The business to many (B2M) model offers unique benefits for companies that adopt it. B2M businesses can access a wider range of potential clients, more opportunities, and niches that B2C or B2B businesses may not be able to handle.
However, the model also creates new challenges in messaging. Every B2M business has to deal with a segmented customer base, whose needs and pain points may not have obvious overlaps. To be successful, these businesses must find out how to market to both segments without making the other feel like they’re in the wrong place.
These website improvements are some of the best ways for B2M businesses to upgrade their web presence.
1. Keep CTAs Clear
When you sell multiple services to both businesses and individuals, it’s especially important to keep your CTAs clear. These straightforward CTAs help visitors know what they’re getting into if they click on a link or button.
Doubling up on CTAs can also be a good strategy — but only if it’s clear where the CTA leads. For example, you may want to include a landing page with two CTAs. One CTA will lead to more information about your business services, while the other will lead to a page for individual consumers.
In a situation like this, using keywords or phrases that signal to the target audience — like “enterprise” or “business,” for example — will help ensure users don’t get lost when navigating your site.
2. Use Strong Visuals
Product images and other strong visuals can help you quickly communicate to potential customers that you have what they’re looking for.
For example, see this page from WAC Lighting, a provider of LED lighting. This page shows off four lighting applications WAC provides. It also shows off the scale of projects the business is willing to work with. For customers concerned that their project is too large or too small-scale, these images give a quick sense of the potential use-cases for the products and solutions the company offers.This kind of imagery is good at showing off the products you sell and at reassuring customers who are unsure whether you work with businesses and individuals alike.
3. Segment Your Site
When it comes to your site’s navigation elements, you want to ensure users can access information and products relevant to their particular needs, no matter where they are on your site.
For an example of this in practice, see how Adobe structures the header on their website.
There are tabs for both individual customers and businesses wanting to buy a license for the company’s range of design software. Each tab includes links to relevant product purchase pages, which provide information on licenses for individuals or licenses for a business.
Similarly, the Support tab also includes links for both individual and enterprise support — minimizing the time it will take for any customer or client to get the help they need from the website. The PDF & E-Signatures tab is broken down in the same way, with columns for pages relevant to individuals and those for businesses.
4. Use Content
Content — in the form of articles, infographics, or podcasts — can be a great tool for showing business customers and individuals how your products meet their particular needs.
If you’re worried that some part of your website doesn’t make it clear how your offerings appeal to one of your target segments, new content may help. A well-placed blog article or graphic can be a great way to provide value while showing off how your product might be used in a business environment or home.
IKEA, for example, uses content on the company’s webpage that’s carefully crafted to appeal to the brand’s entire range of potential customers. They publish a range of similar content on their site, showing off how clients of all kinds can use and arrange the furniture and decor that the company offers.
Employing a similar strategy on your site can help show potential customers how they’ll benefit from your business model.
5. Take Advantage of Overlapping Segment Needs
Wherever you can find common ground between your two audience segments, take advantage of it.
Overlap in audience needs or interests can help you reduce the resources you’ll need to invest to provide content, cover support pages, and offer all the information your potential customers will need.
While it’s important to segment your site where needed, it’s also helpful to identify overlap and cut down on the amount of work you have to do to build a complete business website.
Secure Customers With These B2M Website Upgrades
These improvements are some of the best ways to signal to your customers that your business serves both individual and enterprise needs. Strong CTAs, segmented content, and thoughtfully designed visuals can all help demonstrate the wider applications of your offerings while helping potential buyers navigate where they need to go.
If you struggle to communicate your business model to potential customers, these improvements can help you demonstrate value to both major segments of your audience.
Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. She was the creative director at a digital marketing agency before becoming a full-time freelance designer. Eleanor lives in Philly with her husband and pup, Bear.