We are often approached by industrial and manufacturing companies seeking advice on how to craft an online sales-driven user experience. There are distinct tactics for creating successful websites in these industries due to the complexity of the product information and differing needs of their various audiences. By popular demand, here is a checklist of best practices for consumer-targeted, highly technical websites:
 

Create an audience profile needs assessment – Identify key audiences and constituencies and establish user types based on visitors’ unique website needs.
 

Map multiple paths through the site – Break down information in a way that will create an engaging, logical click-path through the website for each user type.
Tip: Utilizing tabs on product pages is a great way to organize information so that visitors can drill deeper into technical specifications or stay top-level.

Give content room to breathe – Industrial and technical component manufacturers will inevitably have an abundance of technical specifications, product manuals and applications for their product lines. To incorporate all of this without overwhelming visitors, leave plenty of white space in your design and clearly accentuate navigational elements on each page.

Use interactivity to improve upon complex searches – Offer a product sort tool that is easily accessible. Consider making this tool fun and interactive to engage visitors as they search for their products. Give them multiple ways to filter products and add new search criteria for the best user experience.

Establish multiple inlets to related information – Provide supplemental information next to page content to guide visitors through a logical click-path. Put yourself in the visitor’s point of view and think ‘What would I want to know next if I was this type of consumer?’

Don’t settle for less than a great CMS – A content management system streamlines ongoing management of site content. A great CMS will provide the ability to efficiently and easily add new resources and product information.

Get in touch with us if you’d like to schedule a meeting to discuss the next generation of your firm’s website, or peruse the Manufacturing and Technology sections of our portfolio to see some of the sites we’ve created for these industries.