A B2B research paper in 2014 revealed that 94% of business buyers now do some form of online research before choosing a supplier or placing an order.
Yet, whilst some B2B industries have been quick to adopt and embrace digital into their operations, many manufacturers have been slow off the mark. The necessity of the products, resources and services being provided means that, for many, a strong digital presence is a still nice-to-have rather than a necessity.
So should manufacturers invest in digital? Here are three benefits that a stronger digital presence could offer your business:
The chance to stand out
The fact that the majority of manufacturing companies do not have exciting, engaging websites is exactly why you should. Providing an experience for your audiences beyond the standard, brochure-style site will result in you standing out in the eyes of your audience, as well as allowing you to showcase your products in a visual, informative online environment. You can only show those researching online that your company is better than others in the field if your (online) shopfront is better.
A larger, more developed site can also incorporate more search-friendly aspects than a brochure site, pushing your organisation up the search engine rankings.
The chance to show who you are
Giving customers the experience that you want them to have allows your company’s values to shine through, and telling the story of your history and achievements is a chance to display how your company works and what exactly it is you can do for them. This in turn will create content to fill out your site and boost your search rankings.
Building a bespoke site from scratch with your digital partner allows you to highlight your unique points, and to communicate with your audience exactly how you choose – ultimately, to look and sound exactly how you want to be seen and heard.
Having a social media presence humanises your company – although you may be selling to faceless businesses, the people within them are human, and social allows you to have human interactions with them, to find out how they are using your products or services, to maintain a continued relationship, and continually direct them to your website.
The chance to future-proof
There is clear evidence that the future generation are using mobile to search for what they need, research and buy online – this does and will include those within manufacturing organisations, but manufacturing companies still tend to rely on non-mobile responsive sites. Not only is this becoming more and more out-dated, but Google’s recent updates have meant that non-responsive sites are now punished in the rankings.
A bespoke site, supported by digital marketing, will not only be easier to extend and adapt to suit your organisation’s growing needs, but it will allow you to target, reach and influence your prospective customers.
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