B2B websites tend to operate with similar goals: boost your brand’s awareness and credibility, increase sales, add value to existing customers, and much more. However, how you achieve these goals can vary depending on what kind of B2B business you’re running, your target customers, and many other factors. Two industrial niches with contrasting needs include manufacturers and distributors.

Today, the Ecreative experts examine the differences between what to include on a website for manufacturing versus a website for distributors.

Manufacturing Website Development

Engineers, designers, and distributors currently conduct most of their buyer’s journey online, which means having a solid digital presence is no longer a bonus for manufacturing companies—it’s a requirement. Your manufacturing website should work as your twenty-four-hour salesperson and include as much relevant information, technical data, and specifications about your services as possible.

Still, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for manufacturing websites. The best choice for your business will vary depending on what sort of manufacturing work you do.

OEM Digital Marketing Starts with Your Website

OEMs require functional websites that deliver excellent user experiences and present clear brand identities. As you offer a variety of standard and custom products, it’s important to make sure that your OEM business stands out from the crowd by performing well on search engines and clearly displaying your unique services.

One option is to streamline research, pricing, and communication through a custom RFQ site. RFQ websites for manufacturing operations are ideal for building relationships with customers. They are often used in combination with ecommerce websites, database websites, or other configurations. To optimize your OEM website design, consider integrating the following into a tailor-made RFQ site:

• Consistent branding throughout the website
• Customized navigation optimized for users and search engines
• 3D modeling to show designs and specifications
• Part builders or custom configurators to simplify user experiences
• Photo galleries to display products
• Product comparison tools for research
• And more!

Looking for examples of successful RFQ sites developed for OEMs? Visit Ecreative’s portfolio to view a variety of OEM website designs.

Contract Manufacturer Websites

Whether you’re a CNC machine shop, an injection molder, or any kind of contract manufacturer, you require a flexible website that displays your capabilities and services. As a result, many contract manufacturers are best served by a content management system (CMS) website. A CMS website is a versatile option that makes adding and editing content straightforward regardless of your technical ability. Your contract manufacturer CMS site should include:

• Easy-to-locate Contact Us and Request for Quote forms
• FAQ pages
• Material capabilities and engineering services
• Case studies, technical papers, and other optimized content
• And much more!

Ready to learn more or to peruse a live contract manufacturer website? Check out examples of CMS contract manufacturer sites custom-built by the team at Ecreative.

Distributor Website Design

Your distributor website should be an extension of your company, almost like an salesperson who is on call twenty-four hours a day. To that end, and regardless of the industrial components, parts, or products you work with, most distributors are best served with an ecommerce website design. Often combined with RFQ sites or database websites, ecommerce websites offer easy product organization for specialized or extensive catalogs, quick content management solutions, and many customizable options to fit your distribution business’s exact needs. Your distributor ecommerce site may include:

• An ERP or custom-built cart
• Up-to-date and relevant product descriptions and on-page content
• Information regarding pricing, shipping, and/or sales tax
• Downloadable or easily accessible catalogs
• Integrated shipping processes
• Cart abandonment tracking
• And more!

For current examples of custom websites built with distributors in mind, visit Ecreative’s portfolio of distributor websites.

Distributor & Manufacturing Websites Built to Deliver Results

With more and more business being conducted entirely online, it is imperative to have a website design tailored to the exact needs of your business. Ecreative is here to help. We specialize in building custom ecommerce websites, database and CMS websites, RFQ sites, and more to fit your goals. From our headquarters in Minnesota, we serve clients nationwide to deliver sites that rank on search engines, perform as intended, and help grow your business.

Schedule your free consultation to learn more about Ecreative’s web development services and SEO programs. We’re ready to create a website that attracts, engages, and converts your prospects into qualified leads and sales.

Contact Us for a Manufacturing Website Design Quote Today