If there’s one thing your manufacturing company must have to stay competitive in the modern marketplace, it’s a strong online presence. That starts with a great manufacturer website.

Many business owners don’t prioritize maintaining a business homepage online because they’re swamped with day-to-day operations. But most entrepreneurs have begun to recognize the importance of having a website. Without digital marketing, prospective customers can’t find you online. That’s a huge loss for your business you can easily prevent.

Now is the time to create a website or check that your current website is designed and operating in a way that helps you stand out from the competition. Here are 10 things you need for your manufacturer website to function smoothly and serve as an effective tool to help you attract more customers:

A memorable domain name

A website’s domain name is what people type in the URL bar at the top of a web browser to pull up a site. The best domain names are:

• Memorable
• Easy to spell
• Directly connected to the company name

Coming up with a unique name can take some brainstorming. Stay away from numbers, hyphens, or words that can be spelled more than one way. Also, think long-term. Your products or services can change over time. Don’t limit yourself in your domain.

Homepage

Your homepage will often be people’s first impression of your business — it’s arguably the most important part of your entire website. Many people will spend just seconds before deciding whether to stay. You must be strategic about what visitors see.

To present yourself professionally, use an online tool that offers attractive and well-designed templates. A template will generate a visually appealing and functional website without requiring you to write even a single line of code. 

Try Constant Contact’s Website Builder to get your site up-and-running in just a few hours.

Your homepage should convey your values as a company, offer shortlists of your specialties and goods, and let prospects see what businesses rely on your work, if appropriate. Give readers a reason to want to learn more — but don’t overwhelm them with information.

About us page

How people relate to and connect with others is what really inspires folks to work together and take action. Your “About Us” page is an opportunity for you to demonstrate what it’s like to work with you. 

On your “About Us” page, feel free to:

• Share your company story
• Introduce your founders
• Summarize your mission
• Trace the company’s history
• Profile your company leadership
• Explain business decisions — like why your headquarters is where it is

The page isn’t bragging; it’s showing your expertise through experience and personalizing your business in a way that resonates with visitors.

Services page

Your visitors need to know if you can provide the services they seek. Don’t expect them to pick up the phone and shuffle through voicemails to get their questions answered. Your website should include a “Services” page with all the answers.

If your company has more than one manufacturing niche, include subsections on the page so people can click and learn more. Consider adding a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section.

Blog

Content marketing is a powerful addition to any website that helps set your business apart from the competition. Include a “Blog” page as part of your site so you can share your expertise and wisdom in a way that organically builds trust.

A blog can feel like a lot of work, but like most tasks and projects, it’s easier when broken into smaller chunks. Start by brainstorming with your leadership team about topics your customers frequently ask about. Are there seasonal situations you can provide advice for? What are some misconceptions about your work?

Stay consistent with a plan to publish at least monthly.

Contact page

A great manufacturing website should tell people how to find you. If a qualified lead has decided they want to work with you, make it easy for them to connect with you. 

The page should include your phone numbers, email addresses, social media links, and physical addresses. Integrate Google maps so that people can visit your production facility — if that’s part of your customer interactions. You’d be surprised by how many businesses hide this valuable information!

CTA

CTA is short for “call to action,” and all modern business websites have one. A CTA can be as simple as a button that says, “Call Now,” or as sophisticated as a sales funnel strategy — e.g. when you provide them a free guide, checklist, or other items when they sign up for your email marketing newsletter.

Think about your target audience and how you solve their problems. Work backward from there when designing a CTA. Your CTA must be clear and concise, and it needs to stand out, so don’t put a bunch of conflicting CTAs on your website or your visitors won’t know which one to choose. 

Mobile-responsiveness

Does your website work just as well on a smartphone as it does on a desktop? This flexibility is known as mobile-responsiveness and it’s a requirement for every modern website; your customers are on-the-go, so make it easy for them.

A non-responsive website will be hard to read and navigate when pulled up on a phone or tablet screen. A manufacturing website optimized for mobile will function properly and be accessible on any device. 

Mobile-responsive functionality is integrated into Constant Contact’s tools, so there’s no need to tinker with the backend of your website.

SEO-optimized content

The best websites are built with SEO (search engine optimization) in mind. Search engine algorithms crawl the internet in search of keywords someone enters into the search bar. If your website doesn’t contain the keywords in someone’s search query, even if your manufacturing product is perfect for them, that person will never find you.

With SEO, quality beats quantity. Organically weave keywords into your content — don’t stuff keywords. Valuable content always tops the search engine results pages, and poorly written copy with stuffed content gets penalized and treated as junk.

Engaging images

Choose high-quality images to bring your website to life. Never use low-resolution photos, which can show up grainy and pixelated. Your images should be between 1 MB and 5 MB — if the photos are too big, your website will take too long to load.

Bonus tip: Integration with other digital strategies

Your business website is your company’s online home, and all other marketing efforts should lead people to your site. By integrating other digital marketing techniques, such as email marketing and social media outreach, you will maximize your ability to gain new customers and grow your business. Learn more with Constant Contact’s The Download, a free guide just for manufacturers.

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