10 things your manufacturing website must have

Introduction

Your website can be an asset to your manufacturing business, or it can really hold you back.

An old, unprofessional website that is lacking in key information is a major turn-off for visitors.  On the other hand, a polished, modern and feature-rich site really helps drive more sales of your products and services.

We all know that standing out among the competition is hard work, and there is so much to add to a great manufacturing website - where do you start?

Do your website visitors understand your products, and how they can benefit from them? Are your products compatible with other systems or products? How do they even place an order?

In this article we cover everything you need to make your website work harder for your business...

A soggy foundation

If your website isn't converting visitors to enquiries, then it's a not going to benefit your business. If you spend money on marketing, it's even worse, a waste of time and money!

Your website is the foundation of everything else, so it's essential to get it sorted before continuing with more online promotion.

Here's how...

1. Your products

Product descriptions need to be clear, concise and accurate. Users want to know that your products are the best for for the job they are doing. List all the features and benefits clearly, in bullet points, rather than a long paragraph.

This will also help with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), which will help you get cited by AI models, such as Chat GPT and Gemini.

Key information to show on your product pages:

• Options such as the choice of size and colour.
• Your products need large images, which are high-resolution, not blurry, and videos if possible.
• Video allows you to show rotating product views, or the products in action, so it's quickler for users to get an understanding of what your product is, and how it functions. This is a real bonus, because users only spend on average 15 seconds on your site, so need to understand your product instantly.
• Technical data is essential, especially if your products are in a very specialist market. Users don't want doubt to creep in, they want to be sure that your business is the supplier to reach out to.
• Documentation, EU Declaration of Conformity and downloads, manuals etc (if applicable)
• Logos, certificates, energy ratings, ISO 9001, CE Mark etc, GDPR compliance, Fair Trade Certified,
• Make product pages accessible, with WCAG Compliance
• Clear Calls to Action (CTAs) (links / buttons) for requesting information and how to order/purchase
• Social proof: Reviews, bought by X customers, guarantees, warranty details etc.
• Related products / "customers also bought"

2. Clear information

As soon as visitors land on your website, they need to know what you do. Also, don't assume they are landing on the Home page. Typically the home page gets the most traffic, but that is not necessarily the case.

What information should you add?

• Explain what you do and experience
• Your industry, and who you have worked with
• Chunky paragraphs broken up into more concise, shorter passages of copy
• Sharp images (hi-resolution), showing products, applications and company info
• Company accreditations
• Company history
• Product distributors
• What makes you the best
• Terms and conditions, privacy and cookies
• Delivery information (if applicable)
• Trust signals - link back to blog article on this
• Fresh content, via case studies, news and blogs

3. An obvious way to enquire or buy

Don't frustrate your users or overcomplicate things - make it easy for them to contact you.

Make it easy for your users by:

• Providing clear buttons and contact information
• User-friendly forms to enquire about placing an order or to ask questions
• Detailed availability and shipping information
• Clear bulk discounts (if applicable)
• If not selling online, a button and/or form to get a quote or ask a question
• Consider adding a Chatbot or Live Chat feature
• Typical payment methods - debit/credit card, invoice, paypal
• Clear delivery charges and returns information
• If selling online, a simple checkout process, as a guest or create a user account

4. Declarations of Conformity

Selling in Europe or the UK? You will need a Declaration of Conformity (DoC), which is a mandatory legal document that declares that your product complies with relevant health, safety and environmental requirements. It is required for products bearing the CE or UKCA mark.

What does a Declaration of Conformity need?

• Manufacturer details
• Product identification
• Traceability
• Legislation referenced
• Standards used
• Notified/Approved body details
• Signed declaration

For full information about DoC's in the UK, see the government website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/placing-ukca-or-ce-marked-products-on-the-market-in-great-britain

5. Technical data

Prospective customers will potentially have highly technical questions about your products, especially if you operate in engineering, science or other marketplace where products must meet strict technical standards.

What technical data should you show on your website:

• Application and usage, e.g. A dielectric boot for workers in power stations
• Compatibility with other products
• Size, weight etc.
• Materials, speed, max pressure, volume etc.
• Spares, with part numbers or SKUs
• Safety ratings and certifications
• Manufacturing tolerances
• Environmental: Energy usage, emissions, recyclability
• Electrical specifications: Voltage, wattage, IP ratings

6. Support and guarantees

UK manufacturers design and build high-quality products and are proud of their performance and reliability. So shout about that fact on your website, it'll really help sell your products!

Your potential customers won't want to buy products that let them down.

What can you mention?

• What guarantee your products have. E.g. number of years, exclusions and cover
• Repair or replacement terms
• The level of support you offer - via your website, email, phone or on site?
• Product lifespan and expectations
• Warranty and conditions, ensuring there are no nasty suprises
• Extended warranty options
• Software update policies
• Response times and service levels

7. News, events and offers

Regular news helps show that your business is keeping up to date with market conditions, and you are an authority in your niche.

Google also likes to see regular updates, stagnant sites really suffer by falling down the search results!

So, how can you keep your audience up to date:

• Product news
• Special offers
• Company / staff news
• Link Social media posts back to news articles
• Events, exhibitions, demos
• Factory tours

8. Spares and servicing information

When investing in expensive equipment, it's essential to know that spares will be available for a long time after purchase.

Reassure your visitors, that buying your products will be a great investment, resulting in many years of good service.

You can do this on your website by:

• Servicing information
• Spare part availability periods
• Exploded diagrams and parts lists
• Spares info - and how to buy
• OEM part numbers
• Diagnostic procedures and fault code information
• Calibration and testing requirements
• Authorised distributor network info
• Approved lubricants and consumables
• Mean time to repair (MTTR)
• Manuals and technical updates

9. Case studies or reviews

If you are just starting up, make a plan now for how and when you will collection case studies and reviews. If you've been going for some time and you don't have either, then it's definitely time to factor these into your processes.

Reviews and case studies show the real experience your customers have with your products. This is huge for building trust with new potential customers and many won't buy without seeing at least one real-life case study.

How do case studies and reviews help sell your products:

• To demonstrate that products perform as claimed
• Show how support is responsive and comprehensive
• Deliveries are reliable
• Quality of products and service is consistent
• Demonstrates ease of set up, installation etc
• Performance in real-world environments
• Generates fresh content, promoting you on Google and other search engines
• Increase click-through rates on Google
• Improves local and product search visibility
• Potentially show stars in search results, making you stand out

10. LLM's text file

What on earth is an LLM's text file? Well, it is a file called llms.txt that AI systems and LLM-based tools (Large Language Models) can read to better understand your business. They read the file to understand your website and what you do more efficiently.

What does the file contain?

• H1 Title: Your business or project name.
• Short Summary: A concise description (often in a blockquote) of what you offer.
• H2 Sections: Use headers (like ## Products or ## Documentation) for categories.
• Link Lists: Bulleted lists with clear, descriptive links to your most important pages (pillar pages, guides, API docs).
• Direct Answers (Optional): Summarized answers to anticipated user questions, pointing to the relevant URL.
• Exclusion List (Optional): Specify pages or content you don't want AI to use. 

How can this help your manufacturing business?

• Make technical and support information easy to understand
• Helps index large product catalogues and their features
• Understanding and indexing CAD files, datasheets, compliance certificates, parts etc.
• Identifies the most important pages, rather than just trying to guess
• Highlights deeply-buried information
• Useful for AI-agents to answer questions around issues, compatibility, parts, maintenance etc.
• SEO and AI-search alignment: Structured data, FAQs, semantic product pages etc.

Bonus: 11. Make it interactive

Websites have evolved from simple, static brochures, to more interactive shop-fronts. Interactive features really improve engagement with customers and leads and speed up support and sales enquiries.

Using a commenting widget on your news  or blog posts, and a chatbot or live chat feature, sets you apart from your competition by allowing your website visitors to speak to you, without having to call or wait for an email reply.

How can allowing comments help?:

• Add a comment widget to product pages, technical articles, support  and case studies
• Users will share real-life experiences, their applications and ongoing manufacturer engagement
• Users can share installation tips, compatibility advice, troubleshooting help etc.
• This all limits the support work you and your team have to do
• Improved SEO/GEO via fresh content, increase in topic-depth and new long-tail content

How can chatbots help?:

• Handle large number of questions and enquiries easily
• Answer specific questions, without your team having to
• Improve lead-generation, leaving sales team to prioritise closing leads
• 24/7/365 availability - outside office hours
• Reduce support workload

How can live chat help?:

• Human interaction, without customers having to call you or wait for email replies
• Reduces friction in the marketing / sales funnel
• Increase conversions
• Customers can get quick answers to support, parts and integration questions
• Quick, application-specific recommendations and product comparison

Need help?

We have built a number of successful manufacturing websites and optimised many more. If your website isn't working, or you just want a second opinion, please contact us to find out more.

Article by David Reeder. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-e-reeder/