How to use website social proof: strategies and examples that work
Nov 27, 2024
Your website is your number one salesperson, it works 24/7 to communicate with buyers and convert them into customers. So, it's crucial to have a website that attracts, engages, and converts visitors. To inspire your next website redesign, we've looked at some of the top manufacturing websites in 2024.
As a website design agency, we've looked at and created countless manufacturing websites, so we understand what makes them successful.
To inspire your next project, here are 10 manufacturing websites that give businesses a market-leading presence.
C.H.I Overhead Door's website is a great example of how a manufacturer can blend creativity, brand identity, and user-friendly design. Their homepage gets right to the point, highlighting their premium garage doors as the perfect finishing touch for homes and businesses.
A clear tagline sums up their offering: "garage doors with style and substance", working together with the hero images to show off C.H.I's range of designs and functions, with some hand-drawn elements that add a crafted, premium feel.
The site smartly splits its content for home and business customers. This makes it easy for visitors to find exactly what they need, whether they're looking for a residential or commercial solution. Each section provides tailored information, helping users get to the right product and information faster.
When it comes to product details, CHI keeps things clear and prioritised. They've also added a product configurator, letting buyers customise their garage door and get a quote easily.
As soon as you land on Marley's homepage, you're greeted with a striking 3D-style image that shows exactly where Marley's products fit on a roof. This visual approach helps visitors quickly understand what they offer.
The left side of the hero clearly lays out the next steps for users. It's clear Marley understands their audience well and has anticipated what visitors might need and made it easy to find.
Navigation is another strong point of the site. Despite having a lot of information to share, Marley has designed their menu to be easily digestible. The mega menu provides plenty of options without overwhelming the user. This balance of comprehensive information and clean design is impressive.
Throughout the site, key conversion points stand out clearly. This thoughtful design helps guide potential buyers smoothly through their journey on the site.
Overall, Marley's website demonstrates how a company can effectively present complex product information in a way that's accessible and engaging for their audience.
VJTechnologies stands out with its sleek, dark-themed website, which gives off a high-end, premium impression.
The site uses bold, clear headlines that grab attention and have smartly incorporated a green gradient to highlight key phrases and words, making important information stand out against the dark background. This design choice helps guide the user's eye to important elements without being overwhelming.
Throughout the website, VJT showcases premium photography of their products. This visual approach allows potential buyers to understand what they're offering. The images work hand in hand with the supporting text, reinforcing product claims and features in a way that's both informative and visually appealing.
When it comes to navigation, VJT has taken an interesting approach. While hamburger menus on desktop are discouraged due to user experience issues, VJT has found a clever workaround. They've placed their key pages and main call-to-action outside the hidden menu, keeping them easily accessible. The hamburger menu is reserved for sub-pages that aren't central to the main buyer journey. This strategy maintains a clean design while still providing easy access to essential information.
Airthings' website takes a straightforward approach that focuses on getting the essentials right. While it may not be the most unique or complex design out there, it effectively serves its purpose as a manufacturing website.
One of the site's strengths is its clear division between home and business sections. This separation allows Airthings to cater to different customer needs efficiently. The home section includes e-commerce functionality, making it easy for homeowners to purchase products directly. On the other hand, the business section provides tailored information for industrial use, addressing the specific needs of commercial clients.
The website makes good use of imagery to showcase the software behind their products. This visual approach highlights Airthings' main differentiator – their technology. By providing detailed visuals of the software interface, potential buyers can get a clear idea of what to expect from the product before making a purchase or enquiry.
Robin Radar Systems use a dark-themed website that aligns perfectly with their high-tech offering and supports their brand image.
As soon as visitors land on the homepage, they see a clear, concise value proposition. This immediate clarity helps first-time visitors quickly understand if Robin Radar has a solution to their specific needs. Next to this statement, a custom image visually represents Robin's ability to detect various small objects, reinforcing their core offering.
The solutions pages are particularly well-designed. Each page uses distinct imagery and clear headings to immediately identify the type of detection solution being presented.
Throughout the site, Robin Radar uses a combination of large images, ample space, and bold fonts to deliver key messages effectively. Brand elements are consistently applied to backgrounds and other areas, creating a cohesive look and feel across the entire website.
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Product pages strike a good balance, providing necessary information without overwhelming the visitor. While detailed product information is available through downloadable sheets, the pages themselves focus on key details. This approach keeps the information digestible and maintains an optimal user experience.
Energy Park’s website strikes a perfect balance between boldness and elegance. The homepage features a dynamic hero video that perfectly reflects their commitment to sustainability, resonating with buyers interested in EV charging solutions.
Interestingly, this video is the only place where you’ll find conceptual visuals; the rest of the site is more product-focused, with high-quality images showing the chargers in real settings, tailored to each page’s purpose.
The website feels minimalist but effectively uses imagery to fill space, creating a clean yet visually rich experience that highlights the products without overwhelming the visitor.
Packwire's website immediately grabs attention with its bold and exciting design, while remaining easily digestible for potential buyers. Right from the start, the site clearly communicates what Packwire does and who they help with a clear message and images of their products.
To build trust quickly, they've smartly included customer logos as social proof below the main hero section, helping new visitors feel confident about Packwire's credibility and client base.
The homepage features a scrolling animation that showcases their range of products. While such animations can sometimes interfere with user experience, Packwire has implemented it effectively. The animation adds visual interest without compromising usability, allowing visitors to get a good sense of their product offerings.
Throughout the site, Packwire's brand identity shines through in every element. The design reflects the fun and standout nature of their products, which are meant to help differentiate their customers' packaging. This consistency is evident in their choice of font, colour scheme, and animation. The result is a cohesive and memorable brand experience that aligns perfectly with their product offerings.
Hajster's website stands out from traditional manufacturing sites with its conceptual and stylish approach. It offers a fresh take on how industrial products can be presented online.
The site makes impressive use of animation to showcase their products. This dynamic presentation gives the brand a high-end look and feel, elevating the perceived value of their offerings. Throughout the website, subtle animations draw attention to specific text or information, guiding the user's focus and enhancing the overall browsing experience.
Unlike many manufacturing websites that stick to conventional layouts and designs, Hajster has embraced a more modern and artistic approach. This bold choice helps them stand out in a crowded market and leaves a lasting impression on visitors.
Overall, Hajster's website is an excellent example of how a manufacturing business can break away from industry norms to create a contemporary, stylish online presence. It demonstrates that industrial products can be presented in a visually appealing and engaging way, potentially attracting a broader audience and setting the brand apart from competitors.
The Velux website opens with a striking video that showcases the versatile applications of their windows, immediately aligning with the visitor's goal of creating daylight in specific spaces.
This visual storytelling continues on each product page, where background videos feature windows in relevant 'spaces'. The highly visual design not only inspires but also directs visitors as they explore products.
When it's time to take action, Velux simplifies the process by clearly presenting different ways to buy or enquire, allowing buyers to easily choose their preferred way to 'get started'.
Amazon Filters’ website effectively uses a range of visual elements to communicate with their buyers. Large, high-quality photography is featured where it adds value, while single-product images and iconography are used in places where they are more suitable.
The navigation is refined, and a search bar helps visitors easily find what they need within Amazon Filters’ extensive range of products and bespoke solutions. Clear and compelling calls to action throughout the site direct visitors to key content and the sales inquiry form.
Additionally, a chatbot is available to connect visitors with sales, speeding up the decision-making process, while also offering basic support and access to the customer services team.
When someone visits your website, they should quickly understand if it's what they're looking for and if your product can address their needs. To nail your website messaging, clearly state what you offer and who it helps. Avoid catchy phrases that confuse rather than clarify.
Differentiation matters, and it comes in various forms. What truly counts is that it's genuine and distinguishes you from your main competitors. This is what will captivate your visitors.
Keep in mind that points of differentiation aren't just limited to your product. They can also arise from aspects like your customer service, company culture, organisation, or how you cater to specific user needs.
Visitors are time-poor; you have only seconds to engage them. Your goal is to understand their needs and offer them the most relevant options in the navigation. By guiding them along their expected journey and limiting choices to what truly matters, you show that you understand them and are confident in your offerings. When using drop-down or mega menus, keep them clear and manageable to avoid overwhelming visitors.
The design and visual appeal of your website play a crucial role in creating an engaging and memorable experience. Top manufacturing websites are creatively designed, integrating unique branded elements throughout to give a personalised look. This approach enhances your brand's identity and leaves a lasting impression.
The most effective way to present your product is by displaying it directly. This involves using real product photography, either presented solo or within an application. It's the most straightforward way to show visitors how your product can help them and precisely what it offers.
Manufacturing companies should clearly show their product details. Buyers need to check if your product meets their needs, often from a technical standpoint. So, it's important to include and highlight product specifications.
Offering evidence to back up your claims reassures visitors and encourages them to take action. In manufacturing purchases, proof is especially crucial, as it helps buyers feel more confident and justifies their decisions, especially when facing significant costs.
The most impactful method of social proof for manufacturing businesses is customer reviews, but displaying client logos, testimonials, or case studies is also strong. Whenever possible, leverage social proof to build trust and credibility.
There may be a number of next steps for your visitors to take to get started with your product, it may be to:
Whatever it may be, presenting all the options available means that visitors can choose the next step that they want to take.
Your marketing budget isn't meant for managing complex server infrastructure and software patches. It's better spent creating effective, buyer-centric user experiences that grow your pipeline. That's why we believe HubSpot Content Hub is the best platform for manufacturing websites.
HubSpot takes care of the technical stuff. It provides a powerful development and editing environment that enables you to create, optimise, and evolve a market-leading website without IT and security headaches.
