Majority of B2B Websites’ Content Failed to Reel in Customers in 2014

A new report published by Forrester Research shows that a majority of B2B websites have failed to engage users with content in 2014, forcing chief marketing officers (CMOs) to rethink their content marketing plans for 2015.

Forrester scored companies according to various factors, including the appeal of their website content and use of video. The companies had the potential to score a perfect 30, or obtain a passing score of 20 or above. Only four companies successfully passed Forrester’s test; the average score was 12.8. Forrester did not reveal the names of the four companies that passed its test.

“The biggest problem is that the majority of content talks about the company, what its products and services do and how many awards they’ve won, but doesn’t speak to the issues their prospective buyers are trying to solve,” said Laura Ramos, Forrester analyst, according to Ad Age.

Telling stories, writing in narrative and shooting video were identified as key ways that companies can help their messages stand out among the rest.

The “B-to-B Content Fails the Consumer Engagement Test” looked at 30 B2B websites across six industries, including technology, software, investing, medical products, manufacturing and services.

The Use of Data for Personalization

The “Why Marketing Should Be Personal” briefing, produced by Ecoconsultancy, recently examined how personalization is being used to connect with consumers and provide a more robust customer experience.

Researchers determined that 70 percent of companies still see technology integration as a key barrier to personalization. However, many marketers are using channels that have shown promise in the past – about 78 percent of respondents said that they personalize the customer experience through email. Nearly 36 percent said they were doing so through mobile.

Out of the companies that are focusing on customer personalization, 14 percent reported an increase in sales. That being said, only 5 percent of respondents said that they are personalizing “extensively,” indicating that there is still more ground to cover in terms of enhancing the buyer experience.