In the business-to-business world, your company's job is to fill a very specific need for your customers. Many B2B companies work with clients all over the country and even all over the world, so before they do business with you, potential customers are going to find out all they can about you.

At Ripley PR, we stress to our B2B clients that having a strong website is very important to growing your business.

These days, people are more likely to look up the information they need about a company, service, or product, online than they are to call a company or arrange an in-person visit.

If your website isn't effective at explaining what you do, or what you sell, then potential customers are likely to turn away and find someone else to fill their need.

We work with many clients on website design as part of their B2B public relations strategy. A good website will go a long way toward helping your business grow.

Take a look at some of the elements of a good website:

• Strong logos and imagery: Your logo should be eye-catching, but not distracting.

• Let it blend seamlessly in with the rest of the web design.

• A few strong images that effectively showcase your products or services are also better than cluttering your site with photos.

• Make it easy to read

  The world is more fast-paced these days, and technology, web design, and best practices are always changing. People will know immediately if your website is out of date when they visit.If your website is long and wordy, or has too many pages, visitors to your site will either have a difficult time finding the information they need, or they'll give up and move on to another company.  Keep it as concise as possible, and separate sections with clear headlines and bullet points.

• Keep it updated

  Ensure you are always updating it with fresh content, and don't shy away from a redesign if necessary. The world is more fast-paced these days, and technology, web design, and best practices are always changing. People will know immediately if your website is out of date when they visit.

In this day and age, your website is one of the key tools in selling your business, so make sure it's an accurate - and appealing - representation of your company.

For more on intelligent usability, check out Rackspace's article, too.

Contact Ripley PR to find out how we can help you create a great website that will go far in helping you grow your business.