Industrial – Manufacturing SEO

Your customers are using the web – and your competitors are there.

If your website hasn’t reduced the costs of outside sales leads by at least 30%, and improved the ability of your sales organizations to close sales, then your site is a liability, not an asset.

I have visited thousands of manufacturing sites.  It amazes me that an industry which could gain so much from the web has done so little to use it for growing their business.  In some cases, just a few hours’ effort could turn a site from an embarrassment into a real performer.

What is the state of manufacturer adoption of e-business?

• 83%-88% of marketing executives consider e-business important for the current needs of their company.
• Growing sales and market share are top priorities in 2005.  60% or more of manufacturers re-designing their web site and performing some sort of Search Engine or similar marketing strategy.
• 45% of manufacturers do not measure the return on their-business investments.
• A clear understanding of customer needs, coupled with internal e-business skills and executive buy-in are the top factors that contribute to e-business success.
• A weak e-business strategy, lack of funding and weak internal skills are the top barriers to success.

What is the problem?

I have taken a look at the approach used by most of these and there are several patterns that emerge:

• Weak strategy and confusion about web business2.
• Listen.  I breathe this stuff daily and still learn a huge amount every week.  There is much to learn and you’re running a business.
• Weak internal skills and lack of time2.
• How many hats do you wear?  I understand totally.
• Lack of funding for web marketing efforts, or risk-aversion to them.
• This is understandable.  This is why I offer a money-back guarantee on my labor for the first 30 days.
• The site was done by an outside contractor, and abandoned as is.
• This may indicate that someone inside the organization realized the importance of a professional site, but it was thought of as a one-time effort.  Luckily most are planning to re-design their site in 20052.
• A site was created by a professional originally, and internal staff have taken it over.  That staff does not measure the impacts of their efforts, so changes are haphazard.

Mistakes made most often:

• Assuming your web designer / webmaster knows web marketing techniques.
• Setting up a website that does not provide measurement and feedback.
• Not using the information provided by your site to make changes.

Services I offer to manufacturers:

• Lay of the land study.  Site Survey/Audit. What is your potential?  What are the problems that jump out on your site?
• Leads Strategy Plan.  How will you get the leads that turn into good customers from your website.
• Leads System.  Sending you GOOD leads for probably about 20% of what you’re paying now.
• Leads Distribution.  Automatically get web leads to the right people in sales.

Web Marketing Services for Manufacturers:

• Web site review (design issues, performance, etc.)
• SEO review (web positions, problems, recommendations)
• Headache Free Pay-Per-Visitor packages with measurement and tuning
• Pay Per Call marketing solutions with measurement.
• Sales support solutions using the web and email.
• Lead distribution systems.
• Web site re-design for profit and efficiency.
• Landing page setup and tuning.