Guide: How to use animations on your website - step by step for B2B companies
Why should you even consider animations in your web design?
You've probably come across websites where animations make everything feel more alive and complete. Not in a distracting way - but in a way where elements move subtly, interact with the mouse or guide you through an experience.
Animations have evolved to be more than just a gimmick. Today, it's a strategic tool - and as a technical B2B company with a complicated product or service, you can use them to:
- Highlight important information and call-to-actions
- Visualise heavy concepts in an easy-to-understand way
- Create a more intuitive user experience
- Support your branding and increase recognisability
- Maintain the user's attention for a longer period of time
Animation isn't just about movement - it's about communicating your expertise and complexity in a way that users can and will engage with.
Step 1: Understand your target audience - and their expectations
Before you dive into animation, consider: Who will experience your website - and how?
If your target audience, like our customers', is made up of technical decision-makers, typically men aged 50+, then functionality is more important than decoration. They value clarity, clear information and easy navigation.
This means that animations need to have a clear purpose. Forget about viral effects - think value:
- Mouse-over gestures to create interaction
- Modest entrance effect when elements are loaded in, e.g. product features
- Guided illustrations that explain processes or complex data flows
Step 2: Plan the role of animation in the user journey
Animations should never be random. They should support a strategy and be customised to the user journey. Consider:
- What steps does the user have to go through?
- Where does friction occur - and how can you use animation to ease it?
- Where can you create “aha moments” that increase understanding or interest?
It's all about using subtle visual cues that guide the user in the direction you want them to go.
For example:
- A keyboard animation that passes form information and shows that something is happening
- Smooth scroll animations that take the user from heading to the next section
- Arrow icons that pulsate slightly to encourage clicks
Step 3: Choose the right type of animation for the purpose
Not all animations are the same. And the choice of animation type depends on how you best and most effectively communicate your solution. Here are some concrete examples that tech companies often get value from:
Micro-interactions
Small moving details that enhance the user experience. Typically they are used for:
- Mouse-over effects on buttons and links
- Click feedback - e.g. a tick animated out when something is deleted
These signals can help the user understand the “system logic” and increase trust.
Lottie animations
Lottie formats allow you to create high-quality, lightweight animations - perfect for the web. Use them for:
- Visualisation of processes - e.g. a production drawing where the flow is animated
- Infographics that come alive and are easy to understand
- Symbols and simple moving icons that explain functions
Scroll-based animations
Animations are revealed as the user scrolls. Suitable for storytelling and longer landing pages where you show product features, use cases or partners, for example.
Step 4: Keep it simple and fast - avoid overload
One of the biggest turn-offs for technical visitors is heavy, slow websites. It's therefore critical that animation doesn't diminish performance.
Tips for optimisation:
- Make the animation lightweight - use SVG or Lottie instead of GIF and video
- Don't let everything move at the same time - choose specific areas
- Don't brush everything, instead create a few strong and focused animations
Remember: The purpose is to help the user - not impress them.
Step 5: Implement, test and customise continuously
Once you've set up your animations, the work doesn't stop there. Use data to find out what works - and what doesn't.
By analysing user behaviour - for example, through heatmaps and click analysis - you can make adjustments:
- Whether animations clarify or confuse
- How fast or slow they should be
- When to activate them, or perhaps remove them altogether
If you work with a digital agency (like us), we can help with ongoing A/B testing and data analysis to improve performance and user experience over time.
Examples: Where can B2B companies with a technical focus use animation best?
It's not about being “creative for creativity's sake” - it's about using animation to explain, communicate and engage. Here are some ideas:
- Product presentation: Use animation to show how a technical system works - for example, how your IoT components interact
- Process explanation: Want to explain a complicated on-boarding or service process? Do it with diagrams and step-by-step animation
- Sales pages: Use scroll effects to highlight your core services one step at a time
- Contact form: Create feedback animations to show that the form has been submitted correctly
Are you ready to enhance the experience on your website?
Animations aren't just for startups and fashion brands. When used correctly, they can help you communicate your technical solutions much more powerfully.
Thinking about optimising your website? Or building a new one that matches your complexity and needs?
We're ready to help. We're not just about making it look good - we're about creating results that can be measured.
Get in touch to discuss how we can transform your digital presence with targeted web animation and a strong digital strategy.
