5 Reasons You Need to Update Your Manufacturing Website

1. Your Site Looks Out of Date

First impressions matter. The industrial buyer now does over 60% of their initial research without speaking to a salesperson, which means they are checking your company out online and making their buying decisions based on your online presence. You may have the most relevant content for this buyer’s pain points on your website but an out-of-date look and feel can drive visitors away just as quickly as they got to your site. Look around at different websites in your industry. Does the design of your website match that of similar companies (not just competitors)? If not, it’s time to reach out for a website facelift.

2. Your Website Is Not Mobile-Friendly

With the majority of web traffic now coming from mobile devices instead of desktops, it is increasingly important that your manufacturing website is optimized for the mobile user. You can test if your website is mobile responsive here. If your website is not mobile-friendly, reach out to a website development professional to get started on your mobile website.

3. Your Website’s Search Engine Optimization Is Lacking

Most internet experiences start with a user visiting a search engine. As a result, your website needs to include keywords similar to the searches your prospective customers are performing in order to show up on one of the top pages of Google or another search engine. Gone are the days in which we could implement "SEO" by adding "hidden" keywords in white text on web pages. Instead, we find that websites must have strong search engine–focused content strategies in place to drive qualified traffic. Search engines are constantly scanning the web for the cleanest, most relevant content for search queries to put at the top of their list, so if your site does not have the appropriate strategies in place, qualified leads won’t be able to find your website, old or new.

4. Your Website Is Slow

Industrial buyers are often crunched for time, so when they are searching for answers online, they are looking for websites that load quickly and deliver the information they need right away. It's been proven that many users will exit a website if information does not load within three seconds after a click. Slow load speed can ruin your chances of bringing in potential customers before they even reach the homepage. Performing speed tests on your site can give you insights into whether or not your site is strong enough to satisfy the quick-hit information needs of your visitors.  

5. Your Website Isn’t Filling Your Sales Pipeline

Your website is a salesperson for your company that works 24 hours a day and can reach leads that you don't even know exist. And just like a human salesperson, your website needs to have the proper tools in order to attract the attention of prospective customers. These tools can take different shapes depending on your specific industrial buyer persona, but one element that is essential for converting leads is forms. By adding forms to your website, you provide internet buyers an easy way to get in touch with your company. At the same time, you’ll be able to gather some of their important contact information for your records. You can learn more about how your website helps generate leads and diversify your pipeline here.

If any of the above reasons resonate with you, it may be time to start thinking about how you can improve it to better cater to the needs of today’s industrial buyer. Website redesigns can range from a simple touch up to a full reboot, so it’s important to take a step back and revamp both your website strategy and marketing strategy to ensure you’re targeting the right audience and hitting their specific pain points. While it can be a rather time-consuming process, a website redesign can be extremely beneficial to your manufacturing business.