You know how most people would agree that having a fire extinguisher in the house is a good idea, but only about six in 10 actually do?  Well, same thing with company websites.  Execs know it’s a good idea to have a buttoned-up site, but not all of them make it a priority.

Now, will your business burn to the ground if you don’t?  That depends on how much in sales you can afford to lose.

This isn’t an attempt to be dramatic.  Web presence for a B2B is critical, and it all starts with your home site.

Here, friends and associates, is why.

1. 46% of visitors leave a company’s website if it’s unclear

You can build the Picasso of HTTPs, but if people can’t tell (quickly) what you do and how you’ll help them, they’re gone.  Vague websites can instantly cut your prospect pool in half.  Also keep in mind that a single purchase often involves multiple decision makers.  So, you need straightforward, quality copy that appeals to multiple audiences.

2. Visitors read 20% of a web page on average

Yes, high-quality copy is make-or-break territory.  But, you have to understand how people absorb it as well.  Most buyers spend seconds on a page.  Unless you’re selling paper clips, the goal is to give them enough info to call or email you.  Make it convenient for skimmers to get what they need fast:  attention-getting headline with keywords, descriptive section headers, strong buttons with relevant CTAs (i.e., not “Click Here”), short paragraphs and sentences, etc.

3. 70% of startups and small businesses are missing CTAs

This one’s mind-blowing to me.  How can you possibly expect people to do what you want them to do if you don’t ask them to do what you want them to do?  Seven in 10 SMBs dropping the ball here may seem high, but I’ve seen it in my own website audits.  The same goes for contact information:  44% of people will bounce if they can’t find it.  Please, by all means, make it easy for people to give you money.

4. 89% of visitors will jump to a competitor after a poor UX

And to finish that thought, they ain’t comin’ back.  This is admittedly more of a B2C data point than a B2B one, but frankly that doesn’t matter.  B2Bs are made up of Cs.  They get just as irked at slow load speeds shopping for new vendors as they do shopping for new bath oils.  If your site’s a clunky mess, then right or wrong that tells them something about your business.

5. 57% of people won’t recommend businesses with poor mobile sites

Half of all global web traffic is now from mobile devices and 91% of B2B purchases are influenced by word of mouth.  Neglect mobile-friendly web design at your own risk.

6. Posts with graphics receive 94% more views than those without

Putting the blog aspect aside for a moment, this just makes sense.  Most of us are visual learners to some degree, so things like charts, slideshows, videos, and other visuals get attention and help drive points home.  Just do yourself a favor and choose your imagery wisely.  For example, 10 people standing around a computer monitor laughing it up.  In what universe does that actually happen?  There’s nothing wrong with stock photos, but avoid the cheesy stuff like the plague.

7. Modern good, outdated bad (source: common sense)

Do we really need a stat for this one?  If your site looks like it’s straight out of Netscape Navigator, you’re shooting yourself in the foot (unless you’re trying to be ironic, which is fine for a retro bar but not for you).  Not only does it crush your credibility almost instantly, but on the technical side it also mucks up your SEO and increases your hackability.  Keep it current, folks.

8. 500 milliseconds to make a good first impression

It may be cliché to say first impressions of your site happen in the blink of an eye, but it’s not farfetched.  That’s what this whole article is about, anyway.  People are trying to understand you through your website—effectively, the blink of an eye compared to your business’s full size and scope.  That’s why it’s imperative to treat your site as an investment in growth rather than overhead to streamline.

Some marketers refer to your website as the digital door to your business.  True, but let’s not sell it short.  Considering most of the buyer journey is done digitally these days—meaning you may never even know you were on, then off, the shopping list—your website might very well be the one and only door to your business for prospects.

So, treat it like your cyber salesperson:  clean-cut, well-spoken, and just laden with charisma.

Wondering about your website?  Give me a ring and we’ll pull it up together.  I don’t want to call your baby ugly, but if she is, I’ll do it tenderly.