It only took a few years after mobile phones came along for them to surpass desktops in being the primary gateway to the web. After that, things continued moving forward at an unprecedented pace. Nowadays, if a manufacturing company doesn’t offer a mobile-friendly website, they’re practically nonexistent.

While the manufacturing industry is sheltered from many of these trends, with a higher percentage of viewers using desktop computers/laptops and relying on known referrals, that doesn’t mean it’s completely immune.

It’s true that when you create and offer niche essential products and services, the number of people you have to market to directly is smaller. You can maintain reasonable growth through word-of-mouth and other traditional marketing means. 

If you want to pull ahead and away from your competitors, though, you’ll need to take things a little further. You’ll need to spend some time learning the importance of digital marketing for manufacturing and having an online presence as a manufacturing company. You’ll need to build an impactful, helpful, and informative website.

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What are the building blocks of a successful manufacturing business website?

manufacturing business website example
A great manufacturing website starts with a great Home page that communicates your essential value and gives visitors the opportunity to learn more about you or contact you directly.

The building blocks of any successful business website are similar. Where they differ, for manufacturing in particular, is the tone and style used when developing those building blocks. 

If you want a successful website, you’ll need the following:

  • Mobile-responsive design. You don’t want visitors to struggle to find what they need. You want them to be able to look up your site on their phone and have the experience be no less difficult than doing it on desktop. Luckily, these days you don’t have to be a trained designer to do this. You just need the right tools.
  • A consistent image, tone, and style. Make it recognizable and familiar. You want prospects to be able to immediately recognize you, and you don’t want them to be confused when trying to find you. Your online presence should coordinate with printed sales materials, signage, etc., to create a cohesive brand.
  • Your own domain name. Make sure it matches your business name as closely as possible. It’s a simple way to add professionalism and credibility to your business.
  • At least four pages. This is the minimum you need to convey the required information. Most manufacturing companies offer a wide range of products, which means you’ll likely need a larger website. When you’re just starting, however, make sure you at least have a Home page, a Products or Services page, an About page, and a Contact page.

What should I do in order to turn website traffic into qualified leads for my manufacturing business?

If your website doesn’t bring you any qualified leads, it’s hard to justify the effort of getting it made. We understand. That said, turning website traffic into qualified leads isn’t as hard as it may seem. Start by making sure to consider the following:

  • Tracking your traffic. A company’s website is a treasure trove of data. With a little help from qualified experts, you can set up tracking to let you know exactly who visits your site and when. Not only that, but you can find out where they’re coming from, how long they linger on certain pages, and how quickly they bounce. An example: if you discover that your hottest leads come from people searching for “bicycle manufacturing for jugglers,” then you can put more money towards producing content around that very specific topic. 

TIP: If you’re using Constant Contact for your website, you have some basic website reporting and analytics built right in!

  • Using calls to action. If you don’t ask someone for something, how will you know whether or not they were willing to give it? A call to action is the little reminder, at the top and bottom of every page, letting them know that you’re there to help with a quote or question.
manufacturing call to action (CTA) - sign up for email list.
Your website should aim to convert visitors to leads. Offer visitors a free quote as an incentive for them to provide their contact information to you.
  • Being mobile-responsive. We can’t say this enough. Truly. If a website can’t be easily accessed via a mobile device, it’s not worth developing. 

Where do I begin?

Now that you know the basics, it’s time to begin working on your site. Constant Contact offers a website building tool that you can try out for free.

If you’d rather spend a little more time reading and learning first, we can help you with that as well. You can check out The Download: Making Sense of Online Marketing for Manufacturing, an official marketing playbook from Constant Contact that’s meant to guide you through the process of developing a digital marketing plan for your business. It’s sixty pages of understandable, easy-to-implement digital marketing advice focused on the specific needs of the manufacturing industry. 

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