• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, March 15, 2017

According to an analysis of B2B lead generation techniques by Kyle Tkachuk, CEO of Clickback, 76% of Business to Business (B2B) marketers rank the top most significant objective for 2017 as B2B lead generation. Tkachuk says an average of 94% of visitors to B2B websites leave before providing any contact information, yet many are qualified, leaving a substantial percentage of potential business as lost revenue.

B2B buyers are searching, but not for a specific brand, says the report. 71% percent of B2B researchers begin with a generic search, and conduct an average of 12 searches before engaging on a given brand’s specific site. This is especially important, given the sheer number of company buyers now using the web for research. 94% of business buyers do some form of online research, with 84.3% visiting business websites directly.

Tkachuk’s analysis found that, of the 94% of potential leads that are leaving websites, 40-80% are qualified, depending on the company’s targeted outbound marketing methods. Many companies have a “black hole” between marketing and sales into which leads disappear, says the report. Studies show, says the report, that when sales and marketing are not in sync, it can cost B2B businesses upwards of 10% of their annual revenue, equating to $100M for a billion-dollar company.

 49% of B2B marketing teams have blueprints for lead generation and nurturing,which is an example of putting content or a brand “out there” and hoping for the best.  Some companies make the process considerably more complex, engaging in complicated and long-term strategies that focus on the inbound lead process, which never handle the immediate danger of lost revenue, says the report.

 Tkachuck’s analysis concludes that “… a company’s website can act as the most effective outbound marketing tool… specifically through website visitor tracking… a part of the marketing mix for accelerated growth… the identity of those leads that leave without a trace… (leaves) B2B marketers with access to those 94% of  (prospective) buyers… “

Studies from which much of the data quoted in the report are noted as follows:

• 2017 Marketing Statistics, Trends & Data—The Ultimate List of Marketing Stats.” 2017 Marketing Statistics, Trends & Data—The Ultimate List of Marketing Stats. Hubspot, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.
• Daniel Burstein. "Marketing Research Chart: Average Website Conversion Rates, by Industry." MarketingSherpa. N.p., 07 Jan. 2016. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.
• "B2B Procurement Study - Accenture." B2B Procurement Study - Accenture. Accenture, 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.
• Mitchell, Julian. "BrightFunnel: The Tech Startup Turning Data Mining Into A B2B Gold Rush." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 22 Feb. 2017. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.
• “Millennials to Make 75% of B2B Purchases: B2B Marketing Outlook.” Marketing Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2017.

For more information from Clickback, please visit here.