What Website Performance Metrics Reveal for SMB Marketers .

SMB Websites: What’s the Big Deal?

It’s no exaggeration to say that a great website is an essential marketing tool for every business. For most, it serves as the primary point of contact for potential customers and does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to brand engagement and lead generation. For many, it’s a primary driver of revenue.

It’s worth pointing out that a killer website is a bigger deal for some organizations than it is for others—did you know that contact form submissions are the top lead generation source for 77% of Small to Medium-sized Businesses?

Would it surprise you to learn that only 19% of SMBs are focused on web analytics?

Or, that just 21% of SMBs are happy enough with their web design agency that they would refer them to a colleague?

We wanted to know more about how SMBs use their websites (and how we can help them get results that exceed their expectations).

So, we interviewed over 200 SMB marketing professionals. A lot of what we learned surprised us.

Read on to find out what struck us as the most interesting or important insights from our conversations with SMB marketers like you.

Evaluating SMB Website Performance

Growth: often the first and last word on the mind of any SMB marketer. With how often growth hinges on website performance, the metrics we evaluate reveal a lot about how customers are engaging with the business. 

Examining web-based metrics quickly establishes how important websites are as lead generation tools. Organic traffic and site retention, for example, are often viewed as highly significant drivers. 

When you combine these factors with metrics like bounce rate and page speed, user engagement trends emerge. While website speed doesn’t change what comes up on the page, slow loading times discourage users from engaging in the first place. 

Organic traffic and user engagement are paramount to attracting and retaining visitors, and most marketers know that websites should account for both. But many businesses aren’t overly attentive to their website analytics: most SMBs only scan results on a weekly or monthly basis. 

Those who focus more heavily on analytics—only 19% of the SMBs we consulted—are no doubt keenly aware that a fine-tuned website can do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to brand awareness and lead generation. 

Website Performance Impact on SMB Lead Generation and Sale Opportunities

Overhauling an online presence is a high-stakes venture for any business— especially for an SMB that relies heavily on website conversions. Among the brands we interviewed, over a third named their website responsible for a large part of new business. These same SMBs have sales cycles ranging from impulse decisions to 100+ day negotiations with tens of thousands of dollars on the line. With business and revenue of any amount in the balance, an effective website isn’t just a want: it’s a need.

A website doing its job is especially critical to an SMB trying to expand audience reach. Different brands measure engagement differently, but any website is a powerful tool for tracking both broad user data and specific on-site actions that indicate conversion potential. We found that contact form submissions were rated the top source of lead generation by the majority of SMBs (77%). You can create such forms through Survey Form Plugin.

SMBs know that users who submit a form, download a resource, or sign up for a newsletter are much more likely to move down the conversion funnel and potentially become a customer. But more often than not, they don’t have the tools to build a website that encourages and increases this type of action. 

That’s why many businesses partner with a web design agency to drive crucial traffic. Agencies have the know-how and experience needed to attract conversion through engaging design, purposeful marketing, and the clearest user experience possible. These partnerships are meant to create websites that rake in conversions—so why do many SMBs still feel their websites perform poorly?

SMBs Feelings About Their Web Design Agency

Every partnership between a business and a web design agency is built on the trust that the business will grow as a result of the new website. However, our research found that many businesses are dissatisfied with their agency. Only 

21% of SMBs asked would recommend their website agency to a colleague—leaving 21% as neutral, and 58% as not likely to recommend. 

The resulting Average Net Promoter Score of -37 indicates a significantly low referral rate among SMBs engaged with a web design agency. Promoters are highly satisfied with their website’s ability to ​​generate awareness and tell their brand story, driving more leads and leading customers to information clearly. Detractors note metrics like ease of use, visual appeal, and revenue growth among their complaints, and are overall highly dissatisfied with site performance.

The contrast between satisfied SMBs and disappointed SMBs reveals a clear disconnect: the experience that agencies are delivering is not the experience that SMBs need to achieve success. 

What SMBs Need from Web Design Agencies

Ultimately, understanding can be the bridge. SMBs need a web design agency that harnesses rich expertise to build a website that meets—and exceeds—expectations. This requires a deep understanding of the brand, from target audience and user personas to sales journey and conversion goals. When an SMB and web design agency align in experience and understanding, the result is a high-performing website that communicates brand story, meets business goals, and drives high-conversion traffic.  

For over a decade, Huemor has built and supported websites like this for businesses of all sizes. We leverage our experience and know-how to maintain a +30 promoter score—thanks in no small part to our emphasis on partnership and collaboration from project start to project end.

As of recently, Huemor has been recognized as one of the Top Web Development Companies by Vendorland.