We came. We saw. We Spoke.

Editor’s Note: Spoke heartily welcomes winggrrrl and digital diva, Janeile Cudjoe, who provides us with solid fundamentals for crafting your B2B web presence.

When not consulting to clients through her very own Zig !t Marketing, Janeile can be found blogging on the virtues of Web 2.0 at Janeile.com

It seems obvious why a proper web presence is necessary for a B2C operation. Their consumers are internet savvy online shoppers who have multiple reasons for whether or not they choose your business or not. However, a B2B company is somehow viewed differently. For some reason, their clientele is viewed as the traditional, white-shirt-black-tie types who rarely go online because they are too busy making things HAPPEN in the real world. Many B2B companies continue on with no or, even worse, a poor web presence that is not only dated, but boring and unhelpful. The fact that they can get by and still survive only reinforces the myth that a good web presence is not needed. The truth is that having a web presence that is dynamic, vibrant and on par with B2C Web 2.0 sites is beneficial in myriad ways such as increasing authenticity, brand assets, thought leadership and client relations.

Authenticity

Does anyone outside of your B2B operation know what your company is really like? Does your website clue anyone in to what you really do outside the context of overused phrases like “world-class” scattered about your site like a crime scene? Having a proper web presence means pulling back the curtain to the real you and giving your audience the opportunity to engage. Gone are the days when people were satisfied with talking to the nondescript ‘sales@b2bcompany .com’. Get rid of the glamour-shot, air-brushed, politically-correct website and get your picture taken sans makeup. If your smile is genuine, people will pay attention.

I know what you’re thinking – that this is all swell and dandy for B2C types, but not for B2B. As Rick Burnes of HubSpot said recently, “Lame excuse.” Authenticity in business is important because people like to work with real people. The idea that you’re somehow selling to a business and not a human being is ridiculous. Never forget that you’re not only targeting real people, but that your business needs to come across as a real entity too and not just some big nameless, faceless machine.

Leveraging Brand Assets

An online platform introduces a new channel to re-purpose content used in other marketing initiates and vice versa. The unanimous call online is that content is king. A deep fear of businesses everywhere is the time needed to generate that content. However, many already have access to great content — in offline marketing channels. If your marketing department is busting out fresh, engaging content for traditional media platforms on a regular basis, why not use some of that online to expand your reach and get more bang for the buck? Just be sure to optimize your content for the online reader, and use your analytics engine to discover what’s important to readers before refining your offerings.

Good content serves to increase positive brand equity. Think of it as another piece to the puzzle — one that supports all marketing channels.

Thought Leadership

If someone Googled your company today, what would they find? A disgruntled employee? A blank space where you should be? Or would they find content generated by your employees, and satisfied clients that set you apart as an industry leader? Okay, so maybe you’re not as big as Google and everything you say doesn’t come straight from the mountaintop on two stone tablets, but it doesn’t mean that you have no chance at being a leader in your field of expertise. We can all agree that our B2B enterprise should be known for something. So the question becomes, “What will it be known for online”? Something about your business will be found there; you have a chance to craft that in a positive way.

Thought leadership ties directly to leveraging your brand assets. If you have great content elsewhere and can re-purpose that content on the web, the chances of it getting around are not only better but will also add positively to your brand reputation. Craft your message carefully because labels fly fast and furious online. Develop content that is interesting and unique, and don’t forget to engage with those in your industry who are discussing related topics. In the Web 2.0 world, online engagement — with a point of view — adds to your reputation.

Customer Support/Client Relations

A proper web presence is going to boost your relationship with your clients. How? Have you ever been to a company website and felt uneasy about working with them because their site looked like it was built by the owner’s thirteen-year-old nephew who built it in exchange for an iPhone? Just as first impressions are important in real life meetings, so are the ones made online. A professional, first impression online is imperative to breaking the ice for prospective clients.

Secondary steps to developing good client relations can include having an FAQ page to address prospect’s questions, or live chat manned by your own staff. More subtle approaches may take the form of white papers and webinars, or addressing customer concerns and questions through social media platforms, including comments made on your corporate blog.

You do have a corporate blog, don’t you?

The name of the game is interaction, and this requires listening. You cannot develop a healthy relationship with clients without it. Your B2B company already does this offline; take it to the next level and make your web presence a relational experience.

Conclusion

The web is not just a playing field for B2C and ecommerce businesses, and it’s not just a platform to leave outdated content or plant one-way “look-at-me!” communication. Think of your B2B web presence as a living organism. It needs to make a good impression, listen, be authentic and leverage its brand assets to become a thought leader in your industry. It should integrate with existing marketing endeavors offline so that they compliment each other. The days of just getting by on a passive, boring or nonexistent web presence are over. Your clients are online whether you believe it or not, and they’re looking for authentic, valuable and actionable resources. If your online properties don’t offer that, someone else’s will.