a new website can improve user experience, empower your sales team, reinvigorate your brand’s presence, and ultimately pave the way for future growth and success.
Don’t wait for the signs that you need to act to become overwhelming. Take proactive steps to ensure your digital presence reflects the quality and innovation of your products and services today.
