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Website Design for Product Manufacturers
Think Big, Think Broad, Think Strategy
The right strategy can pay big dividends.
The highly complex, multi-faceted business of product manufacturing is enough to make the average executive’s head spin. It’s little wonder, then that management in this sector leave a lot of the marketing to the distribution channel and as a result, sales and brand value can suffer.
The corporate website can play a major role in growing and reinforcing a company’s brands. The decision to choose one brand over another is frequently preceded by research – usually undertaken by the customer on one or more websites that may or may not include that of the manufacturer.
Therein lies the problem.
If the manufacturer’s website is not the active leader in search engine positioning and communicating the brand, then it by default, the task falls to its distributors, resellers, bloggers and even the competition. As a result the brand can become diluted, inconsistent and fall into the trap of differentiation by price alone.
The manufacturers website can have an enormous influence on any manufacturer’s sales and support ecosystem. In fact, it can literally reshape the way manufacturer’s products are perceived, priced, purchased, distributed and supported.
Manufacturers Have Many Special Requirements that Traditional Websites Fail to Address
Manufacturers’ websites also vary dramatically depending on the products and services offered and whether brands are consumer or business targeted. Many manufacturers also require consulting and creative services to correctly align their brands with the right target markets using appropriate brand communications.
In addition, existing customer relationships also rely on the manufacturer to provide a higher level of customer service based on price-points, specific service levels, etc.
Here are the features and services you should be considering when thinking about looking to revamp your corporate website.
The percentage of mobile users viewing your site will depend on the target demographic and market sectors targeted by your business. Restaurants for example will attract a much higher percentage of mobile users than restaurant purveyors. It’s important to have good web statistics in order to assess your current traffic and to plan accordingly.
Brand Reinforcement & Awareness
Manufacturing companies need to consider many factors in their marketplace to stand out above their competition. Here are some of the modules that will add value to the site and your customers:
- A Multingual Content Management System (CMS)
- Professional, Custom, brand-aligned Templates and color palettes
- Creative approach to Brand and Product Identifiers/Trademarks/Logos
- Content Development Services
- News Module for case studies, product releases and industry events
- A Comprehensive Products Module to showcase descriptions, specifications, images, videos, downloadable brochures, software and more
- User Testimonials Module
- Brand Management Module – ensure consistent brand representation and messaging across the channel
Customer Support
- FAQ Module to reduce customer support inquiries
- Forum for reducing support costs
- Support Desk Module to increase support effectiveness
- Client Extranet to improve client communications
- Downloads module for Manuals, Parts Lists, Software Drivers and more
- Warranty Information
- Parts and Accessories Ordering
Sales
- Employee Intranet
- Sales CRM Module
- Email Subscriptions and Broadcasts
- Social Media Integration
- Dealer Locators with built-in Google Maps Wayfinding
- Built-in best practices for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Dealer/Distributor Extranet to handle orders, inventory, lookups etc.
- Clear and compelling Opt-in Forms to generate leads and drive sales.
Contact Us today to discuss how Acorn Interactive can help your business grow.
Image Credit: On Freepik
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