Web Design for Distributors
Every distributor has a unique business model and selling points, and their marketing strategy should reflect those differences. This is especially true when it comes to web design.
Your website is your distribution company’s home online, and often the first impression you make on potential customers and clients.
This means it’s essential for your site to be an accurate reflection of your business, as well as professional, informative, and easy to use. It should also be designed to maximize your online conversions and drive revenue for your distribution company.
Are you wondering if there is help for designing websites for distributors? Read on to learn more.
Best practices for distributor web design
When it comes to web design, there are a few best practices to ensure that your website does its job.
Start with a professional design
Have you ever visited a website, only to feel it looked tired or outdated? This is a common occurrence, especially with businesses who don’t keep up with site maintenance. Web design has changed dramatically in the past few years, and there are more options than ever for building a site that makes a great first impression on your visitors. So if your site looks outdated, and doesn’t provide a great user experience, it may be time to update your online presence with fresh web design.
Add unique and informative content
Although professional design makes a great impression, your visitors ultimately on your site for information. This means that you need to have content that answers their questions and addresses their needs. Your content should also be skimmable, which is important considering that most people skim websites and jump around from header to header. Start with strong headlines that grab visitors’ attention and let them know they’re on the right page. Avoid using confusing jargon unless it’s well-known in your industry and among those likely to buy from you. Explain your products and services in a straightforward manner, and make it clear what a visitor can gain by working with you. Site content often is often low on the priority list for businesses launching a new site, but it’s one of the most important elements to your online success. Spend some time getting yours just right, or hire a freelance copywriter or agency to help with this part of the process.
Optimize for conversions
Your website could have anywhere from a dozen pages to several hundred, depending on your online goals. But each of these pages needs to have at least one call-to-action (CTA) to ensure visitors know how to take action. Many of these CTAs should encourage users to fill out a contact form, call your business, or get in touch in some other way. A CTA does not have to result in immediate sales, though – it can encourage visitors to take a variety of actions from downloading a free PDF to subscribing to your email newsletter. Regardless of the specific CTA on each page, they should all be optimized for conversions. Run tests on your copy, buttons, placement, and other elements, and choose the options that generate the best results for your site.
Simplify navigation
One of the biggest issues on many websites is they are tough to navigate. Why confuse your visitors or force them to go through several different menus just to find what they want? The longer it takes a user to find what they’re looking for, the more likely they’ll be to leave your site without taking action. Navigation tabs and bars are a good start, but the flow has to be logical. Aim for navigation that requires the fewest clicks possible to get from one page to the next page. Think like your visitors, and consider which pages are most important to them. You may also want to consult your sales team during this step, and ask for insight on common customer questions. This can give you an idea of how to structure your site to make the most important information easily accessible.
Include visual content
Websites with visual content are more interesting to visit, and more engaging for potential customers. This can include original photos, graphics, and even videos. If you don’t have any visual content to include, you may want to consider working with a professional photographer or designer. The more unique and engaging your images are, the more memorable your site will be. Go beyond stock images and think about images that will set your company apart from your competitors. What do you want people to take away from their visit to your site? Keep this in mind as you select your images and other visual content.
Design with SEO in mind
Even the most well-designed website won’t help your business if no one can find it. The best way to avoid this issue is by designing your site to be easy for search engines to crawl and index. Use an SEO-friendly site structure, include a sitemap, and optimize each of your pages for a unique keyword. The better indexed your site, the more organic traffic (and leads) you’ll be able to generate.
Web design services
The Internet provides many valuable marketing opportunities, and your distributor company’s website can help you make the most of them. If you’re looking to improve your online presence and reach more customers online, WebFX can help.
We have years of experience working with industrial companies, and we know what it takes to design an effective website in this competitive industry. Contact us today for more information and a free quote!