10 Manufacturing Website Design and Content Mistakes That Are Costing You RFQs
For decades, manufacturers grew through handshakes, referrals, and RFQs from people who already knew what they could do.
But today’s procurement process looks very different. Nearly three-quarters of B2B buyers review a supplier’s website before ever reaching out; yet, most manufacturing websites assume visitors can decode jargon, navigate complex menus, and already know the difference between your products.
That’s a costly mistake. Today’s buyers often come from outside your industry, and if your site doesn’t clearly communicate what you do and why it matters, you’re losing RFQs to competitors who present themselves better.
In this blog, we’re breaking down 10 common manufacturing website mistakes that silently kill leads, and what to do instead to turn passive visitors into qualified prospects.
In this blog
- Mistake 1: Burying your capabilities in jargon or PDFs
- Mistake 2: Leading with company history instead of outcomes
- Mistake 3: Forgetting that engineers and sourcing teams want different things
- Mistake 4: No clear or credible path to request a quote
- Mistake 5: Neglecting SEO basics
- Mistake 6: Using stock photos that don’t reflect your real work
- Mistake 7: Letting old content make your shop look outdated
- Mistake 8: Hiding critical details behind bad navigation
- Mistake 9: Using vague or meaningless language in your headers
- Mistake 10: Designing only for desktop
Mistake 1: Burying your capabilities in jargon or PDFs
If a buyer has to download a spec sheet just to figure out what you do, they’re gone. The same goes for walls of technical jargon, acronyms, or long paragraphs.
When a sourcing manager searches for “CNC machining services,” they should see a clear, skimmable summary of your capabilities right on the page. Make it easy for non-experts to get the big picture, and save the deep technical content for engineers further down the funnel.
Mistake 2: Leading with company history instead of outcomes
Buyers don’t land on your homepage wondering how long you’ve been around. But too many manufacturing websites open with, “Founded in 1983,” instead of, “We deliver ±0.0005” tolerances in 3-week timelines for aerospace clients.”
Yes, your founding story builds credibility. But that comes after buyers see a clear fit. Lead with the outcomes you deliver: tight tolerances, rapid turnaround, zero-defect rates, or customer ROI, then tell them how long you’ve been doing it.
Learn more about what to include on a manufacturing company’s ‘About Us’ page
Mistake 3: Forgetting that engineers and sourcing teams want different things
A one-size-fits-all site rarely works in manufacturing. Engineers may care about tolerances, materials compatibility, and CAD file formats. Meanwhile, sourcing teams want pricing transparency, certifications, and lead times.
Best manufacturing website design acknowledges these different priorities with targeted landing pages or clear content paths that serve both audiences without overwhelming either.
Mistake 4: No clear or credible path to request a quote
If your RFQ process lives behind a generic “Contact Us” form, you’re losing leads. Buyers need a frictionless, specific path to move forward, whether that’s a detailed quote request form, a capabilities questionnaire, or a direct upload portal for technical drawings.
Mistake 5: Neglecting SEO basics
Buyers don’t search for “manufacturing supplier.” They search for exactly what they need, like “plastic injection molding Midwest” or “sheet metal fabrication for aerospace parts.”
If your site isn’t optimized for those specific, long-tail queries, you’re invisible when it matters most. That means building individual pages (or at least clear sections) for each core process, material, and industry you serve, with the exact language buyers use.
Mistake 6: Using stock photos that don’t reflect your real work
Even if they’re technically accurate, overly polished stock photos can make your factory website design feel generic. Buyers want to see the real people, equipment, and processes behind your work. Authentic photos of your actual shop floor, team, and finished products build more trust than perfectly lit generic imagery.
Mistake 7: Letting old content make your shop look outdated
If your blogs and resources haven’t been updated in years, it signals that your team or your tech might be out of date too. Fresh content helps with SEO, but more importantly, it demonstrates that your business is active, evolving, and engaged with current industry challenges.
Mistake 8: Hiding critical details behind bad navigation
Buyers are on your site to get answers fast. If they have to dig through dropdowns, vague menus, or buried service pages just to find your tolerances or industries served, they’ll bounce.
Your navigation should make core capabilities, certifications, and industries visible within one or two clicks from the homepage. That means:
- Clear, buyer-friendly menu labels.
- Dedicated landing pages for each service.
- A “capabilities at a glance” section or sticky sidebar on key pages.
Mistake 9: Using vague or meaningless language in your headers
Your homepage hero is prime real estate, so don’t waste it on fluff. Phrases like “Innovative Solutions for Tomorrow’s Challenges” sound impressive, but tell buyers nothing.
Buyers are scanning for fit. The faster they understand what you do, for whom, and why it matters, the more likely they will stick around.
Mistake 10: Designing only for desktop
Yes, sourcing decisions often happen at a desk. But early research doesn’t. Engineers, sourcing managers, and procurement leads are often browsing from phones on shop floors, in meetings, or after hours.
If your mobile site is slow, clunky, or stripped of critical content, you’re killing interest before it becomes intent.
Don’t let these manufacturing website design mistakes cost you your next RFQ
Each of these factory website design mistakes might seem minor in isolation, but together they create a compounding effect that can turn qualified prospects into lost opportunities.
The good news? Many other manufacturers are making these same errors, which means fixing them gives you an immediate competitive advantage.
If you’re ready to tighten up your site before the next buyer lands on it, download our free ebook. You’ll get step-by-step fixes, checklists, and real examples to turn your site from a static brochure into a lead-generating tool.
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