What Is A Good Conversion Rate For A B2B Site?

B2B sites are usually seen as dull and stuffy. But forward-thinking B2B brands are changing that. Successful and well-loved brands like Salesforce are changing the status quo and focusing on improving the usability and conversion rate optimization of their sites. Yes, you read that right. Conversions matter. Even if you are in the B2B space.

Our CRO team gets asked a lot of questions regarding conversions and how to create sites that stick. And we answer them through our webinars, learn videos, posts and yes, long conversations over a cup of coffee. We are nice that way.

And here’s a roundup of all the questions we’ve answered frequently this year. Here goes…

1. What are the major CRO metrics to track?

The answer to this question lies in a structured CRO process. The process begins with identifying the major problem areas in your website, building a test hypothesis based on them and running A/B tests to identify areas of improvement. It should begin with analyzing your traffic i.e the kind of audience your website attracts, traffic drop rates and good old user feedback.

Some major CRO metrics are:

Time on site
Bounce rate
New vs old visits
Goal completions per page

2. What is the ideal number of CTAs on a page?

There’s a correlation between conversions and where and how CTAs are placed. Most high converting pages don’t have more than three CTAs. Adding a CTA in the form of an anchor text right at the top of the post and a CTA block towards the end of the post is a good place to start. A scrollmap analysis can help you arrive at a definite conclusion.

3. How long should you run an A/B test?

This is the most asked question. Before running an A/B test it is essential to determine your sample size. You need to keep running the A/B test till you reach the number of people required. The number of people required to make a statistical analysis should depend on your traffic volume. A minimum of a week’s traffic can give clear insights.

4. How can design help in lifting conversions?

An uncluttered design is essential to boost conversions. But writing down the copy first and then layering in design works best. A strong visual identity can drive up repeat visits that can in turn bolster conversions.

Three design principles that are proven to drive conversions:

An uncluttered and easily navigable design
Contact information has to be clearly displayed
Design should conform to the information hierarchy of the page

5. Do pop ups improve conversions? Can they be placed on B2B sites?

Pop ups have got a bad rap over the years. Thanks to irresponsible pop ups that make people click on a button that says, “no thanks I don’t want to make a profit”, if they aren’t interested in opting in. Though they aren’t inappropriate on a B2B site, it is important to place them with caution.

Adding pop ups should begin with exploring all the conversion opportunities of a website. Once conversion opportunities are identified it is vital to capitalize on them and every opportunity requires a CTA to encourage visitors to take action.

And this where you need to decide whether a pop up is required to retarget/convert visitors.

Adding a pop up without developing and analyzing a conversion opportunity map can interrupt visitors and break the conversion chain.

6. What are some good CRO tools to use?

There are a lot of free tools out there. Let’s list out a few…

For site speed

Google page speed insights
WebPageTest

For A/B test sample size calculation

VWO
Google sample size calculator

For A/B tests

Leadformly
VWO

7. How to build trust for a B2B site?

Website credibility has a huge role to play in increasing conversions. It is especially important for B2B sites as the mechanics are vastly different from a B2C site.

Easy ways to build credibility and improve conversions:

Display testimonials prominently
Include client logos on all high performing pages
Display trust signals such as partnerships and awards

B2B is a different ballgame. We get that.

Learn More

8. Why is my traffic volume high but conversions low?

This is a common problem that most websites face and is the proverbial elephant in the room. The problem lies in the keywords you are targeting. Most sites target high volume, generic keywords and this is the root cause of high volume yet low converting traffic. To generate the right kind of traffic it is essential to mix generic, highly searched for keywords and niche long tail keywords.

Rule of thumb: Always choose your keywords based on how people search and not on how search engine algorithms function.

9. What are layout guidelines that improve CRO?

A website’s layout convention plays a key role in conversions. A structured layout lights the way for better usability and conversions.

Layout best practices:

Create design templates that are repetitive to provide site stability
Develop a visual grid and content structure that remains constant
Remove unnecessary content and design elements to eliminate clutter

10. What is a good conversion rate?

The answer is highly contextual. The only benchmark that matters is whether there is an improvement every month. The conversion rate of a website that sells a $29 dollar tool is going to be vastly different from a B2B website that sells enterprise software.

The average conversion rate of most B2B sites falls in the 7-10% spectrum.