What B2B buyers actually want from a website (hint: it’s not a whitepaper)

If your website feels like an obstacle course, don’t be surprised when buyers take the shortcut straight to your competitor.  The harsh truth is that today’s B2B buyers are over bloated PDFs and fluffy sales pitches. They want answers, proof, and a reason to trust you—fast. They’re time-strapped and spoiled for choice – and if your site doesn’t immediately give them what they need, they’re gone.

B2B buyers aren’t “nurturing” themselves through your funnel. They’re actively dodging sales reps, ignoring outdated whitepapers, and hunting for fast, relevant answers. In fact, 75% of B2B buyers would rather not deal with a sales rep at all during the buying process (gartner).

They’re doing more independent research than ever, and your website is often their first port of call. But over half of buyers say they’re simply overwhelmed by the glut of content out there (demandgenreport). And when they do engage, they crave content that’s helpful, concise, and relevant. It’s time for a reality check (and a refresh) on what your B2B audience actually wants from your website. So, ask yourself: is your site truly delivering what they want?

Here’s the inside scoop, backed by data and real-world examples, on how to turn your website into a B2B buyer magnet.

High-intent users: what they need and why they leave

Not all website visitors are just browsing. Some arrive with clear intent to buy, and if your site doesn’t serve them what they need instantly, they’ll just leave. High-intent users—think decision-makers actively comparing vendors or teams at the final stages of a purchase—are on your site with a mission. They don’t want fluff, they want straightforward, decision-ready content.

So what are they looking for?

• Pricing transparency – hiding pricing behind forms or forcing a demo call can kill conversions. While custom quotes might be necessary in some industries, even ballpark figures or pricing tiers help high-intent buyers qualify themselves without extra friction. 81% of B2B buyers expect pricing information upfront (TrustRadius).
• Technical details & integrations – can your product work with their existing tech stack? What are the real capabilities? Detailed spec sheets, API documentation, and use-case breakdowns need to be easy to find.
• Proof of value – buyers in decision mode aren’t looking for generic thought leadership—they need case studies, ROI calculators, testimonials, and industry benchmarks that reinforce why you’re the right choice.
• Contact options that suit them – some high-intent users want to book a demo right now, while others prefer to chat live or send a quick inquiry. Offering multiple touchpoints (chat, direct booking, fast email responses) makes sure you don’t lose them to a slow sales cycle (HubSpot).
• Speed & efficiency – the last thing a serious buyer wants is a slow, cluttered site that makes them work to find what they need. Navigation, mobile performance, and frictionless UX matter more than ever when a high-intent user lands on your page.

Failing to serve high-intent users the right information doesn’t just cost you a lead—it hands them straight to your competitor. By designing your site to guide these users quickly and efficiently toward decision-making content, you’re not just improving UX—you’re accelerating revenue.

Personalisation

B2B buyers today expect tailored, “just-for-me” experiences from the get-go. They want to land on your site and immediately feel like you understand their problem.

Consider this: 77% of B2B buyers say they are more likely to engage with a company that delivers personalised experiences addressing their specific needs (trendemon). That’s an overwhelming majority who will tune out if your content feels one-size-fits-all.

Think beyond plugging a prospect’s name into a landing page. True personalisation means dynamically showcasing content relevant to their industry, their role, and their stage of the journey. For example, Salesforce’s website detects a visitor’s industry and serves up case studies and testimonials from that sector, instantly signaling “we get you.”

HubSpot similarly recommends content based on a visitor’s past behaviour – if you’ve been reading blog posts about marketing automation, you’ll see offers for related tools or webinars instead of random product pitches. These aren’t hypotheticals; these are real approaches used by market leaders to treat B2B buyers like individuals, not faceless traffic.

And the payoff is real: companies using personalised web experiences have seen an average 20% boost in sales as a result (trendemon). When you swap generic whitepapers for content that speaks your buyer’s language, you earn deeper engagement and trust.

Even something as simple as segmenting your resource centre by industry or using smart CTAs that adapt to the visitor can make a huge difference. The message is loud and clear: if you want B2B buyers to stick around, roll out the red carpet and show you know who they are.

Content variety

B2B buyers are hungry for a mix of formats.

Sure, that 30-page technical whitepaper has its place, but it’s often not the first thing a busy decision-maker wants to consume. In fact, in a recent survey of B2B buyers, traditional whitepapers ranked near the bottom in perceived value – far behind formats like research reports, case studies, and webinars.

B2B buyers rated research reports, case studies, and webinars as the most valuable content for researching purchases, while whitepapers and e-books trailed behind (marketingprofs).

B2B buyers move through an education process, and they prefer different content at different stages.

• Early in the journey, they appreciate snackable insights – think infographics and blog posts that 62% and 58% of buyers, respectively, find most valuable in early stages (marketingprofs).
• Mid-funnel, they often seek deeper dives like webinars or thorough case studies that show real-world results. (Pro tip: Buyers love case studies – ~40% cite them among the top resources for purchase research (marketingprofs), because nothing builds confidence like seeing how you’ve solved a problem for someone else in their shoes.)
• And let’s not ignore video: 70% of B2B buyers say video content beats whitepapers, research reports, and infographics for creating awareness of business problems (brightcove).

Even interactive and emerging formats are on the table. Podcasts have grown in popularity for on-the-go executives; short demo videos can humanise your product; and yes, even memes or gifs on social media (when appropriate) can make your brand more relatable.

The common thread? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Give your audience multiple ways to learn and engage – a vibrant mix of articles, videos, webinars, one-pagers, infographics, and more. Not only does this cater to different learning styles, it also shows that your brand is dynamic and in tune with modern content consumption habits.

Transparency and trust-building

Here’s a bold idea: try not hiding what your buyers want to know.

B2B buyers are doing serious due diligence, and nothing irks them more than vague or missing information. If your website makes it hard to find the truth – whether it’s pricing, product specs, integrations, or honest customer feedback – you’re sowing seeds of doubt. Trust is the currency of B2B transactions, and your site needs to shout “you can rely on us” at every turn.

How important is transparency? 94% of B2B buyers say they’re more loyal to brands that are transparent (razorfish). That may as well be everyone. Transparency can mean publishing clear pricing or at least guidance instead of “Call for quote.” It means openly showcasing customer reviews, case studies with real results (and maybe even lessons learned from setbacks), and candid content that educates rather than just sells.

It also means being upfront about what your product can and can’t do. A savvy buyer will find out eventually anyway – better they hear it from you with an honest take. Moreover, buyers trust peers and third-parties more than they trust your sales deck.

If you can incorporate social proof directly on your site – think testimonials, logos of well-known customers, independent research reports, or credible third-party ratings – you’re addressing the trust gap head-on.

No wonder 52% of B2B tech buyers heavily rely on online review sites during their research (b2bsaasreviews). They’re looking for unfiltered opinions. Provide them with easy access to such insights (linking to reviews or showcasing ratings) and you turn your website into a trust-building machine.

Transparency also extends to your content itself. If you have an expert point of view, back it up with data (and cite it). B2B buyers are skeptical by nature – they’re trained to question claims. Show them the numbers, share the research, maybe even pull back the curtain on your own processes or culture where relevant.

Brands that educate and inform openly will win credibility. Remember, the goal of your website content isn’t just to inform – it’s to instil confidence. Honesty, clarity, and proof at every step will do just that.

Seamless user experience

If your website is a maze of menu clutter, slow load times, and non-mobile-friendly pages, it’s basically a self-serve exit button for potential customers. B2B buyers may be patient in negotiations, but online their patience wears paper thin.

User experience (UX) on your site can make or break the deal before a buyer even says “hello.” The expectation is a seamless, intuitive, and fast experience, akin to the best of B2C sites, even in a complex B2B world.

• Let’s talk mobile for a second. We live in the age of executives researching on their iPads between meetings and engineers checking specs on their phones. If your site isn’t mobile-optimised, you’re toast. More than 90% of B2B buyers with a superior mobile experience say they would buy from the same vendor again, versus only about 50% if the mobile experience is poor (linearity). That’s a big ol’ loyalty gap, all hinging on how well your site works on a 6-inch screen. It’s 2025 – having a mobile-responsive, lightning-fast site is no longer optional. (And by the way, Google’s search ranking will thank you for it, too.)
• Speed and navigation matter just as much. Nearly 42% of visitors will abandon a website with poor functionality or confusing navigation (ironpaper). B2B buyers are on a mission when they hit your site: maybe they want to find a specific technical spec, a use-case page, or that webinar you promised. If they can’t find it easily, they’re not going to dig around – they’ll simply leave (and possibly head to a competitor’s site that does make it easy).
• Clear menus, a decent search function, and logical page layouts are crucial. So is site speed: even a one-tenth of a second improvement in load time can boost engagement by 8% (ironpaper). Shave off every unnecessary second of load time – your bottom line will reflect it.
• Then there’s consistency. A seamless UX isn’t just about being bug-free; it’s about providing a smooth journey from first touch to conversion. Ensure your branding is consistent, your messaging is clear, and your calls-to-action stand out. Test your forms – are they quick to fill or do they ask for a DNA sample? (Pro tip: fewer fields = more completions.)

Make sure your site guides the buyer logically: for instance, a product page should naturally lead to a demo request or a relevant case study, not a dead end. By investing in UX, you’re essentially respecting your buyer’s time and intelligence – and that speaks volumes. Remember, for the buyer, your website is your company in those critical early stages. So make navigating it a delight, not a chore.

Interactive tools

Want to truly hook a B2B buyer’s attention? Let them do something on your site, not just read it.

Interactive tools and content are the new power players in B2B websites. Why? Because they transform a passive experience into an active one. It’s the difference between reading a brochure versus playing around with a demo – which do you think is more memorable?

No surprise, then, that interactive content significantly outperforms static content. One study found that interactive content converts buyers 70% of the time, versus only 36% for passive content (callpage). That’s nearly double the effectiveness, simply by getting your audience involved.

There are a few ways to build interactivity into your site, and the best ways address a specific buyer need or question in real-time. Calculators are a prime example: instead of a whitepaper talking about ROI in theory, how about a calculator that lets prospects plug in their own numbers and see the ROI for their business? If you offer, say, a cost-saving software, an interactive ROI calculator on your site can instantly show a CFO how much money it could save them – instant value, zero fluff.

The same goes for assessment quizzes (“How mature is your security strategy? Take our 2-minute assessment”) or product configurators that let users virtually build the solution they need. These tools not only engage buyers; they also educate them about your offerings in a personalised way.

Let’s not forget chatbots and live chat. Today’s B2B buyers often prefer to find answers themselves, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have questions. A well-programmed chatbot can be a 24/7 concierge on your site, guiding users to resources or answering FAQs on the spot. It’s all about instant gratification.

Got a question about integration capabilities at 10 PM? The bot’s got you. And when implemented right, these tools feel less like annoying Clippy pop-ups and more like a helpful guide that enhances the user experience.

Interactive content also has the side benefit of providing you with richer data on your prospects. If someone uses your tool to, say, calculate their savings or benchmark their performance, you’ve gained insight into their pain points and priorities – gold for your sales team (with the user’s consent, of course).

But the real point is this: B2B buyers remember the experience. By offering interactive elements on your site, you’re helping them explore solutions in a hands-on way. That’s a powerful differentiator in a crowded market obsessed with PDFs.

Actionable takeaways for B2B marketers

Alright, let’s boil this down into action items. Knowing what B2B buyers want is one thing; doing it is another. Here are some concrete steps to turn your website into the buyer-centric experience it needs to be:

• Personalise the journey: Implement personalisation wherever feasible. Start simple – segment content by vertical or role. Use smart content tools to tailor headlines, imagery, or case study examples based on who’s visiting. Aim for that “hey, this was written for me” feeling for the visitor. (trendemon)
• Diversify your content portfolio: Audit your content offerings. Add variety if you’re overly reliant on one format. For each major product or solution, ensure you have multiple content types – a short video, a one-pager or blog, a webinar, a case study. Offer both snackable and long-form options. Remember, 50%+ of buyers value webinars, videos, and case studies as much as or more than whitepapers. (brightcove, marketingprofs)
• Be transparent and build trust: Do a frank review of your site’s transparency. Is pricing hidden behind a form? Are case studies generic marketing fluff or real stories with substance? Add customer testimonials and logos prominently. Link to reviews or third-party evaluations. Don’t be afraid to address common concerns or limitations up front – it shows honesty. Brands that tell the truth earn repeat business (94% loyalty with transparency!). (razorfish)
• Optimise UX (continuously): Speed test your site and then speed test it again. Optimise images, cut unnecessary scripts, and consider a CDN – every millisecond counts. Simplify your navigation: make important pages no more than one click from the homepage. Ensure your site shines on mobile – not just looks OK, but truly shines (thumb-friendly buttons, fast loads, easy reading). Regularly conduct user testing or heuristic reviews to spot UX snags you might be blind to. (ironpaper linearity)
• Inject interactivity: Brainstorm at least one interactive element you can add in the next quarter. Maybe it’s a ROI calculator, a self-assessment quiz, an interactive demo, or a chatbot that can schedule a meeting for interested visitors. Interactive content doesn’t just engage – it converts, so start experimenting with it. Monitor how users interact and iterate to improve these tools over time. (callpage)

Each of these steps is actionable today. You don’t need to overhaul your entire site in one go – you can incrementally make these improvements. The key is to always be asking, “Is this what our buyer wants? Is this making their life easier?” If the answer is no, pivot.

Ditch the PDF security blanket

Today’s B2B buyer is independent, informed, and impatient. They want a website that educates without condescension, that engages without gimmicks, and that guides without forcing a phone call. They want to be impressed by useful content, to be wooed by a smooth experience, to be reassured by transparency, and to be intrigued by interactive touches.

Give them these things, and they’ll give you their consideration, their trust, and eventually, their business. Keep clinging to the old playbook, and you’ll keep wondering why that bounce rate isn’t budging.

So here’s the challenge and the opportunity for you: be bold. Audit your website with fresh eyes and a buyer’s perspective. Cut the fluff, add the good stuff. The companies that rise above the noise in B2B are those willing to evolve beyond the tired whitepaper gating strategy. Your buyers are telling you what they want – it’s on us as marketers to listen and deliver. The result won’t just be a website that B2B buyers tolerate; it will be one that they love to use (yes, even for B2B!).

And when was the last time you heard a customer rave about a whitepaper? Exactly.

Now’s the time to give B2B buyers what they actually want – and watch the results speak for themselves.