Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
89% of B2B researchers use the internet during the B2B research process
71% of B2B researchers start their research with a generic search query rather than a brand name
On average B2B researchers do 12 searches prior to engaging on a specific brand's site
Organic search drives 53% of all B2B site traffic
The top result in Google’s organic search results has an average CTR of 31.7%
B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads per month than those that do not
B2B e-commerce sales are projected to reach $3 trillion by 2027
65% of B2B companies across all sectors offer E-commerce capabilities
70% of B2B decision makers are open to making new remote purchases in excess of $50,000
The average conversion rate for B2B search advertising is 2.23%
61% of B2B marketers consider generating high-quality leads as their biggest challenge
53% of B2B marketers spend more than half of their budget on lead generation
42% of B2B researchers use a mobile device during the purchasing process
Mobile drives more than 40% of revenue in leading B2B organizations
90% of B2B buyers say they would likely repeat purchase from a vendor with superior mobile experience
B2B E-commerce & Marketplaces
- 1B2B e-commerce sales are projected to reach $3 trillion by 2027
- 265% of B2B companies across all sectors offer E-commerce capabilities
- 370% of B2B decision makers are open to making new remote purchases in excess of $50,000
- 4Digital Commerce 360 estimates B2B marketplace sales grew 131% in a single year
- 580% of B2B buyers expect a B2C-like purchasing experience on e-commerce sites
- 6By 2025 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels
- 735% of B2B buyers say that 'easy checkout' is a top priority for them
- 818% of B2B revenue currently comes directly from e-commerce sites
- 994% of B2B buyers report that online pricing data is crucial to their purchasing decision
- 10Amazon Business is projected to reach $83 billion in global gross sales by 2025
- 1150% of B2B buyers identify improved personalization as a key feature for suppliers to offer
- 1252% of B2B buyers say they're frustrated with the online buying experience
- 1357% of B2B executives stated their top technology priority is e-commerce integration
- 1440% of B2B buyers use Amazon to research product prices even when buying elsewhere
- 15Reorder rates are 15% higher on B2B e-commerce platforms compared to manual orders
- 16B2B marketplaces will account for 30% of all global B2B sales by 2024
- 1746% of B2B companies plan to increase spending on e-commerce technology
- 1872% of B2B sellers say they have more data on buyers now due to digital commerce tools
- 1986% of B2B organizations now offer self-service portals for customers
- 2026% of B2B buyers believe that B2B sites are harder to navigate than B2C sites
Interpretation
B2B buying has quietly morphed into consumer-grade e-commerce, a trillion-dollar market fueled by marketplaces, pricing transparency and Amazon's rise, where buyers demand B2C ease, fast checkout, personalization and seamless integration or they'll simply buy elsewhere.
Buyer Behavior & Research Habits
- 189% of B2B researchers use the internet during the B2B research process
- 271% of B2B researchers start their research with a generic search query rather than a brand name
- 3On average B2B researchers do 12 searches prior to engaging on a specific brand's site
- 457% of the purchase decision is complete before a customer even calls a supplier
- 5B2B buyers spend only 17% of their time meeting with potential suppliers
- 6Millennial B2B buyers engaged in 56% more buying team meetings than Gen X or Baby Boomers
- 745% of B2B buyers spend more time researching purchases than they did a year ago
- 8The average B2B buying group involves 6 to 10 decision makers
- 961% of B2B buyers say finding high-quality content is a challenge during their search
- 1077% of B2B buyers state that their latest purchase was very complex or difficult
- 1127% of B2B buyers spend their time researching independently online compared to 17% meeting with suppliers
- 1290% of B2B buyers loop in other decision makers after they have already researched options
- 1333% of B2B buyers desire a seller-free sales experience
- 1462% of B2B buyers say a web search was one of the first three resources they used to learn about a solution
- 1584% of senior executives use social media to support purchase decisions
- 16B2B buyers conduct an average of 20 - 30 searches during the B2B buying journey
- 1744% of millennials prefer no sales rep interaction during B2B buying
- 1874% of B2B buyers choose the sales rep that was the first to add value and insight
- 1941% of B2B buyers read at least 3-5 pieces of content before connecting with a salesperson
- 2070% of B2B buyers cite product feature functionality as the most important search criterion
Lead Generation & Advertising
- 1The average conversion rate for B2B search advertising is 2.23%
- 261% of B2B marketers consider generating high-quality leads as their biggest challenge
- 353% of B2B marketers spend more than half of their budget on lead generation
- 4B2B companies with mature lead generation processes achieve 133% greater revenue
- 5Search ads increase brand awareness among B2B buyers by 80%
- 6The average cost per lead (CPL) for B2B industries in search is around $116
- 7Retargeting ads are used by 29% of B2B marketers to recapture search traffic
- 868% of B2B companies use strategic landing pages to acquire leads
- 9LinkedIn is responsible for 80% of B2B leads generated from social media
- 10Companies that nurture leads generate 50% more sales readiness at 33% lower cost
- 1144% of B2B clicks go to a homepage rather than a specific landing page affecting conversion
- 12B2B lead response time under 5 minutes increases conversion probability by 9x
- 13Search is the #1 traffic source to high-converting B2B landing pages
- 1485% of B2B marketers say lead generation is their most important content marketing goal
- 1591% of B2B buyers say they are more likely to buy if they have a free trial or demo
- 16Form conversions drop by 26% if a B2B phone number field is mandatory
- 17The average click-through rate (CTR) for B2B email campaigns is 5%
- 1876% of B2B marketers use automation to generate more leads
- 1965% of B2B marketers have not established lead nurturing campaigns
- 20PPC advertising converts 50% better than organic traffic for high commercial intent keywords
Interpretation
Search and PPC are the engine of B2B growth, driving top traffic and 80% greater brand awareness while converting 50% better than organic, yet marketers pour budget into lead generation and still face a meager 2.23% conversion rate and roughly $116 CPL because too many clicks land on homepages, retargeting is underused, and most firms lack proper nurturing; plugging obvious leaks such as mandatory phone fields that cut form conversions, slow follow-up that squanders the 9x conversion lift of sub-five-minute responses, and the absence of free trials could turn those investments into the mature lead-gen programs that deliver 133% more revenue.
Mobile, Tech & User Experience
- 142% of B2B researchers use a mobile device during the purchasing process
- 2Mobile drives more than 40% of revenue in leading B2B organizations
- 390% of B2B buyers say they would likely repeat purchase from a vendor with superior mobile experience
- 450% of B2B search queries are made on smartphones
- 538% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive
- 652% of B2B buyers say that slow loading time is a top annoyance
- 769% of B2B buyers use chatbots for quick communication
- 888% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience
- 978% of B2B customers expect real-time interactions on websites
- 1086% of buyers will pay more for a better customer experience
- 11AI usage in B2B marketing has grown by 53% in recent years
- 1270% of B2B buyers have watched a video on their path to purchase
- 1360% of B2B marketers say AI helps them predict customer trends
- 1493% of B2B buyers prefer to buy online once they have tried it
- 1583% of B2B buyers say voice search is an important emerging technology for their work
- 16Website personalization can lift sales by 19%
- 1748% of B2B buyers say mobile is an essential tool for their job
- 18B2B sites with 1-second load time improvements see a 27% conversion increase
- 1973% of B2B executives say that customer expectations for personalized experiences are higher than ever
- 2058% of B2B companies are now using AI chatbots to facilitate search inquiries on their site
Interpretation
Treat your website like a 24/7 sales rep with charm, speed and smarts—be mobile-first, lightning-fast, personalized and AI-enabled with real-time chat, voice and video, because today’s B2B buyers prefer and will pay for seamless digital experiences and will quickly abandon anything slow, ugly or clumsy.
SEO, Content & Keywords
- 1Organic search drives 53% of all B2B site traffic
- 2The top result in Google’s organic search results has an average CTR of 31.7%
- 3B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads per month than those that do not
- 470% of marketers are actively investing in content marketing for search visibility
- 596% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn for organic content distribution
- 6Long-form content generates 77.2% more links than short articles
- 760% of B2B marketers report that SEO generates their highest quality leads
- 846% of B2B marketers say that photography and graphics are critical for optimization
- 9Listicles get 2x more shares and 1.5x more backlinks than other formats
- 1091% of B2B marketers use content marketing to feed their search strategy
- 11Updating and republishing old blog posts can increase organic traffic by as much as 106%
- 1249% of B2B marketers outsource their content creation for SEO purposes
- 13Case studies are the most effective content format for 73% of B2B marketers
- 1448% of B2B decision-makers spend 1+ hour per week reading thought leadership content found via search
- 15Websites with active blogs have 434% more indexed pages
- 1664% of B2B companies engage a dedicated SEO agency or freelancer
- 1768% of B2B businesses use a landing page strategy to capture search intent
- 18Video is the primary form of media used within content strategy for 49% of B2B marketers
- 19Only 29% of B2B marketers claim to be very successful at measuring content marketing ROI
- 2088% of B2B marketers use keyword research to guide their content creation
Interpretation
Bottom line: in B2B the companies that treat search and content like a strategic sales channel by investing in SEO, long-form and updated blogs, visuals, LinkedIn distribution, landing pages and case studies while enlisting specialists and keyword research win the clicks, links and higher-quality leads that most others still fail to measure.
