What are the real barriers to website renewal for B2B web managers?
-From a report on the actual operation of corporate websites-

My name is Sakamoto, and I am the BtoB team leader in the Marketing Department.
Our team is working on interviewing web managers of B2B companies and compiling reports. The trigger for this was that we were often asked by people in charge of renewing corporate websites, "What do other companies do?"

How are the corporate websites of B2B companies operated?
What are the concerns of the operators?

This is information that we at the web production company need to know as well.
So in 2012, we started to interview people in charge of website operations and compile the results into a report. We have had the cooperation of over 500 companies so far, and compiled the results of our interviews into a booklet titled "Report on the Actual State of Corporate Website Operations," which has been useful to the people at the companies we interviewed.
( The table of contents for the latest report can be found here .)

Today, I would like to introduce some points from this report, focusing on the challenges that arose in renewing the corporate website.

The biggest obstacles to renewal are "procuring materials" and "internal coordination"

What are the obstacles you face when renewing a corporate website?
The results are shown in the graph below. (Number of respondents: 134)

The two most common reasons were, "It was difficult to arrange the materials" and "It took a long time to coordinate opinions between departments."

The text and photos to be posted on the page must be requested and compiled from each department. Even for a single product photo, it is necessary to check with the relevant department to decide whether to reuse an existing product photo or take a new one.

In addition, in B2B companies with a wide range of departments, such as development, manufacturing, sales, and public relations, each department has different priorities, so even confirming the direction of the website can be a struggle.

The worries are endless, the honest opinions of the people in charge

The open-ended comments also reveal the concerns of the people in charge.

Here too, the main focus is on interdepartmental coordination (internal coordination) in various situations.
Although the term "internal coordination" is used in general, its content is quite diverse.
This involves collecting photographs and data used on existing websites, organizing the text of each piece of content, requesting and collecting manuscripts from each department for new content, and revising the text.
In addition, when a new shoot occurs, you will need to coordinate schedules with each department, including considering people, items (products), and shooting locations.

As such, it has become clear that many web managers are struggling with internal coordination.

Voices of "Internal Coordination Experts"

"Internal coordination" is a very frustrating problem, so how can it be made to go smoothly?
I would like to look for some hints from the voices of the internal coordination experts I met during my interviews.

1. Mr. A is good at laying the groundwork. A smooth relationship and no trouble!

"Everyday relationships are everything," says Ms. A with a bright smile.
Mr. A is always conscious of communicating with people in other departments. He listens to what others ask of him and what their needs are. Through this, he has been able to break down the barriers between departments, and as a result, he has a perfect system for cooperation with the web.
"It's no good just asking for it when we renew."
Behind Mr. A's smile is the accumulation of small, everyday efforts.

2. Mr. B takes a frontal approach. He brings his passion to the table and gets things moving!

"Why should I do anything other than my job?"
Mr. B took this criticism he received from the sales field seriously and overcame it.
First of all, what is the purpose of the web, and why is a renewal necessary? We patiently explained the purpose of using the web as a tool to acquire customers until they fully understood, and we achieved a site renewal that reflected many of the opinions of the people on the front lines.
The website has come to be seen as another salesperson, and its presence within the company is rapidly increasing.

3. Mr. C welcomes criticism. In fact, indifference to the web is his biggest enemy!

"My products don't show up in the search results at all!"
Criticism from the sales department. The actual cause was that the sales side had not provided sufficient materials, but Mr. C put up with it without pointing that out.
"We will also implement some measures, but it would be a waste if people come and see it but there is not much information to share," he said, skillfully steering the criticism in a positive direction. This elicited cooperation from sales, and they were able to create a content-rich product page.
Mr. C said, "I appreciate criticism because it's proof that I'm interested in the Web."

Although their approaches differ, the three experts all share a passion for creating great websites. Their passion for solving problems using various methods to achieve that goal naturally motivates those around them.

That being said, circumstances within companies vary widely.
How can we successfully get everyone in the company involved in the renewal to be a success?

The worries and struggles of web managers never end!
(And we want to do everything we can to help you do just that!)