Since the manufacturing and industrial industries are very hands-on, it is important that website design for a business in these industries make a lasting impression on its visitors by telling the brand’s story. Some of the best manufacturing websites pay close attention to imagery to attract the attention of new customers, as well as present their business in a highly engaging and professional way to attract the most qualified individuals for potential applications with their company.
After evaluating some of the best manufacturing website designs, we’ve determined some of the features that should be prioritized to attract and engage new clients:
- A manufacturing website should be reliable through good performance, security, and simple navigation
- Industrial and manufacturing companies should always have responsive designs that allows visitors to view services from virtually anywhere through a desktop, mobile, or tablet device
- Some of the best manufacturing websites include various types of content that help showcase past projects such as project galleries, client case studies and testimonials
- Manufacturing websites should include engaging online content such as a blog or news section to create industry awareness
- The best manufacturing websites clearly outline services offered and types of clients they work with
- Manufacturing websites should contain “call to action” areas throughout the website, such as “contact us”, “click to learn more”, or “request a free quote” to help increase conversion rates
- The best manufacturing websites personalize their brand through professional photography, consistent branding, and use of video
- Industrial and manufacturing websites should include a detailed careers page to recruit top talent for your firm that includes executive bios and awards or recognition
- Industrial websites should always include value statements — such as competitive advantages, company mission and vision, description of company culture, and employee bios
Security and Trust
Let’s start with the basics of user experience. Having a manufacturing website that performs well and is secure is more important than you think. Both performance and security actually affect search engine optimization, with less secure and poor performing websites being ranked lower by search engines. A website that loads around two seconds is considered well performing in search engine standards. In terms of security, make sure HTTPS is installed on your website for data protection purposes.
These elements also help create a sense of reliability, which has an overall impact on your brand image. In order to maintain a high level of security and performance, you will want to consider website maintenance services after the redesign of your new manufacturing website. You also want to make sure your website is easy to navigate so visitors can find information they are looking for fairly quickly.
Responsive Design
Having a manufacturing website that is responsive across all devices is also considered an important component for website design. Now more than ever, people rely on smartphones for browsing the web, and it can be frustrating if you have to zoom in and out to view website content if it is not optimized for smartphone use. Any potential clients that might be accessing your company’s website from a mobile device will need to be able to view important details, like your service page, client reviews, or past projects, otherwise they will look elsewhere for other similar businesses. This can contribute to a high bounce rate due to frustration with the website. Responsive design is also a factor in search engine optimization, with well-optimized websites ranking higher in search results.
Clear Outline of Your Services and Industries Served
When someone comes to your manufacturing website, you want it to be extremely clear about what industries you serve and the products and services you can offer to showcase your industry expertise. Since every manufacturing business has their own levels of expertise and areas of specialization, this will help a new visitor determine if your services are relevant to what they are looking for, and prevent any wasted time searching your website for this information. You also will want to briefly summarize your services on the homepage to help visitors find key information they are looking for quickly.
Content Creation
Industrial and manufacturing websites no longer just serve as a place to find contact information or an office location. To compete with similar firms in terms of lead generation, your manufacturing website should engage visitors online with interesting content that is relative to your industry. Not only does new content help in telling your brand’s story, but it also helps them identify you as a leader in your industry. So what types of content should you include on your manufacturing website? Below are a few examples:
- Blog posts- could discuss innovations, news, or anything that relates to manufacturing and your field of expertise to show you are a leader in the industry
- Client testimonials or case studies- testimonials are an essential component of any great website, as they give real life examples of how your company has helped businesses with projects that might be similar to the needs of a prospective client. You may choose to include full case studies to showcase a project from start to finish, or just include a short testimonial statement from the viewpoint of a particular client.
- Resource section- could include different documents relating to your industry that clients or potential job applicants might find helpful
Call to Action Areas
To improve online conversion rates and lead generation for your industrial website, you should include “call to action” areas where visitors can further engage with your business. For a manufacturing company specifically, this could include buttons to “request a quote”or “contact a representative.” Inclusion of forms is another great way to improve conversion rates. These forms could have visitors enter contact information and any questions they may have for your manufacturing company. The more information you are able to collect from a visitor, the more opportunity your firm will have for further communication and follow ups with website visitors.
Photography and Video
A great manufacturing website should include great imagery and other media to showcase past projects in an engaging and memorable way. Stock photography can look outdated and give less of a personal feel to your company’s website, which may hurt your brand’s image. Video can also be a great way to tell your brand’s story, and you may want to consider including one on your homepage to provide a snapshot of your projects and executive team.
To better engage qualified applicants to your manufacturing website, you will also want to include an executive section that includes a short bio and headshot of any top players in your company. This will help applicants understand the company’s visions and values, as well as the overall expertise that your company provides its clients.
Consistent Branding
You want to keep your manufacturing companies online branding consistent throughout your website design. Keep your firm’s logo, website color choices, and content presentation professional and consistent for the best impression online.
A Full Careers Page
Since manufacturing companies are looking to recruit qualified talent, you want to make sure your website includes a detailed careers page within your industrial website. This will help improve lead generation rates for your manufacturing website. Instead of just listing open positions, make sure to include some information about your company culture and values. This could include photos from corporate events, or even a short statement or video from one of your company’s executives outlining your firm’s mission, vision, and values for the future. You also will want to include benefits of working with your company. Including these types of elements will help you attract applicants that better align with the individual needs of your firm.
Inclusion of Value Statements
Some of the best manufacturing website designs will also include value statements within the home page of their industrial website. Value statements help visitors understand your specialities and lines of service, as well as explain why to choose you over a competitor or similar organization. Below are a few examples of value statements you could include in your website design:
- Competitive Advantages
- Including Badges of Any Awards Received
- Employee Bios (Including educational background and experience)
- Statistics (That support your company’s success such as overall projects completed, industries served, or years in business)
- Company culture (What does it look like to work for your business? This can be great for potential applicants for your organization)
- Company mission and vision statement (What does your manufacturing company hope to accomplish or expand upon in the future? How are you working towards these goals?)
Below are some examples of some of the best manufacturing website designs and the features they embody:
