Adding Value to Your Industrial Site

It never ceases to amaze me how many web sites there are that are doing nothing more than trying to sell. I mean it's obvious, kind of like the barker at a side show — "Step Right Up, Buy From Us!" The problem is that the tone of a side show barker will send a site visitor clicking off your site real fast unless your site is an online shopping site where he is quickly able to order his item. This article is not about shopping sites, however, it is about industrial sites who do not have "off-the-shelf" items to offer.

Then there's the other side of the coin, the poor site owner who just didn't know what to say at his site. So he goes on about his company, his facility, etc., never really getting down to solid information about his products or services. This is commonplace for companies that build engineered products - custom designed for a specific application.

Okay, let's get real here. Why on earth did anyone look for a particular product or service to begin with? They wanted information about the product or service, right? So, why not give them what they want! Put information at your site that is useful, something that will add value to your site. This does two things:

1. It gives the site visitor a reason to bookmark your site and,
2. It shows that you are an expert in your field, someone they could turn to for assistance on their next project.

Duh! Sometimes it's hard for us to see the forest for the trees. We often assume that site visitors know what we're talking about because we know our product, service, or industry so well. The truth is there is only two basic things a site visitor knows: "He knows he needs a product or service like yours and he knows why he needs it." He doesn't know the exact part number, maybe doesn't even know the type of product, and he knows he needs to turn to someone for assistance to ensure that the product or service provided matches his need.

So what kind of information is useful? Well, it depends on your product or service, of course, but information that would be gathered if the person where to call your company is almost always useful. In other words, if visitor John Q. were to call your company today, I'm sure that there would be certain questions asked of him to help him determine his need. These questions can be posted at your site so that John Q. can complete a form and supply your company with the proper information making it easier to supply the gentleman with a quote.

Basic product knowledge is always a good thing to have at your site. Comparison charts, overall descriptions, typical applications, are just a few things that will prove useful to a potential customer. Calculators and worksheets may also prove useful.

If you offer a service, education is fundamental. Explain why your service is different than others, have articles online that demonstrate your expertise in the subject matter. An educated consumer is the best consumer. Comparison charts and calculators may also work at your site.

Take a step back, put yourself in the site visitors shoes. Forget about what you WANT TO SELL and research what the site visitor WANTS FROM YOUR SITE. Satisfy the visitor's needs, and you'll be doing business together.