Today, websites are a necessity for every industry, including manufacturing companies. As the industry becomes digital, these companies need to establish an online presence.
But in most cases, technical professionals run these factories. Most of them view manufacturing firms from a rigorous utilitarian standpoint. They deal with regular changes to facility upkeep, product design, and defect reduction. Because of this, they often neglect to enhance the functionality of their website.
As a manufacturer, your partners should know that you have competent staff. It’s also important to let them know that your facilities are always updated. Modern users translate website performance into a business’s products and services. So having a well-designed page will make people believe you’re reliable.
Spending money on a well-thought-out website does wonders for your business. You can draw in potential investors, create a sales channel, and increase conversion.
This article identifies all the features you need for your website. It also explains how a marketing agency for manufacturers offers more benefits than creating one yourself.
Why Hire a Marketing Agency For Manufacturing Companies
It takes a lot of work to build a good manufacturing website. If you know what you’re doing, it won’t be that challenging, but it does need some artistic effort.
That’s because industrial websites are slightly different from other types of websites. The sector depends on producing many sophisticated parts and components. Because of this, their websites need to have a level of attention to detail in their online presence.
There are a lot of website builders online to help you design a website. These tools also offer hosting services and an SSL certificate. Despite this, they can provide a different level of design and development than expert developers can.
A marketing agency for manufacturers can develop a high-quality website for you. They also take away the rigorous task of web development from you. They can keep your website running while you focus on other important things.
They also offer other services that help kickstart your manufacturing marketing strategy. This includes creating a digital marketing strategy to secure a strong online presence.
What Features Should You Include in Your Manufacturing Website
Competition, even in the manufacturing industry, is rising. Because of this, your website needs to be more than just a freestanding billboard. An effective website should generate leads and increase traffic. It should also educate your customers and distributors about your products. If it’s not, then you’re not using its full potential.
Your website serves as your company’s internet storefront. It acts as a receptionist and sales staff of your company. That means people will form opinions of who you are and what your company does through it.
It’s also the voice of your company in the digital world. Because of this, you should incorporate some key elements in your manufacturing website.
An industrial marketing agency knows exactly what your website needs. But if you decide to develop a website on your own, here are the features you need to include:
1. Up-to-Date Content
Content is a powerful feature that you can incorporate into your website. It can be in the form of blog posts, tutorial videos, how-to guides and more. As a manufacturing company, you can post the state of the industry trends to increase authority.
But why is content creation important even for manufacturing websites?
Content marketing can produce 3 times more leads than traditional marketing. The more people visit your website, the bigger your audience will be. On top of that, this type of marketing is 62% less expensive than the latter. You can save a lot of money to put into other business expenses.
Even so, all these can only happen if you produce content consistently. It helps to schedule posting content, but this can be difficult to follow if you’re not used to creating content. If that’s the case, you should find a marketing agency for manufacturers to help you. They have experts who can write high-quality and engaging content.
A manufacturing marketing agency can also transform information into an infographic. This type of material makes your website visually appealing to visitors. It also prevents reader burnout, especially if your content discusses product comparison.
2. Organized Product Pages
The product pages on websites for manufacturers receive the greatest traffic. Most people who visit your product pages already know what you create. The reason why they still visit these pages is to look for more details about it.
That’s why your product pages should be easy to locate for prospective buyers. Create bold, eye-catching calls to action (CTAs ) to encourage people to click through. A marketing agency for manufacturers places CTAs strategically on your website.
3. Detailed Product Information
Giving all the details about your products is essential to enabling successful sales. Visitors are looking for quick solutions to their questions about your items. Additionally, they expect to receive product information in different formats.
You should also use high-quality product pictures aside from comprehensive product specifications. These visuals show your customers what your product looks like. This way, they’ll know if it’s the one they need and what to expect when they buy the product.
But a lot of manufacturing websites continue to use outmoded logos and iconography. They also use small images that don’t provide specific details that customers need. Low-quality elements on your website do more damage than good.
With a marketing agency for manufacturers, you can have clear product images on your site. They know how to optimize photos on your website to increase your Google ranking. Search engine-optimized pictures land you on the top pages of Google. This drives more traffic to your manufacturing site.
4. Product Configuration
In the manufacturing world, product configuration tools are a game-changer. It makes your brand unique and provides users with a better online experience. In return, this increases your revenue.
If you don’t know what they are, these are tools that allow users to customize your products. They can configure the dimensions of your product, depending on their needs. You can then use the data to create the exact product for your customers quickly.
Offering these tools helps you stand out and gain an edge over rivals. It can also simplify the buying process for users. Potential buyers can get real-time product pricing and create and view them in 2D or 3D.
5. Attractive Web Design
The design of your website is important since it keeps clients interested. It’s already an established fact that an effective site design helps a company stand out from its rivals. You only have one chance to leave an excellent first impression on your visitors.
A great design makes you look credible to your visitors. And if they think that way, they’re more likely to trust your brand.
You can find web design tips online to improve the efficiency of your current website. Get help from a marketing agency for manufacturers if you don’t already have one. These web-building manufacturing marketing agencies can optimize your website for SEO. Doing so can ensure that your company will appear when people do an online search.
You want your company to show up naturally for terms related to your products or services. A marketing agency for manufacturers makes it easier for web crawlers to understand your content.
They also consider using strategic logo positioning for your website. A company’s logo is the number one factor that distinguishes your business from others. They ensure visitors can see it the first time they visit your website.
6. Clear and Easy Navigation
Your website should have clear and easy navigation to guide users to what they’re looking for. This is one of the most important elements that your website will have.
Different navigational options improve user experience and help visitors make purchases. Manufacturing marketing agencies determine which of these benefits your website more.
One trend that is emerging in website design is the use of hidden menus. A menu appears on a webpage as a visitor performs an activity. This can happen when they click an icon, scroll down, or hover their cursor over specific regions.
7. Interactive Elements
To drive organic engagement, you need to have interactive aspects on your website. These components allow web visitors to interact with tools on your website. This can include appraisals, calculators, and polls for manufacturers.
Another common type of interaction is micro-animations. They start playing when a visitor scrolls down, clicks an icon, or hovers over an element.
Manufacturers can use these to describe product characteristics or help users in navigating. This raises brand recognition and engagement and improves the aesthetics of your website.
But adding these elements is easier said than done. It’s also a time-consuming task that needs a lot of attention to make it work for all devices. A marketing agency for manufacturers can include useful and attractive elements on your website.
8. Accessibility Features
Making websites more user-friendly for those with disabilities is becoming increasingly popular. Offering inclusive features for your users broadens your reach. Not only that, but it also positively impacts your visitors.
But diversity and accessibility are more than a fad. Your website needs them if you want to have a worthwhile website. Aside from downloadable content and auto-playing animations, you should also consider mobile accessibility.
This year, mobile devices are responsible for approximately 60% of website traffic. That’s why creating a website that functions well on all devices is important.
Due to its flexible layout, a responsive website can adapt to any device’s screen size. This means everyone can view your website regardless of the type of device they’re using. In return, having a responsive website leads to significant online traffic.
9. Forms
If you want website visitors to subscribe, join up, or download an offer, you need forms on your site. The kind of information you need from your target audience will determine the type and quantity of the fields.
Shorter forms with fewer fields convert more leads since they’re easier to fill up. But with longer forms, you can get your customers’ complete contact information.
10. Case Studies
Remember to highlight case studies and client reviews on your website. Prospects are curious about your customers’ opinions and the companies you work with. Reviews are one of the first things visitors look at before deciding to buy from a company.
You can add a web page listing your clients or video testimonials. Using in-depth case studies with a problem-solution-results model is also a good idea. Gather all the reviews and testimonials from your past clients. After that, hire a marketing agency for manufacturers to design the web page of your website.
Take Your Business to the Next Level
Outdated websites leave a wrong impression on visitors about your reputation and dependability. Use the most recent website trends, whether you’re creating a new website or updating an existing one. The features above make your website look secure and reliable and help you stand out from the crowd.
If you don’t have any of these elements, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Get in touch with a marketing agency for manufacturers to create a website that fits your needs.
