Every page matters when it comes to manufacturing website design. A professionally designed website encourages more customers to buy, which improves your bottom line. But how can you make sure you’re getting the most out of your new site?
A successful website design relies on including the right information and taking a few key steps to make sure the right people see that information. Here, we explore the five most important pages to include in your manufacturing website and how each helps you stand out from your competitors. We also look at how a well-crafted website fits into your overall marketing strategy and what you can do to turn site visitors into paying customers.
Let’s get started.
1. Homepage
First and foremost, you’ll need a homepage.
Your homepage links to all others while setting the tone for your online identity. This is your chance to capture the attention of your audience in a friendly and straightforward way. Remember, first impressions matter, so make this one count.
Introduce yourself and your brand without adding too much visual clutter in the form of images, icons, banners, and text. Place important content such as your logo and navigational links at the top of the page, so visitors don’t need to scroll down.
Just below your logo and menu bar, include a background image and an enticing headline that allows customers to visualize how they might use your products successfully. For example, if you are a specialty car parts manufacturer, show a high-end sports car crossing the finish line.
By using short, descriptive text paired with simple but eye-catching imagery, you can capture a visitor’s interest from the very first page.
2. Products and services
One of the first places your homepage should lead to is your Products and Services page. This landing page should describe the services you offer and relate your products to your customers’ needs.
Including an image for each type of product is a good way to keep website visitors engaged. Your business solves a real-world problem. The images you show in this section should be equally real.
Not only do you need images on this page, you also need content. Strictly speaking, you only need a single page. But if you can manage it or have an extensive catalog, try to include individual pages for each type of product you offer.
These subpages offer you a chance to explain the benefits of your products in more detail and can help improve your search engine optimization or SEO. Your website’s SEO dictates how easily people will find your brand on search engines like Google, which in turn impacts how many new customers you get.
3. Blog
In the world of marketing, trust generates conversions. Explaining your products might capture interest in your brand, but having a blog builds trust in your expertise. It’s that expertise that will convince a customer to choose your business over the competition.
Build your blog around product releases, industry trends, and advice related to your market. As a manufacturer, you are an expert in your field — this page is where you let the world know it.
Blogs have another purpose as well. Remember how we mentioned that subpages can help you get discovered on search engines? Blog posts do the same exact thing. By posting regular articles about key industry topics, you can build your brand authority, generating user trust and improving your rankings on Google.
4. About Us
While the rest of your website educates users and builds authority, an About page allows you to showcase your accomplishments and the personalities behind your business.
Create a unique identity that customers love — but keep it brief. You should be able to describe what makes you special in 250 to 300 words. Make visitors understand why you do what you do and how you do it better than anyone else. If you are a small manufacturer, add the personal story behind your products.
This is one of the most important pages on your website, and it shouldn’t be an afterthought. Speak from the heart and maybe even consider hiring a professional photographer and writer to make your About page as professional and polished as possible.
5. Contact Us
Once you capture the hearts and minds of visitors, you’ll want to push your audience to a contact form.
If you don’t have a web store, the contact page is the only way that a visitor becomes a customer. Your contact page is the bridge between prospects and purchases, so make sure it’s easy to find and use. Keep your contact page simple. The less information you require, the more likely prospects are to send a message or sign-up for your emails.
Tips for manufacturing website design
If you’re creating a website for the first time, the idea of web design might seem intimidating. But it’s easier than you might think, and you don’t have to do it alone.
Website builders do the heavy lifting for you. These sites offer all the tools you need to make your brand stand out — but there are a few things you can do to help take your website to the next level.
Optimizing your content
Since the first place businesses look for information is a search engine, every page of your website needs to incorporate the trending keywords used in searches. Constant Contact’s SEO tools help you rank high in the results and beat out competitors in your niche.
You can do this by creating relevant blog posts, linking detailed subpages about your products, and keeping your website up to date.
Marketing your website
After you’ve created your website, you need to make sure that people can find it. That means using social media and online advertising to generate interest and drive traffic to your site.
With the help of a service like Constant Contact, you can promote your brand and product through a number of avenues. From the SEO that makes you visible to follow-up emails that keep customers engaged, Constant Contact helps you more effectively use your website to capture and keep customers.
The takeaway
Manufacturing website design is important for building your business. The right pages, content, and marketing naturally create quality leads for your business. Capture the attention of your target market with your homepage and use the remaining pages to go into depth on your brand, products, culture, and industry. Tune and market your site to build a platform that pays for itself.
Constant Contact helps make a website a natural part of your marketing strategy. Check out The Download, our complete guide to online marketing for manufacturing businesses, or get in touch to find out how we can help your company reach new heights.