15 Dec
Good industrial website design will not only be visually appealing, but it will also be flawlessly functional. You don’t have to have a hugely complex website with video clips and animations. They might help, but employing the “keep it simple” principle will lead to success. ADA accessibility can also play a factor when it comes to industrial website design, so a web accessibility analysis might be something to look into during the design phase as well.
Where is your website on the attractiveness scale from 1-10? When it comes to your business, polished means everything. Implementing these industrial web design tips will have your brand looking sharper than ever. Read on and you’ll discover what you’ve been missing all along.
1. Navigation Tactics
Creativity is nice and it can get your website noticed. However, in industrial website design, while creativity is applauded, conventionality is appreciated. Point your client to the prize on your website. Navigation tools are essential when it comes to your website.
Increasingly savvy internet users expect certain elements to look a certain way and to be found in familiar places. Usually a menu is in the top right corner and a “Contact Us” at the footer. While this might seem overused, use familiarity to your advantage and your services will stick out more.
2. Pop Ups
A great example of quick interaction with your clients is a use of pop ups. Have your popups lead your customer to a product, service, or information page. By clicking these, your reader will be drawn into your company with this tactic of exploration.
3. Menu Blocks
Simplicity is your best friend. Keep your menu blocks short and sweet. A client might be overwhelmed by too many menu options. Instead of cluttering your website marketing, stick to a maximum of 6 menu blocks. Fewer menu blocks will reach your goal of successful industrial web design.
Using fewer menu blocks also makes it easier to have larger menu items. This improves clarity and can avoid a website that seems too busy or cluttered. Industrial website design should reflect efficiency.
4. Effective Text
With your website text, we recommend that you observe some simple rules. Your website should be clear and easy to read, so even if you have a lot to say, avoid filling narrow columns with your written content. Narrow columns, even with small amounts of text, make for an uncomfortable reading experience. And you need to consider how your pages will look when viewed using a mobile device, such as a small smartphone.
Simplicity applies to other text features, too, including alignment. Centered text can be excellent for getting attention, but we recommend that it is used sparingly. Reserve centered text for the most important text. You may decide to center only your headlines. If you center most or all of your website text, you may be on your way to creating another difficult reading experience. Left align might not seem very creative, but it gets the job done. Let the content itself, not the alignment, express your creativity.
5. Video
Video introductions are becoming popular with industrial web design. Instead of a long backstory on your About page, introduce your company through a video.
Placing this video in your Home page will have customers immediately watching it, introducing them to your brand without another click.
6. Organization
Again, this is a candidate for simplicity versus complexity. Organization of text is too often overlooked in industrial web design. Text blocks should be kept small. Use headings and subheadings to separate text, ensuring your text is emphasized by white space. Evenly lay out the text on your page so that your client reads your content at a steady pace. It may be tempting to place a lot of text at the bottom (footer) of the page, but don’t succumb to that. By the time someone scrolls to the bottom of the page, they assume they’re at the finish line. Don’t give your visitors an unpleasant surprise with a huge block of text.
7. Boost Traffic
Your website is a hub for everything your company involves. In the web design service industry, feature your blog or news page on your website’s homepage. Having your client explore the range of your company will inspire them to continue with your brand.
8. Content Importance
While all your content should be important, some will have priority over others. To emphasize the most important parts of your website, you can use bold, bright colors, and designs, that are eye-catching, but tasteful. Images don’t have to be complicated. Sometimes the simplest images have the biggest impact. With industrial website design, using images is a great way to highlight products.
Many of our clients have had success with primary products vividly displayed on a high-contrast, solid color background, with a minimum of text to go with the picture. And for the text, don’t use a variety of fonts or sizes. Uniformity is a good rule of thumb. In most cases, one font and one main text color work well.
9. Differentiate Offer Formats
Use a range of offer formats. This is a great way for your products or services to stick out in the web design industry.
Some of the highest leading formats include:
- eBooks and Guides
- Kits
- On-Demand Videos.
10. Call To Action
And lastly, if you want your site visitors to engage with your brand, make your call to action links or buttons stand out. One way to make a call to action button stand out in industrial web design is to limit how many of them appear on a page. Multiple calls to action on a single page can be confusing or overwhelming. Know what you want your visitors to do most and make it easy. This might be making a purchase or providing an email address in exchange for an offer from the company.
Putting It All Together
Professionalism doesn’t have to be displayed with a lot of complicated bells and whistles. Your brand is most likely best when you demonstrate confidence in execution and simplicity of form. Professional industrial web design tends not to be the place to break the mold. Instead, make the most of tried and tested strategies to make your site easy to use and to express your firm’s values clearly.
If you enjoyed these tips, take a look at our other related content, like this article on SEO for manufacturers. If you have any questions or would like to discuss website design with one of our professionals, get a quote today.
