Most industrial websites are digital brochures. They look nice, but they don’t work.
If you’re a manufacturer with a $10M+ business and your website is “just there,” you are losing money to competitors who treat their site like a 24/7 sales rep.
If the phone isn’t ringing and the inbox is empty of RFQs, it’s usually because of these five specific friction points.
1. You are hiding your catalog behind PDFs
Engineers and procurement officers are busy. They want to find a part number or a spec sheet and move on. If your product data is trapped inside a 50MB “Full Product Catalog” PDF, you have two problems:
- Google can’t see you: While Google can index PDFs, it prefers structured web pages. You are missing out on thousands of organic search hits for specific part numbers or capabilities.
- User Frustration: Nobody wants to download a massive file on a mobile device at a job site.
The Fix: Move your products into a searchable, on-page database.
Many industrial sites have a single “Contact Us” page buried in the footer. This is a conversion killer.
If a prospect is looking at a specific 5-axis milling service or a custom hydraulic seal, that is the moment they are most likely to take action. Making them hunt for a contact form gives them a reason to click away.
The Fix: Every product and service page needs a clear, high-contrast “Request a Quote” button.
3. Your “Capabilities” page is too vague
We provide world-class quality and innovative solutions.
That sentence means nothing to a buyer. Industrial buyers need to know your tolerances, your machine list, your materials, and your certifications (ISO, AS9100, etc.). If you use corporate jargon instead of technical specs, you lose credibility.
The Fix: Replace the “fluff” with a detailed equipment list and specific technical ranges. Show, don’t tell.
4. You aren’t answering the “Price” question
I know, custom manufacturing pricing is complex. You can’t give a flat rate. But by ignoring the topic of cost entirely, you create a barrier.
A simple “Factors that impact pricing” section or a “Budget Estimator” tool can qualify leads before they ever reach your sales team. It weeds out the tire-kickers and builds trust with serious buyers.
The Fix: Create content that explains how you quote and what information you need from them to give an accurate price.
5. Your site is too slow for the “Field”
Your website might look great on your 27-inch office monitor with high-speed fiber internet. But your customers are often on-site, using tablets or phones with spotty LTE. If your site takes 10 seconds to load because of unoptimized images, they’ll bounce back to the search results.
The Fix: Optimize your technical SEO and use a high-performance CMS like HubSpot to ensure your site loads in under 3 seconds.
Stop Guessing. Start Converting.
Your website should be your best lead generator, not a line item on your expense report. If you’re ready to turn your site into a sales tool, you need an industrial web design agency that understands the B2B sales cycle.
Let’s look at your data and find out where your RFQs are leaking. Contact Bootstrap Creative today to discuss a site that actually builds your pipeline.
