For an industrial company website’s design, the main aim is to make it look credible, rather than focusing on gaining enquiries. However, there’s a specific difference between websites that are made to look credible and those that are designed for enquiries. A website that’s designed to look credible focuses on reassuring existing clients, while a website that brings enquiries aims to answer the specific questions that a new buyer has before contacting you. It’s important to bring enquiries through manufacturing website design that focuses on turning interest into leads.
The five questions every industrial buyer asks before enquiring
Before you make changes to your site, it’s important to know why do industrial company websites not convert. The main reason is that it doesn’t actually answer the questions industrial buyers have before they choose where to purchase. Many industrial professionals usually need to find the answer to five common questions, which are “Can they actually do what I need?”, “Do they work with companies like mine?”, “What capacity do they have?”, “What are their credentials?”, and “How do I contact the right person?”.
If your website clearly answers all these questions through real case studies, certifications, capacity information and named contacts rather than a general enquiry form, you’re more likely to convert more visitors into enquiries. But, where many industrial websites go wrong is by not including any of these and, therefore, not answering the questions.
Capability pages are the core conversion asset
A key focus in industrial website design for the UK should be on capability pages. For any engineering or manufacturing business, these pages, or services pages, are the most important ones on their website. Each capability should have its own dedicated page that shows what you do in enough technical detail to highlight your expertise without confusing potential buyers. You should also include specifications, such as tolerances, dimensions, volumes and materials, as well as relevant industry certifications, like ATEX, UKCA and ISO. The pages should also highlight case studies from comparable sectors.
So, if you have a capability page for CNC milling that just states that you offer precision CNC machining across various materials, this doesn’t tell a buyer anything useful. You need to be more specific, telling them the axis you work with, the materials you can work with and the tolerances you work to. It’s also good to include that you’re certified in this service and make it clear how long it takes you to complete the service. This provides enough useful information to help them decide if they want to enquire.
In usability tests with procurement managers, the most common reason for leaving an industrial website without enquiring was "I couldn't tell if they could handle our specification." The information was usually in a brochure. It was never on the website.
Case studies are the most credible content that isn’t used
Another huge part of an engineering company's website design is to make sure that case studies are included and that they not only look good but are informative. A lot of engineering and manufacturing businesses have successfully completed work for a recognisable client or for a demanding industry sector, but most haven’t even shown these projects off in a case study on their website. This is a huge missed opportunity that can actually convert visitors into enquiries.
Creating a case study page doesn’t need to name the client if you’re worried about confidentiality. Just listing them as their sector is enough, such as a tier-one automotive supplier. This will show the high level of the client and the demands of the work you’ve done. Within this, you need to show the challenge you faced, the approach you took, the outcome and where possible, the volumes, tolerances or time constraints that were involved throughout the process. Doing this shows potential buyers what you are capable of and gives them an insight into your process and how you handle challenges.
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