By Rami F., Community Manager, B2S · Updated on 14 October 2026. Reading time: 7 mins
💡 TL;DR: A website stands out when it clearly showcases what it offers, its target audience, its approach and its track record, with a clear objective for each page. Simply being online isn't enough: visitors decide within a few seconds whether they understand what you do and why they should choose you.
Your business has a website. Your services are showcased on it, your contact details are available and your brand identity appears consistent. However, one question remains: What makes a visitor want to choose you?
Having an online presence means you're visible. But that alone isn't enough to make your unique selling point clear. A useful website helps your prospective customers understand what you have to offer, assess your credibility and move forward with their decision.
How can you set your website apart from the competition?
By explaining and demonstrating what you do, rather than repeating the same promises.
A visitor may look at several companies before getting in touch, and often comes across the same phrases: quality, expertise, personalised support. These phrases become useful when they are explained and illustrated. Simply stating that you offer a 'high-quality service' says little about how you work. Showing how you prepare a project, what issues you tackle and what your support entails gives the client the information they need to make a comparison.
Time is against you. According to the Nielsen Norman Group, internet users often leave a page within 10 to 20 seconds, but a page with a clear value proposition can hold their attention for much longer. It is therefore essential to communicate this value proposition within the first few seconds. Furthermore, a study by Lindgaard et al. (2006) shows that a page's visual appeal is assessed in around 50 milliseconds: design matters, but it is no substitute for a clear message.
Your website must answer three simple questions:
What do you suggest?
Who is your offer aimed at?
Why is your approach worth considering?
When these answers are hard to find, the visitor has to work out your value for themselves, and they won't always do so in your favour.
A difference that is both visible and understandable
Standing out isn't about adding animations or choosing an unusual layout. What sets you apart starts with your positioning: your knowledge of an industry, the way you support clients, your approach, or the needs you meet. The role of the website is to make these distinctive features clear.
For example, a company might simply state 'interior renovation'. It could also specify the types of projects it undertakes, showcase examples of its work and explain the steps involved from the initial visit to completion. In the latter case, the client has a better understanding of what to expect and has a concrete reason to continue the conversation
How does a website inspire confidence?
With accurate information, genuine evidence and contact details that are easy to find.
Your website is often the first point of contact with your business: even before any conversation takes place, it already gives an indication of your professionalism. A well-presented website catches the eye; accurate information then helps to build trust.
Projects that have actually been completed, along with their context and outcome.
Your method explained, step by step.
Contact details that are easy to find without looking.
Genuine testimonials, true to their authors' experiences.
A visually impressive page does not make up for a vague offering. The design should make it easier to understand what you do and how you do it. To find out more about the fundamentals of design, see our article A good-looking website isn't enough: 5 principles of effective design.
What pages should a company website have?
Each of which serves a specific purpose. An effective website is built around a clear purpose: to receive enquiries for quotes, sell products, showcase expertise or make it easier to book appointments. The answer to this question shapes the structure, content and functionality of the website.
Page | Its aim | The key element to be found there |
|---|---|---|
Home | Guide | A value proposition statement, access to key pages, a key call to action |
Service | Clarify the offer | What's included, who it's for, the stages of the support programme |
Case study | Provide evidence | The problem, the approach, the result |
About | Reassure | The team, the approach, the values |
Contact | Start the exchange | A short form, a response time, the next steps in the process |
This approach helps you decide what deserves space, and to remove anything that distracts without providing useful information. Every page should help visitors to understand, evaluate or take action. We set out the key pages in The 5 pages that turn a visitor into a customer.
How can you make it easier for people to get in touch via a website?
Even a prospective customer may be put off by a complicated user journey. Clear navigation, text that is easy to read on mobile devices and a form tailored to the enquiry make it easier for users to proceed. But simplicity also applies to what happens after the click:
if you suggest a meeting, explain its purpose ;
if you are requesting information, Please specify which ones are required ;
if the visitor submits a request, Please outline the next steps in the process.
A clearly visible button is useful. A clear next step is just as useful. In France, 48 per cent of micro-enterprises and SMEs cite the acquisition of new customers as the main benefit of setting up a website, according to the France Num 2025 Barometer : if that is your aim too, the contact process should be one of your priorities.
Your website in 5 minutes: 8 questions to test it
Try this test, ideally with someone who doesn't know your business:
Does a stranger understand what you do in 10 seconds?
Your target audience Is it explicitly named?
Your difference Is it expressed in a specific sentence?
Do you at least a real project presented along with its context and outcome?
Your method Is it explained step by step?
Does every page have a single objective and a main action?
Does the contact form explain continued (purpose of the meeting, information requested)?
Is the website easy to read? on mobile ?
Each 'no' points to an area for improvement, which is often more cost-effective than a new design.
The B2S approach: building with a purpose
At B2S, a web project begins with gaining an understanding of the business: its offering, its customers, its ambitions and the questions its website needs to address. Our approach consists of three stages: discovery (objectives, context, constraints), proposal (a clear recommendation and an action plan), then implementation (design, construction and delivery, with ongoing monitoring).
Strategy sets the direction, design organises the message and conveys the identity, whilst development makes the experience functional. These elements must work together to create a coherent digital presence that showcases your value and helps your customers make decisions.
Before asking, 'What should our website look like?', there is therefore another question worth asking:
'What reasons do we give our customers for choosing us?' Your website must make these reasons clear.
Ready to build a website with a clear purpose? Let's talk about your project: 20 minutes free →
To find out more about the support we offer, take a look at our Framer website design service or our achievements.
FAQ
How can you make your business stand out on your website?
By highlighting your offering, your target audience, your approach and your track record: specify exactly what you offer, showcase real-life projects and explain the stages of your support, rather than repeating generic promises such as 'quality' or 'expertise'.
What elements inspire confidence on a company website?
Projects that have actually been completed, a clearly explained method, contact details that are easy to find, and genuine testimonials. A well-presented website catches the eye, but it is the accurate information that builds trust.
How many pages should a corporate website have?
There is no ideal number: each page must serve a purpose. A corporate website usually comprises a home page, service pages, examples (case studies or projects), a contact page and, often, an 'About' page.
Why isn't my website generating any enquiries?
The most common causes are an unclear offering, an unspecified target audience, a lack of evidence and an unclear customer journey. Check these points first before considering a redesign.
How long does it take for a visitor to form an opinion of a website?
The visual appeal of a page is assessed in around 50 milliseconds (Lindgaard et al., 2006), and internet users often leave a page within 10 to 20 seconds if the value proposition is unclear (Nielsen Norman Group).
Should we redesign our website to make it stand out?
Not necessarily. Clarifying the message, adding evidence and simplifying the user journey are often enough to significantly improve a website's effectiveness before undertaking a design overhaul.
Sources
Nielsen Norman Group, How Long Do Users Stay on Web Pages? (2011)
Lindgaard, Fernandes, Dudek & Brown, Web designers, take note: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!, Behaviour & Information Technology, 25(2), 2006
Directorate-General for Enterprise, France Num 2025 Barometer