Generating new leads in the manufacturing industry can be challenging. Many companies have long-standing relationships with their clients, and while they recognize the need to expand their customer base, they may not know where to start.
This is where your website becomes a powerful tool. In today's digital landscape, your website serves as a 24/7 virtual sales rep, ready to capture leads anytime. However, optimizing your site for lead generation is essential to make it work for you.
Let’s get into some of the top strategies we recommend to our manufacturing clients to turn their websites into lead-generation powerhouses.
9 Ways To Boost Lead Generation Through Website Design for Manufacturing Companies
Are you ready to turn your website into a powerful lead generation tool? Here are our effective tips for manufacturing companies looking to enhance their online presence and attract more qualified leads.
1. Place More Calls-To-Action Throughout the Website
A major part of lead generation is how your website viewers actually convert to leads. If you want your website to function as a lead generation machine, you need easily accessible calls-to-action (CTAs).
"Request a Quote" and "Learn More Now" buttons make it easy for potential clients to reach out to you, boosting your conversion rate. Place them at the end of your blog posts, in the top and middle of relevant pages, and anywhere else you can think of that would have a positive impact.
Sometimes, clients may not be sure if they need help or not. If they're on the fence, an easy CTA button is just the motivation they need to request more information. The more opportunities your site viewers have to convert, the more leads you'll get.
2. Start a Blog
While this may sound intimidating at first, content marketing and blog writing are some of the easiest ways to boost B2B lead generation. By answering common questions your clients ask in blog posts, you're providing value and addressing specific pain points clearly and thoroughly.
In addition to creating helpful content, incorporating SEO tactics is crucial. Writing blogs on topics people are actively searching for on Google is a great way to drive traffic to your site.
The best practice is to focus each blog post around a single keyword and ensure that the keyword appears naturally 2-3 times throughout the content. Thanks to advancements in Google’s algorithms, you don’t need to overstuff your blog with the exact phrase — using synonyms and related terms will also help you rank for your chosen keyword.
Quick Tip: Use AI tools like HubSpot’s Content Remix to save time when creating and promoting your blog.
3. Utilize Social Media
Many manufacturers hesitate to use social media because they don't see it as a legitimate way to market their products. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Almost everyone, including professionals in the manufacturing industry, uses social media in some form—whether it's Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube. These platforms are incredibly effective at targeting ads and content to specific demographics, making getting your brand in front of the right people easier than you might think.
At Evenbound, we’ve found that utilizing LinkedIn ads is particularly effective for B2B companies. LinkedIn allows you to target specific job roles, industries, and decision-makers, making it an ideal platform to reach potential clients in the manufacturing sector. With a well-crafted LinkedIn ad campaign, you can connect directly with the people who matter most to your business and get them to visit your website.
4. Add a Live Chat Feature to Your Website
In the fast-paced B2B manufacturing world, quick responses can make all the difference. A live chat allows your team to provide immediate answers to questions from site visitors, helping guide potential clients through their decision-making process in real-time.
By offering instant support, you not only improve the user experience but also shorten the sales cycle. Many prospects visiting your site may have questions about your products, services, or capabilities, and a live chat feature ensures those inquiries are addressed quickly, preventing potential leads from leaving your site due to unanswered questions.
Quick Tip: Take advantage of AI capabilities, like those available in HubSpot, to automate messages where possible, saving your team time.
5. Optimize Your Website for a Seamless User Experience
Did you know that 88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad user experience? That’s why creating a website with easy navigation is essential to keeping users engaged and ensuring they have a positive experience on your site, resulting in lead conversion.
User experience (UX) is about making it simple for visitors to find what they need. This is particularly important in the B2B sector, where potential clients are often seeking specific information quickly.
Here are a few quick tips to improve your website’s user experience:
- Simplify Menus: Avoid overwhelming users with too many options. Keep your main navigation menu straightforward.
- Use Clear Labels: Each menu item should be easy to understand so users know exactly where to click.
- Add a Search Bar: Sometimes, users prefer to search directly for what they need. Including a visible search bar ensures they can find information without frustration.
- Use Headings: Headings are essential for making your content digestible for readers. They’re also a must-have for ranking and SEO since search engines use them to understand the structure of your content and what it’s all about.
- Enhance Visuals: Utilizing high-quality visuals improves engagement and makes the website experience more exciting and positive for the reader.
6. Build Trust With Testimonials
When potential clients visit your site, they need to feel confident that your business is credible, reliable, and capable of delivering what they need. One of the best ways to do this is by incorporating testimonials throughout your site.
Testimonials from satisfied customers can provide powerful social proof, showing new visitors that others in the industry have had positive experiences with your products or services. They help humanize your brand and give potential clients the reassurance they need to take the next step and become potential leads.
7. Add Gated Content to Your Website
Gated content is another fantastic way to offer more conversion opportunities. Gated content is highly relevant, informational content that site viewers can access for free after they give you their basic contact information.
So, say you had a great ebook titled " How to Choose the Right Metal Finish for Auto Bumpers." This is useful content for a potential auto-manufacturing client. Since they want that information and can get it for free, they're usually willing to put in an email address and phone number to gain access.
As a result, you’ll get their contact information, and they'll get the content they need for free. This draws in leads who are not as far along in the buyer's cycle. Then, you can maintain contact through lead nurturing emails and newsletters until they're ready to buy from you.
8. Implement A/B Testing
One of the most effective ways to boost your conversion rate—and ultimately generate more leads—is through A/B testing. By consistently testing elements like CTAs and content on web pages, you can determine what resonates best with your audience and drives conversions.
For example, does a blue CTA button generate more clicks than an orange one? Are visitors more likely to complete a contact form if you don't ask for a phone number? A/B testing provides insightful data to answer these questions so you can optimize your site for lead generation.
Here are a few tips for successful A/B testing:
- Test One Variable at a Time: Focus on changing one element at a time, like the color of a button or the headline on a landing page. This allows you to pinpoint exactly what’s driving the change in conversions.
- Keep Your Tests Controlled: Test each variable under the same conditions. If you test one variation on a weekday and another on a weekend, the results may be skewed by varying traffic levels rather than the actual change you made.
9. Develop a Plan
The best way to turn your website into a consistent lead-generating machine is to make a plan and stick to it.
It's easy to start something and then forget about it if you don't have a schedule with deadlines and attainable goals. By creating a plan that outlines how much you need to work on per week or month and states your monthly or weekly lead generation goals, it's much harder to fall off the wagon.
When you have goals and deadlines to meet, you're more likely to implement positive changes and keep working at them to optimize your website's lead generation potential.
Boost Your Lead Generation with Evenbound's B2B Marketing Expertise for Manufacturing Businesses
If you have questions about increasing your website's lead generation potential, don’t hesitate to contact us.
At Evenbound, we specialize in B2B marketing and have extensive experience working with manufacturing businesses to optimize their websites and marketing strategies for maximum lead generation.
Don’t just take our word for it—check out our success stories on our Our Work page, where you can see case studies showcasing the results we’ve achieved for companies like you.
Let us help you turn your website into a powerful tool for driving new business and growth!
