Around this time of the year, I get more calls and emails about redesigning industrial websites. This of course is very good news for my industrial marketing business but there is usually something missing that makes me cautious.
My “Spidey Sense” is heightened whenever I hear the other person say something like “We need to spruce up our website so we can be found in Google.”
It goes without saying that being found in Google is a must but there are two wrong assumptions in that statement.
Design, aesthetics, coding and maintaining branding standards are all important. However, the single biggest factor that determines the success of an industrial website redesign is content. I say that based on my experience in successfully redesigning and launching several websites for manufacturers, industrial distributors and engineering companies.
Content is what fuels the digital marketing engine, drives traffic and generates quality leads from industrial websites. That means content is the foundation for SEO, differentiation, thought leadership, engagement, conversions, acquisitions and retention of customers just to name a few of the goals that you want to accomplish with the redesigned site.
You need to ask a few important questions about content before you start a website design or redesign project. It doesn’t matter whether you do this in-house or outsource it; you need good answers, preferably backed by data and research. Here are some of the questions that I ask to help me plan for content before starting an industrial website redesign project:
It is important to look beyond the basic Traffic numbers, Page Views and Bounce Rates from Google Analytics. If you lack the expertise yourself, have a knowledgeable person interpret Google Analytics data for you so you can draw meaningful conclusions about the weaknesses in your current site. Don’t let the old adage, “I know half my marketing is working, I just don’t know which half” happen to you.
Without asking these critical questions, you will most likely fall back on copying and pasting content from your current site that isn’t performing for you in the first place. When all’s said and done, the content from your redesigned website must help to differentiate your industrial company, bring your in-house expertise to the forefront, and build strong relationships that are based on earned trust. Refer to my posts “How Industrial Content Marketing Builds Stronger Relationships Based on Trust” and “Content Marketing for Industrial Companies.” Also read some of my previous posts that are categorized under Content Marketing.
There are many more questions that need to be asked regarding user interface and experience, responsive design etc. but what I’ve written here will give you a good head start in redesigning an industrial website. One that is likely to produce results instead of becoming just another “pretty” site.
Download our free Step-by-Step Guide to Web (re)Design guide for additional questions to ask and a checklist for gathering answers.
What questions did you ask before your last website redesign? Did you run into any roadblocks?
Let’s chat to determine if this will be a good fit for both of us. It will be a friendly conversation to get to know each other better, not a high-pressure sales pitch.
IndustrialZone says:
This article is amazing indeed! Marketing is as important for a business as starting the business in the first place! This means that if you do not carry out proper marketing your business will fail miserably. This is an immensely helpful article.