Why Your Website Matters
I find it more common than not to come across websites in the manufacturing and construction industries that are outdated and failing to serve the company as effectively as they could be. Issues I see typically fall into one of these buckets:
- Unprofessional design
- Missing lead capture opportunities
- Not optimized for mobile
- Speed issues
- Missing key sales enablement
Although a website may not seem like a necessity in such hands-on, technical fields, a modern, user-friendly website is crucial for staying competitive in today’s market. In this article, we’ll explore how manufacturing and construction companies can optimize their websites to better connect with their audience and fuel growth without breaking the bank.
How B2B Buyers Shop Today
Regardless of industry, the buying process is much different now than it ever has been.
- 93% of the B2B purchase process starts with an online search
- 70-90% of the buyer journey is completed before ever reaching out to a salesperson
- 75% of people judge a company’s credibility based on its website.
Yes, you read that right. Your website. And if your website is the first impression potential clients have of your business, it’s important to make it count. An effective website should be professional, intuitive, and easy to navigate, with clear calls to action and compelling visuals that draw potential customers in.
When done correctly, your website can be a powerful marketing tool. It can help you build trust with potential clients and drive more leads to your business.
Top Mistakes Manufacturing & Construction Companies Make With Their Websites
Companies make a number of common mistakes when it comes to their website. Perhaps the most common mistake is not building a sales-optimized website. In other words, your website should be designed and built with the specific goal of generating leads and closing more deals for your business.
A few common mistakes we see:
Not having a mobile-friendly website.
Over 60% of website traffic is now generated on mobile devices. Having an outdated website that isn’t optimized for mobile can make you inaccessible to potential customers, which can mean lost revenue.
Having too much content, or not the right content on the homepage.
Too much information can overwhelm visitors and make it difficult for them to find what they’re looking for quickly. Similarly, the wrong information on your homepage can give the impression that you don’t have what your prospect is looking for. This page gets the most traffic, so make it count.
Not clearly communicating what you do and how you add value.
You should be able to clearly explain who you are, what problems you solve, what services you offer, and why someone should choose you over another vendor. Without this key information, potential customers may not stay on your site long enough to consider hiring you.
Not having the right CTAs, or any, on their site.
A call to action is a button or text link that encourages visitors to take some sort of action, such as signing up for your newsletter, inquiring about a consultation, or requesting a quote. If you don’t have any CTAs on your site, potential customers may not know what to do to connect with you.
What Can You Change to Optimize Your Website
Change 1: Focus on the Problems You Solve for Your Clients
In an industry that’s often highly specialized, one of the most important things you can do to beat out the competition is to focus on the specific problems you solve for your clients. By clearly articulating the problem your clients are facing, and how your services can help them overcome it, you will be in a much better position to win their business.
When potential clients visit your website, they should be able to quickly and easily identify the problems you can help them with. Make sure your content is clear, concise, and easy to read; use bullet points and short paragraphs to break up text and make it easier on the eyes. And be sure to include plenty of calls to action throughout your site so that visitors know what they need to do next in order to get started with your services.
If you can effectively communicate how you can help prospective clients solve their specific needs or problems, you will be well on your way to winning their business.
Change 2: Include Customer Testimonials & Case Studies
With more buyers doing research on their own, you need a way to build trust with prospects when you don’t have the opportunity to meet face to face.
One way to make your site, and business, more appealing than others is to include testimonials and case studies from satisfied customers. These endorsements can show prospects that you’re a reputable company with a track record of delivering quality results.
9 out of 10 people say they trust what a customer says about a business more than what that business says about itself.
Testimonials allow your customers to speak for themselves and tell their own stories about working with you. This can be an effective way of showcasing the real-life impact of your services, lending an air of authenticity and personalization that can be hard to achieve through other means.
And if you want to take it a step further and really outpace the competition, consider creating video testimonials or case studies, which have even greater impact.
Change 3: Showcase Your Work with Good Photography
As a construction company, you know that quality of work is important. When potential customers visit your website, you want to make sure that your work is showcased in the best light possible. Good photography is a key part of making a great first impression.
There are a few things to keep in mind when showcasing your work with photography on your website:
- Use high-quality photos: Blurry or low-quality photos will not make a good impression. Make sure to use high-resolution photos that show off your work in the best light possible.
- Use before and after shots: Potential customers will be interested in seeing the transformation that your work can provide. Showcasing before and after photos is a great way to demonstrate the quality of your work.
- Use diverse shots: Don’t just use one type of photo or angle. Mix things up to give potential customers a well-rounded look at what you do. Include close-ups, wide shots, and detail shots in your photography. Consider drone footage for a unique vantage point.
- Keep it updated: Nothing looks worse than outdated photos on a website. Make sure to regularly update your photos so that potential customers see that you’re still active and doing great work.
Change 4: Fill Your Site With Sales Enablement Content
Now, we know buyers are doing all of their research online, before reaching out to a sales rep. So if they can’t find the answers they are looking for on your site, what is likely to happen? They are probably headed to a competitor’s website. This is why you must have all of your sales content available on your website. Think of your website as your sales hub. Fill it full of the content they need at every stage of the funnel.
When people are looking for a vendor, they’re usually looking for someone who can help them solve a specific problem. If your website is full of helpful, informative content that addresses their needs, you’re more likely to win their business than a vendor whose website lacks this type of information.
But it’s more than that. By creating content that provides answers to the questions prospects are searching for online, you increase the chances of your website showing up above the competition in search results. This is how you really win!
Change 5: Provide a Way to Request an Estimate or Proposal Online
If your business doesn’t have a way for customers to access pricing online, you’re not only missing out on a key opportunity to get ahead of the competition, but you’re likely losing out to the competition. If visitors can’t find a way to access pricing quickly and easily, they’ll likely move on to the next company.
You can use your website as a powerful tool to win more business by providing a way for customers to book an estimate directly from your site. There are a few different ways you can do this:
- Use an online form: Include a form on your website that potential customers can fill out with their contact information and details about their project. Once you receive the form, you can reach out to schedule an estimate.
- Use online scheduling tools: Scheduling tools such as HubSpot allow you to schedule appointments online. This can be a great option if you want customers to be able to see your availability and book an appointment without having to wait for you to get back to them.
- Add a chatbot: You can also use chatbot technology on your website so that potential customers can get answers to their questions and even book an estimate right from their web browser.
How Can You Improve Your Site Fast?
Reach out to us for a complimentary audit and we’ll give you quick pointers that you can use to update your website and start crushing the competition.
