The B2B customer journey: designing for buying groups

Key takeaways

The B2B customer journey is usually longer and involves more people than a consumer purchase. Several colleagues research separately, much of it before contacting any supplier, and the decision often waits for a budget or trigger. Design the website for the whole buying group: proof by sector, clear process, answers on risk, cost and compliance, and material a champion can forward.

• Several people influence most B2B decisions.
• Much research happens before any supplier is contacted.
• Most potential buyers are not in market at any given time.
• Give champions forwardable proof, process and risk answers.

How is the B2B customer journey different?

The B2B customer journey differs in length, people and risk. Decisions take weeks or months, involve several roles, such as a user, a manager, finance and a director, and carry career risk for the person recommending a supplier. Buyers research independently and compare suppliers well before they get in touch, so the website does much of the early selling.

Timing also matters. The LinkedIn B2B Institute's 95-5 rule suggests that only around 5% of business buyers are in market for a given service at any time. The website must serve the few who are ready and stay memorable for the many who are not.

• How to design a website around your customer journey
• B2B website lead generation

What does each member of a buying group need?

Each member of a buying group looks for different answers. The person with the problem wants to know you understand it and can solve it. Their manager wants proof and a clear process. Finance wants cost, terms and value. A director wants risk, reputation and fit. IT or compliance may want security and data handling. Give each a page or section they can find.

• User: the problem, how it works day to day.
• Manager: proof by sector, process, timescales.
• Finance: pricing model, terms, value case.
• Director: risk, reputation, references.
• IT or compliance: security, data protection, integrations.

• Buyer personas for website design: useful or fiction?

How do you help the champion sell internally?

Help the champion by giving them material to forward: a short service summary page, case studies by sector with clear outcomes, a pricing explanation, a process overview and answers to risk and compliance questions. Make pages easy to share by link and readable without context. The champion is selling you to colleagues who will never call you.

• Comparison pages: win buyers choosing between suppliers
• Websites for high-ticket services: convert considered buyers

What should the first contact look like in B2B?

The first contact should match how far along the buyer is. Some want a call to discuss requirements; others want a short demo, a sample or a proposal. Offer two or three routes, say what each involves and how long it takes, and keep forms short. Ask about timing and who else is involved only once a conversation has started.

• Decision stage pages: remove the last reasons to wait

How do you measure a long B2B journey?

Measure it over months, not days. Track returning visits from target organisations where tools allow, key page views such as pricing and case studies, and enquiries by source. Ask every new client how they first heard of you and how long they had known of you before getting in touch. Judge content by its role in deals over a quarter or more.

• Time to enquiry: how long buyers take to get in touch
• Non-linear customer journeys: design for buyers who loop back

When does B2B behave more like consumer buying?

Small, low-risk B2B purchases, such as office supplies or a one-off service for a sole trader, behave more like consumer buying: one decision-maker, quick choice, price-led. Do not over-engineer the journey for those. Reserve buying-group content for services where the decision is significant.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see with B2B service firms: the champion is convinced after reading the website, then needs to persuade finance and a director. The site offers only a contact form and a brochure-style homepage. The champion writes their own summary, and the deal stalls while they gather answers.

Adding a forwardable overview, sector case studies and a page on pricing approach and risk gives the champion what they need. Across our client work we have seen a 2.4x enquiry rate from conversion changes of this kind. Global Bridge Labs (GBL) designs B2B sites for the people who never visit.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

B2B journey checklist

• List the roles in a typical buying group.
• Give each role a page or section with its answers.
• Publish case studies by sector.
• Explain pricing approach and terms.
• Answer risk, security and compliance questions.
• Create a forwardable summary page.

• Does mobile matter for B2B websites?

Next step

B2B deals are won by the champion who can explain you best internally. We will review your site from the buying group's view and show what they are missing.