As a new manufacturer you’ve spend months (years) preparing your product for market. You’ve sourced your materials, built a warehouse, hired employees and met with suppliers.
(If you’re just getting started, here is a great blog about manufacturing a product for the first time HERE)
At this point, hopefully your product is finished and successfully sold into retailers and distributors.
(If you still need help selling into retail stores check out this ARTICLE)
As a savvy new business owner with a new product, it is important to remember the B2C side of your business. As a manufacturer, you will now need to build a website that can successfully cater to both sets of customers, your B2B customers and your B2C customers. Your website will be one of your most powerful selling assets for your business. However, your website won’t be able to help your product make the splash that you hope unless it includes a few key features.
Let’s take a look at some of the most important features that are a must have for any manufacturer’s website.
- Dealer Locator – Make sure that your B2C customers can figure out how to buy your product! Whether you are selling online, selling through e-retailers or selling in brick and mortar stores make sure that it is clear. Today’s consumer is quite spoiled. In fact, if the information for buying your product isn’t easily accessible, your potential customer won’t work hard to buy it at all! Click HERE to see an example of a dealer locator on a website.
- Blog – If your product is new, people need help understanding it. You’ll need to make it very clear to your potential customers why your product is different, better and important. Blogging is also one of the best ways to gain visibility in search engines, like Google. If someone is Googling something that might lead them to buy your product, make sure that your blog includes an article about it. Check out an example of a great manufacturer blog, HERE
- Product Details- If a retailer or a consumer visits your website, it is most likely to learn more about your products. Make sure that your website is a source for as many details as possible about your products.
- Ingredients
- Instruction Manual
- Set-up Instructions
- Informational Videos
- Photos
Click here for an example of a great, detailed, product page, HERE
- About Us- Include a history of your company, your products and your people. When someone buys your product, they are also buying your brand and your story. Include a very relevant, well thought out and storied description of your owners, your history, the reason you sell your product! Consumer’s buy from brands they trust and people they like, tell them exactly why you’re so great! HERE is a company true to its nature.
Hope this helps and best of luck with your new product, business and website!