Web design for manufacturing companies is key to massive conversions in 2023.
In the B2B manufacturing industry, trade shows, in-person meetings, and sales calls are becoming less important with the rise of ecommerce. Manufacturing companies are increasing their investments in web design and digital marketing to stay competitive.
A well-designed website can help enhance a B2B company’s online presence and attract more potential business partners and customers.
We’ve created today’s blog post to share some key insights on web design for manufacturing companies and get you started in establishing a successful online presence.
Key Takeaways:
- Great web design is critical to reaching most B2B buyers in the digital age.
- The most efficient web design for manufacturing and industrial companies is simple, informative, and value driven.
- Keep an eye on content: quality beats quantity.
- Great web design can take a long time and tons of expertise. You can go it alone or work with a partner like Shanahan to do the work for you!
What Is Web Design?
Web design is the practice of building and maintaining websites that are appealing, responsive, technologically efficient, and easy to use.
There is both art and science to web design that you should feel some familiarity with before getting started for the first time.
Why Is Web Design Important for Manufacturing Companies?
Gartner’s recent research revealed that 83% of B2B buyers prefer ordering through eCommerce solutions. Takeaway: a great website is essential to reaching B2B buyers in 2023.
High-Quality Website Creates Value
The process of researching solutions is time-consuming and cumbersome.
B2B buyers can tell when they’re being sold to and when value is being presented to them for nothing in return. Naturally, they appreciate being able to research solutions without needing to make commitments.
By maintaining a smooth, easy-to-use, and value-driven website, your company has a leg up in building relationships and increasing conversions.
Authoritative Websites Create Feedback Loops
Optimizing your website’s SEO and delivering great value to buyers can increase your SERP rankings and attract even more prospects.
However, potential customers who find your website won’t stick around for long if it’s difficult to use. A smooth, easy-to-use website will drive customers to your digital showrooms.
Standing Still Means Falling Behind
Manufacturing companies around the world are all realizing the value of well-designed websites. As they continue to invest in smart web design, buyers’ expectations will continue to rise.
As these standards rise, so too will investments in smart web design. This cycle of improvements and further investments is one your company should look to get on as soon as possible to stay competitive.
7 Principles for Web Design for Manufacturing Companies
If you’ve decided to prioritize web design for your manufacturing company, you’re bound to have many questions:
- What does great web design look like?
- How can I get started today?
- What resources should I look to for help?
To help you get started optimizing your web design, here are 7 principles to consider and implement right now.
1. Address Your Target Audience Only
You’re a manufacturing company that hopes to work with others in your chosen industry. Don’t ignore this fact or get too caught up trying to cast a wide net.
Ensure that your website is unabashedly manufacturing-focused. Mention it on every page. Create content specifically for it. Include images of your factory, worksites, or anything directly related to your niche.
Customers will view this specificity as authoritative and will be more willing to trust your solutions.
2. Use SEO to Boost Website Traffic
The better you optimize your web content to improve your SERP rankings, the more leads you can attract.
You need to invest both time and money in creating excellent website content, then ensure your target audience can find it easily.
3. Focus On Delivering Value
Everywhere you look online, there are dozens of pages that promise to provide useful information about any subject. No matter how valuable you believe your blog post is about, say, conveyor belts, customers simply aren’t going to fork over their email address just to get a glimpse at it.
That is, unless you’ve already developed enough trust for them to want to work with you.
Do this by proving to customers that you know what you’re talking about. Focus on creating ungated content that directly addresses customer questions. This will come across as unobtrusive, honest, and helpful.
4. Use Only High-Quality Images, Video, and Sounds
Blurry images, amateur video, or choppy sound can create a negative impression of your website and business. It will seem sloppy, like your webpage was thrown together quickly. This will degrade trust and diminish authority.
To avoid this, invest in a high-quality imaging service. Better yet, hire a photographer to take some professional images of your building or factory. Both of these will give the impression of stability and professionalism.
5. Prioritize Ease of Use and Speed
The best websites look clean, are easy to use, and are very simple to navigate. If you clutter your webpage with too many options, you’ll induce decision fatigue and possibly frustration.
6. Speed Is Incredibly Important
Here’s a statistic you might find striking: the odds of a customer giving up and leaving your website increase by 90% if your site takes just 5 seconds to load.
Make sure your website is efficient and technologically sound. Don’t include unnecessary assets that will slow loading time and make your website feel clunky.
Here’s a brief video by Neil Patel on how to speed up a website:
Video Source: Neil Patel on YouTube
7. Include Calls to Action Everywhere
Give yourself a chance at conversions no matter how the customer arrives at your website. A big, bold call to action should be visible at all times or on every webpage.
Final Tip: Find a Partner Like Shanahan Strategy
However you slice it, web design is a complex and involved process that can take years to become proficient at. If you’re a beginner, it may make more sense to rely on an expert than go it alone.
For more than 17 years, Shanahan Strategy has been helping manufacturers develop excellent websites and increase their online presence.
- We believe web design for manufacturing companies is a serious project that should focus on growth and sales conversions.
- We understand SEO and content strategy, so we can build your B2B website from the ground up.
- We aren’t interested in one-off transactions or short-term partnerships. Long-term mutual growth is our bread and butter.
- Our technology-agnostic approach means we only recommend and deliver solutions right for your specific needs.
Let our expert creative design team review your website. Contact us today to supercharge your online growth.
