B2B website platform

How To Pick Your B2B Website Platform

Nowadays, with so many easy-to-use website platforms out there, it is difficult to decide which one to choose for your new website. Choosing the correct platform for your business can affect how well you can stay on top of updates and content as well as avoid turning away potential clients due to usability issues. Rest assured, in most cases, by simply plugging in your logo and some additional brand content, an entire website can be done in a fraction of the time than traditional web development projects. Also, you might not necessarily need to rely on the expertise of a web developer since a lot of the coding and layout work is done for you. Depending on which B2B website platform you pick, this decision can make a world of a difference in the success of your business and better yet, it will allow you to have more control over the design process from beginning to end.
 
To start, the nature of your business should bring you closer to choosing the B2B website platform that is right for your product or service. Think about what’s unique to your business and what you want your website to do.
 
Here are some questions you should be asking yourself:

  • How tech-savvy are you and will you need any help/support? Even if you are not too well-versed when it comes to design or web development, there are platforms that make this process accessible for beginners. We get into a little more detail about exactly which ones those are below.
  • What is your budget? Do your research on how much you are willing to spend. Careful! Some website platforms offer add-ons or plug-ins that may require additional costs to building your website. Just keep this in mind when shopping around and be sure to consider all costs and extra fees.
  • How much custom work will you really need? In most cases, a B2B website platform will offer an array of templates and features to choose from, tailored to various industries. If you require any additional website capabilities, you may need the assistance of a developer.

As we mentioned before, there is a lot available online to get you started. Here are just a few of our go-to’s when helping our own clients find an appropriate B2B website platform for their organization.
 

The DIY Platform

If you are looking for something clean, simple and straight forward to showcase your business, typically we would recommend Squarespace or Wix. These options are perfect to have a place to display (1) who you are and (2) how to get in touch with your team. Chances are you will not need too much else from your website platform. The templates available already come with responsive designs, this means they will look great on all devices.
 

Squarespace: https://www.squarespace.com/
Price: Business Plan: generally $24 / month.
Skill Required: Beginner Friendly
Additional Features: No logo yet? No problem. Squarespace conveniently offers a logo builder.
 

Wix: https://www.wix.com/
Price: Anywhere between $5-$25 / month.
Skill Required: Beginner friendly
 

The Hybrid Platform

Need a little more? WordPress will be that next level up and it’s the platform that we suggest most often to our own clients. You have the options of having a conventional website or selling your products and services with WooCommerce. WordPress provides more flexibility when it comes to educating and servicing your audience and what is known as a Content Management System. WordPress is used by almost 30% of the top 10 million websites as of January 2018 and supports over 60 million websites worldwide. That’s a lot of websites!
 

WordPress:https://wordpress.com/
Price: Free! There are more price options depending on other services they offer as well.
Skill Required: Intermediate. However there are tons of resources online that can support any beginner!
Additional Features: For any small – medium sized business, WordPress is a solid choice because it is great for SEO and will help potential clients find you vs. your competition.
 

The E-Commerce Platform

If you are selling your product or services online and would like to accept payment via your website, Shopify is your best bet and the most popular e-commerce platform available. Another great feature is that everything is hosted and supported by Shopify so if you even run into technical issues, they can be handled all from one support team.
 

Shopify:https://www.shopify.ca/
Price:Starting at $29 / month.
Skill Required: Beginner friendly.
Additional Features:One unified platform to sell your products or services where you can easily track and monitor inventory and sales. You can also add additional channels if you are selling on Amazon, eBay etc.
 
To see a comparison of other platforms, including the ones mentioned in this blog post, Check out this more detailed B2B Bebsite Platform Review.

Made your choice? In our related blog post, “Building Your B2B Website From Scratch – A Guide For Beginners” we walk you through the initial steps for website set – up.

How To Pick Your B2B Website Platform