9 Tips for Redesigning Your Manufacturing Website

You’ve decided it’s time for a change. After years of neglect, your manufacturing website is starting to look outdated. It’s time for a redesign! But where do you start? There are so many things to think about – design, functionality, content…

How can you make sure that your new website will boost your marketing performance? We’ve put together nine tips to help you out. Follow these guidelines and you’ll be on your way to a brand new industrial website that looks great and functions perfectly!

1. Plan, plan, plan!

The first step in any website redesign project is to create a plan. You need to set goals and objectives for your new website and figure out how you’re going to achieve them:

• What are your users looking for when they come to your site?
• How can you make the user experience (UX) better?
• Are there any brand style guidelines or instructions regarding the look and feel?
• Do you have any examples of websites that may be suitable to model on?
• What content and pages you would like to retain, move or overhaul?

The more ideas and resources you can prepare ahead of time can really help your planning process.

2. Identify your Target Market

When you understand who your ideal customers are, you can design a website that appeals to them. Manufacturing websites should be designed with the target market in mind.

Create personas for your target market and use them as a guide when designing your new website. It will also help create compelling copywriting that speaks to your target market. Think about your content and how it may be perceived. Your website’s content is just as important as its design.

3. Think About the User Experience (UX)

Your manufacturing website should be easy to use and navigate. Some manufacturing websites can be complicated, so it’s important to make the UX a priority. Use clear and concise copywriting, well-designed menus, and easy-to-understand calls to action (CTAs).

4. Make It Mobile-Friendly

With the majority of web traffic coming from mobile devices these days, it’s more important than ever to have a mobile-friendly website. Old, outdated industrial websites can be especially challenging to make responsive, so it’s important to work with a web design team that has experience with industrial websites.

5. Include High-Quality Imagery

Manufacturing websites can be striking if great visuals are used. Use high-quality product photos and videos, as well as images that show your facilities and equipment in action.

This is a great way to show potential customers what you’re capable of and help them understand your business. You may also choose to humanise your website by using photography of your staff or customers.

6. Draft a Sitemap

A sitemap is a simple plan that outlines the structure of your website. It can be helpful to create a sitemap before you start working on your design. This will give you a clear idea of what pages you need and how they should be organised.

Think about the navigation. Your website’s navigation should be easy to use and understand. Common pages you may choose to use in your sitemap are home, about us, industries, products, services, processes, news, and contact us.

7. Be Clear and Concise

Your website should be easy to understand and navigate. Use clear, concise language throughout your website. Manufacturers often have complex products or services, so it’s important to make sure that your target market can easily understand what you’re offering.

If you work in a highly technical or niche sector, be careful not to use too much jargon on your website. It’s important to remember that not everyone who visits your manufacturing website will be an expert in your field.

8. Include a Call-to-Action (CTA)

Make sure there’s a clear CTA on every page of your website. A CTA is something that encourages visitors to take a specific action, such as fill in an enquiry form, subscribe to a newsletter, or download a fact sheet.

Your CTAs should be clear, concise, and visible. If you’re not sure what your CTAs should be, think about what you want visitors to do when they come to your website. It could be as simple as prompting visitors to call your office. If this is the case, you should feature your phone number at the top of every web page.

9. Include a Call-to-Action (CTA)

If you want your manufacturing website to be successful, you need to make sure it’s optimised for search engines. This means ensuring your site is easy to find and index by Google and other popular search engines.

There are a number of ways you can make your site more search engine friendly, such as building your website with the right coding and using great quality content that includes relevant keywords.

To make sure you’re on the right track, it’s a good idea to consult with an experienced SEO professional. They can help you identify any areas of improvement and ensure you’re taking the necessary steps to improve your site’s ranking.

Final Thoughts

Are you currently planning the redesign of your industrial website? If so, we trust these tips have been helpful. They really are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to planning a great website that is both user-friendly and visually appealing.

Manufacturing websites can be tricky to design, but with the right tools and advice, you can create a website that meets the needs of your business and ideal clients and customers!

If you need some help our team of web developers, graphic designers, and copywriters are ready when you are. Contact our team for a consultation today!

Related: Download your Brand Activation Guide

Other Reading: 5 Steps to Humanise Your Brand

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Zafiris is an industrial marketer and founder of Industrial Ideas. Having built his experience in B2B marketing from the ground up, Peter understands what it takes to succeed with your marketing strategy. All client projects are personally managed by Peter to help industrials like you get the return on investment you deserve. Peter and team, work hard to become an extension of your business, to help you get the most out of your marketing efforts. Get your free 30 minute marketing consultation to learn more.