An Architect's View on the Importance of Manufacturer Websites
As web developers, we understand that manufacturers may sometimes wonder whether the importance we place on having a great website is self-serving. It is, of course, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.
Don’t take our word for it; here’s an excerpt of a great blog post from BUILD, a prominent architecture firm in Seattle:
“Manufacturers that don’t consider their internet and social media presence to be of utmost importance are shooting themselves in the foot. For the most part, physical catalogs are dead; they clutter the office and become obsolete too quickly. And while showrooms serve a meaningful purpose, there simply isn’t enough time in the workday to visit a showroom every time we need to research a product. To be thorough, timely and up to date, websites are king.
“Which brings us to the point of today’s post: website usability. For a company that has a well-functioning website, it’s a home run and everybody wins. The homeowners get a great product, the architect can swiftly specify products with confidence, and the sub-contractors have the appropriate resources to obtain the products and install them properly. But it constantly amazes us how many name-brand manufacturers out there have failed to build sites that we can actually navigate, let alone collect the resources we’re looking for. This is the single most important factor that determines whether or not we specify a certain product. It just doesn’t matter how great a product looks, if we can’t find its technical information online, it will never get specified at BUILD.”
This makes the point eloquently, and comes from just the sort of firm that most building product manufacturers most want to reach.
If you’re a building product manufacturer whose website has been neglected, we’d love to help. Request a free consultation.
Topics: Webvanta History