A 5-Step B2B Website Audit to Gauge Your Level of Need

Your website is your face to the world. After all, most people will visit a company’s website before reaching out to them. And the level to which B2B buyers rely on such digital resources has only increased these past few years.  

Today, B2B buyers’ top three sources of information are web search (51%), vendor websites (36%) and information from peers/colleagues (32%). And B2B buyers spend 27% of the consideration phase researching independently online. Additionally, TrustRadius reports that most B2B buyers want pricing information they can find on their own (81%) and self-serve options in the buying process (100%).  

What do B2B buyers want from your site specifically? DemandGen data shows they’re looking for three main things when they visit: 

• Easy access to relevant content that speaks directly to their company (63%) 
• Easy access to pricing and competitive information (62%) 
• Demonstrated and direct expertise around the needs of their industry (56%) 

Despite the clear power websites hold in the B2B buying process, we still see B2B companies letting their sites go static after launch, leaving them to function no better than an out-of-date brochure. In today’s digitally inclined world, you need more than an “About Us” page and an occasional blog to stand out – let alone retain customers. 

So, ask yourself: When was the last time you took a good look at your website? 

You might be afraid to look under the hood and learn there’s a lot of work to do. However, it’s much less costly and time-intensive than it used to be to redesign and update a website. And in such a competitive industry environment, you don’t want to turn off potential customers before they’ve had a chance to get to know you. 

A website audit may be well worth the effort for your business. But that doesn’t mean you have to dive in at the deepest level. Time is hard to find in the B2B realm. So, instead of going all-in, start with this simple five-step website audit to identify areas for improvement.  

How to Do a Simple Website Audit in 5 Steps 

For this quick website audit, be honest with yourself as you tick off tasks in the following checklist: 

1. Check the date of your last B2B website redesign. 

Is it expired? 

Can you remember the last time you updated your site? If not, it’s probably time to do so. But to truly measure whether you’re behind the times, it helps to benchmark. Compare your website with those of your peers and even those outside your industry. How does your site stack up? What features might you be missing that appear prolific in the industry? Are those sites easier to navigate?  

Here, you’re not just looking for modern design. You’re looking for usability and functionality as well. Still, if your site looks like it was built in 1995 or even 2005, an update may be in your immediate future. Even small tweaks can make a difference.  

Learn why content should come first when you redesign your site. >> 

2. Revisit your B2B website goals. 

Does your site drive goal completions? 

How your website is structured and designed can enable users as much as it can inhibit them. You want to be sure there are clear paths within your site that lead users to desired actions – so your site achieves the goals you’ve set for it. Examples of goals include: 

• Driving online sales by existing customers 
• Capturing new leads for new business 
• Attracting new talent 

If your site isn’t landing these wins for you, it needs a strategic update. 

3. Walk through the B2B website user experience. 

Can you find what you need? 

Try to find information a potential customer might look for, such as pricing or a popular service you offer. Can you navigate quickly to the page with that information? If you can’t easily find it, your customers won’t be able to either. Unfortunately, many won’t bother picking up the phone to ask. They will go somewhere else.  

Such user experience issues mean your site can’t drive results – and it practically deflects leads. You should work to make information available and easy to find.  

4. Mimic common tasks on your website. 

Are they seamless? 

Perform a common task, such as ordering a product, checking the status of an order or signing up for your e-newsletter. How many clicks does it take to perform? Is it intuitive?  

Further, how do your processes compare with the same processes on leading retailers’ websites? Today’s B2B buyer is used to the seamless, convenient experiences B2C companies provide, and that expectation is spilling over into their B2B experience.  

You don’t need to match those retailers’ processes, but you do need to make sure the customer experience is smooth and intuitive – with few hoops to jump through. A great way to gauge your customer experience is to ask customers directly. They’ll be more than happy to tell you if your website is easy to use. 

5. Assess your blog schedule and relevance.  

Is it stagnant? 

What is the date of your most recent blog post? How much time passes on average between publishing posts? 

We recommend posting blogs at least twice a month, if not more frequently. Website visitors researching your company will notice if the last post was in 2022, which might affect how they perceive you.  

One quick way to freshen up existing blogs? Check individual blogs against our blog post SEO checklist. Update them using relevant keywords, structure, images, etc., and make sure the content is current. Then, republish and recrawl the pages.  

If you don’t have a blog, consider starting one. They are a great place to share company and supplier updates, provide resources for customers and draw new traffic to your website. And it’s surprisingly easy to come up with content ideas. 

Need inspiration? We’ve got 10 blog post ideas to get you started. >>  

Find Red Flags in Your Quick Audit? 

There’s more to fully auditing your website than we’ve discussed, but these steps are a great place to start. If you found lots to fix, don’t let that intimidate you. Even small improvements can have a major impact. Prioritize the next steps according to your resources and goals, and chip away at your own pace. 

If your priority list is more ambitious than you can tackle in-house, reach out to us at info@3aspensmedia. We can help with a range of content services and support you in auditing your website, building new site content, optimizing existing pages and more.