As a manufacturing company, you may generate most of your business through regular customers, partnership deals and word-of-mouth endorsements. Nevertheless, it is still important to implement an effective digital marketing strategy and in particular ensure you incorporate an appealing website design.    

In all likelihood, the majority of your B2B customers will search for your company online before they reach out to you or complete a purchase. As such, they must be able to find your company on the internet, and this is why websites are so effective. If you still don’t have a website or your existing site is not attracting enough traffic, it may be time to employ the services of a manufacturing web design agency.   

As digital marketing may not lie within your company’s field of expertise, you will need to identify a reliable web design agency that is well-versed in the specific requirements of your industry.

Here is a guide on how to choose the most suitable design agency for your business.

1. Search for an agency that specialises in manufacturing companies

The first thing you need to do is go online, search for web designers and then assess which agency would be most suited to your company. However, before making the final choice, it is vital that you identify your business, growth and marketing goals.

Your chosen designers should have relevant experience of working with manufacturers, preferably in the same industry as you. This will enhance and accelerate the marketing research phase.

In addition, your company website should appeal to your target customers and be designed in such a way as to convey the right message to your audience. 

2. Evaluate the agency’s website

The design agency’s website will be an excellent indicator of their expertise. If the site appears outdated and unappealing, it may be advisable to look elsewhere. In addition, it is important to verify that their website is user-friendly. For instance: 

  • Do you have to click on too many buttons before you can reach a page?   
  • Does the site load quickly enough? (in three seconds or under)
  • Are the images and videos engaging and of high-quality?


While these factors will not necessarily make or break a deal, they are a sign that the agency understands their importance.

An engaging visual experience should not result in a website appearing confused or disorganised. 

The colour schemes must be appropriate without overloading visitors’ senses. To avoid your site looking cluttered, each of the elements should have enough blank or white space. Although it is quite understandable that you want to provide all the relevant information to your customers, you need to present it in an organised manner. Accordingly, you should make use of well-designed navigation controls to present your content.

3. Check their reviews and feedback

As well as the websites, reviews from existing and former clients can tell you a lot about the quality of an agency’s service and support. You can also gain an insight into their behaviour and professionalism from any number of review sites, such as Google and Yelp. Just type the agency’s name in the search box and any relevant reviews will be displayed for you to read.

If the agency has a high rating, it is more likely that you will obtain the business and marketing results you desire.  

4. Contact them directly

Once you have a list of potential agencies, it’s time to reach out and contact them directly. Prepare a list of questions relating to how you and the designers can work together. The best designers will probably discuss how to build your website and often they will propose a customised manufacturing site. You should also expect the agency to ask as many questions as they can about your business. The majority of their queries will be focused on your expectations and goals as they will want to ensure that they fully understand what your company is about so they can deliver your anticipated outcome. 

If the web design agency uses vague or technical terms to answer your queries, they may not be the best partner to collaborate with. Ideally, they should provide clear explanations and clarify any unfamiliar terms. 

Essential components of a manufacturing website

There are several designs and concepts that a web design agency is likely to propose to a manufacturing company.

1. The company website should appear trustworthy and reliable

The overall appearance of a manufacturing company’s website should reflect the nature of its business. With this in mind, the site should utilise:

  • Light-coloured backgrounds
  • Solid-coloured texts 

You may also have to update your logo so that it appears modern and trustworthy. In addition, the designers should use appropriate colours to engage your potential customers. 

2. Only use high-quality and relevant images

Your pictures don’t need to be stunning or award-winning, but they do need to reflect your company’s values, such as:

  • A happy workforce
  • Efficient operations
  • High-quality products 
  • Customer satisfaction

A skilled web designer will incorporate the right images to elicit the response you want from your potential customers.

3. Make the site easy to navigate

With regard to your site’s navigation, your designers should be able to answer “yes” to the following questions:

  • Can users return to the previous page?
  • Can they jump from one page to another?
  • Can they return to the homepage?

 

4. Remember the site design is for users’ benefit

When you compile a list of all your company’s best qualities, it is important to remember the demographics of your readers. You need to create content that will engage visitors who are responsible for making the purchasing decisions.

5. Optimise your site’s loading speed

If your site loads even one second slower than the competition, you will more than likely lose potential customers. Ideally, every page should load quickly to keep your audience engaged.

6. Improve your call to action

A call to action (CTA) is essential if you want to convert your visitors into customers. The CTA should be both noticeable and simple to use. Persuasive language and warm colours (such as red) are the way to go.

7. Don’t hesitate to use negative space

Negative or white space is an essential design feature. When applied correctly, your texts will be easier to read and therefore keep your visitors engaged. As a result, your content can convert them into customers.

Conclusion

Manufacturing web design agencies belong to an elite group. For this reason, it is imperative that you only employ web professionals who are experienced and capable of designing a site that will attract decision-makers to your products. You can evaluate web designers based on their online profiles, website and reviews. Once you have identified a suitable agency, you should contact them directly and carefully observe how they answer your questions.