Our feature article for this month offers some key points in developing a website. One of SkyHawk Studios' specialties is working with engineers and manufacturers to create their websites, but the points apply to any website development. Our Creative Director Jeff wrote the article and we hope you enjoy it! 7 Secrets of a Successful Manufacturing Website (or any website!)
Many great manufacturing companies, it seems, can build anything – except an effective website.
I am always amazed that many top professional manufacturing, industrial
and engineering firms have websites that are poorly designed, hard to
navigate, impractical, and impossible for search engines to find. The
same engineers who demand high performance, efficient design,
practicality, and minimal waste, don’t seem to demand the same things
from their website. Here are a few tips:1. Appearances matter: Brilliant, award-winning
design is not the most important thing in a website, but if you fall
below a certain standard of design quality, your potential customers
won’t take you seriously. If your website looks like it was put together
by someone’s nephew in his basement, people will assume you’re a small,
unprofessional, fly-by-night operation – no matter how big and
successful you really are.
We had one client who was a very successful international
manufacturer, with plants on several continents, worldwide distribution,
and a stellar, cutting-edge product. Yet their website made them look
like they were a couple of guys working out of a garage. A well-designed
website instantly communicates that you are big, stable and successful,
and that you care about quality.
And even if you are two guys working out of a garage, you
can look as big, stable and professional as any competitor. Good design
doesn’t cost a lot – it just requires dealing with a designer who knows
what they are doing.
2. Content, content, content: Give your potential
customers the information they want and need. That requires knowing your
customer. Talk to them. Talk to your sales people. Find out what are
the essential things your customers need to know. Understand how
purchasing decisions are made.
Your home page should establish, right away, who you are, what
business you are in, what products or services you provide, and what
sets you apart from your competitors. Anyone should be able to glance at
your home page and understand all of these things right away. There
should be no question as to what you do and the benefit you provide.
And keep the text customer oriented. Talk about their
problems, their needs, their concerns, and how you solve them. Forget
that company mission statement or the glowing letter from the president.
They don’t care. They want to know ...read rest of article here.
