SMB Marketers: The Ultimate Guide to Boosting B2B Conversions
▼ Summary
– SMB B2B marketers rank conversion rate optimization (CRO) as their top A/B testing priority for 2025, yet most are not running tests to improve it.
– Only 32% of these marketers are conducting A/B tests on landing pages, despite 56% citing CRO as their primary testing goal.
– Over half (51%) of surveyed marketers identify a lack of resources—time, budget, or tools—as the main barrier to running A/B tests.
– Email marketing and websites are the most commonly tested channels, each at 57%, while landing pages and mobile/SMS follow at 32% and 31% respectively.
– The report is based on a survey of 261 small business respondents, all of whom conduct A/B testing, and was produced by Ascend2 in partnership with Unbounce.
For small and medium-sized business marketers operating in the B2B space, conversion rate optimization (CRO) stands out as the foremost testing priority for the coming year. Despite this focus, a significant gap exists between intention and action, with many failing to implement the very tests that could drive meaningful improvements.
Recent research reveals that while 56% of these marketers identify CRO as their primary goal, only 32% are actively conducting A/B tests on their landing pages. This disconnect highlights a critical challenge facing resource-constrained teams. Over half of those surveyed point to limitations in time, budget, or tools as the main obstacle preventing them from carrying out these essential experiments.
A fundamental aspect of CRO involves directing paid traffic to dedicated landing pages and rigorously testing those pages for performance. Surprisingly, more than half of all B2B advertisements still route users to a generic homepage instead of a tailored landing experience, missing a clear opportunity to boost conversion rates.
When it comes to where A/B testing is actually applied, email marketing and general website pages lead the way, each utilized by 57% of respondents. Landing pages follow at 32%, with mobile and SMS channels close behind at 31%. Search engine optimization efforts, however, receive considerably less attention, with only 21% of marketers applying A/B testing methodologies to improve their SEO outcomes.
These findings come from a survey of 261 professionals at small businesses, those with up to 500 employees, who are currently engaged in some form of A/B testing. The data underscores a pressing need for practical strategies that can help SMB marketers bridge the gap between their CRO ambitions and their testing capabilities.
(Source: MarTech)
