E-Commerce for Manufacturers: A Guide to Succeed in 2024

When it comes to succeeding with e-commerce, adaptation is the key. For manufacturers, e-commerce has emerged as a pivotal tool, revolutionizing the way business is conducted. 

In this blog, we will explore the various facets of e-commerce that are important for manufacturing companies to pay attention to in 2024 and how manufacturers can thrive in a dynamic, digital environment.

E-commerce offers manufacturers a multitude of advantages that translate into increased efficiency and profitability. By harnessing the power of the digital realm, manufacturers can connect with their audience, streamline their processes and stay ahead of their competition.

When your team is making in-person sales, the feedback your sales representatives can gather is usually qualitative in nature.

In the world of e-commerce, it’s always clear what customers value and how they view your products and manufacturing brand. Routinely analyzing both your e-commerce sales data and your e-commerce sites’ data can offer important information on the status of your business.

You have the ability to gain invaluable insights by tracking user interactions and behaviors on your business’s e-commerce platforms. Understanding customer preferences and pain points allows for more informed decision-making and targeted marketing.

E-commerce can seamlessly bridge any gaps between manufacturers, distributors and dealers. It offers a centralized platform for communication, order processing and inventory management, resulting in more efficient collaboration.

Your e-commerce site’s branding and transparent product and pricing policies can give your manufacturing business an advantage over your competitors. Branding that attracts and speaks directly to the needs of distributors and dealers can make your manufacturing business the clear choice.

To succeed in the e-commerce space, manufacturers must be agile and open to innovation. The digital landscape is ever-evolving, and staying ahead of the curve is crucial for long-term success. Such approach creates a positive loop: you adopt the latest digital pracitces to stay competitive in e-commerce space, and that mproves all aspects of your digital marketing performance . 

Common pracitces inlcude regularly audit your e-commerce website for any user experience (UX) bottlenecks, out-of-date keywords and retired SEO strategies.

Additional elements to audit include: 

• Site loading speed
• Mobile responsiveness 
• Content posting consistency 
• Strategic CTAs
• Secure checkout (cybersecurity) 
• The need for product-specific landing pages

E-commerce in the manufacturing industry has come a long way. Manufacturers have realized the potential for digital platforms to reach broad and quality audiences, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.

E-commerce used to be the new, cutting-edge technology for sales. Now, it’s just as essential and important as your business’s sales team.

If you’re concerned about the value of your products not being communicated as well online as they are in person through a sales rep, working with a skilled copywriter and including an FAQs section are two strategies to offer peace of mind and value to your customers.

Compared to traditional sales channels, e-commerce offers several advantages, including lower overhead costs, wider market reach and the ability to provide a seamless customer experience.

E-commerce offers a convenience that’s unparalleled in the space and has the power to shorten traditionally long sales cycles and make your manufacturing business a preferred vendor.

E-commerce platforms are accessible 24/7, allowing manufacturers to reach a global audience at any time. They also offer tools for search engine optimization (SEO) and online advertising, increasing visibility in the digital sphere.

Most e-commerce platforms offer native SEO tools. If your business doesn’t have the bandwidth for an SEO expert, using the platforms’ native tools is an excellent start.

A successful e-commerce venture starts with a solid strategy. Manufacturers should outline their business goals, identify their unique challenges and create a plan that aligns with their brand identity.

A robust e-commerce strategy includes identifying target markets, conducting competitive analyses, choosing the best e-commerce platform for your business’s needs, strategic copywriting and branding and performance tracking.

Understanding your target market is essential for establishing your manufacturing business’s e-commerce strategy. Knowing your audience's needs, pain points and preferences helps to create a more personalized online shopping experience.

When branding your e-commerce website, make sure that both your web  design team and copywriting team are on the same page about what’s most important to communicate and how to communicate it.

Staying competitive in e-commerce requires in-depth knowledge of your industry. Analyzing competitors can provide insights into what works and what doesn't.

When conducting competitive analysis, remember that the marketing and e-commerce strategies that don’t work for them may work for you. When you come across major differences, ask yourself why they set up their e-commerce site and experience the way they did.

Investigating the why behind your competitor’s choices is where you will find new ideas and strategies to strengthen your own manufacturing business’s e-commerce initiatives.

Choosing the right platform is crucial. Consider factors like scalability, customization options and integration capabilities when making this decision.

Not all e-commerce platforms will be equally effective for your manufacturing business. Their UX, SEO capabilities and fees will vary from platform to platform.

Knowing your business’s goals, budget, UX and backend access needs will help make the decision clear and effortless.

E-commerce platforms offer a variety of features. Manufacturers should focus on aspects like user-friendliness, mobile compatibility and secure payment gateways. When your e-commerce platform performs professionally, your customers will feel at ease and connected to your manufacturing business’s brand.

Your e-commerce platform needs to make it easy for customers to find what they are looking for, make a secure checkout or contact you for more information.

Choosing an e-commerce website that gives you the ability to showcase your most popular and profitable products will offer a significant ROI and make customers’ buying decisions clear.

Regularly monitoring and analyzing key performance metrics  (KPIs) is vital for assessing the success of your manufacturing business’s e-commerce efforts.

Keeping an eye on metrics such as sales figures, conversion rates and customer acquisition costs helps refine your strategy.

Additionally, monitoring bounce rates, click-through rates and abandoned carts can help you identify bottlenecks within your sales funnel.

Utilize tracking tools and analytics platforms to gain insights into customer behavior and website performance.

E-commerce platforms will have native data analytics and insights capabilities. However, integrating your e-commerce platform with more advanced tools like Google Analytics or heat map tracking software can give you an in-depth view of your sales funnel and how your e-commerce is contributing.

Consider a manufacturing business that operated solely from in-person sales. Their profitability relied heavily on the skill and number of their sales representatives and fluctuated greatly based on hiring needs and individual expertise. 

Once the manufacturing business implemented an e-commerce website to supplement its sales reps, the business experienced a marked uptick in profitability while adding minimal overhead. 

Furthermore, the e-commerce site’s analytics and tracking methods helped the business understand their ideal customer, where they were coming from and why they were choosing their business and products.

Creating detailed and appealing product listings, along with informative descriptions, is crucial for enticing customers.

Every product listing should include the following:

• Keyword rich descriptions
• Transparent pricing
• FAQs
• Customer reviews
• Photos and/or videos
• Suggested uses
• Product dimensions, materials and capabilities
• Shipping information
• Safety information

Pricing plays a significant role in e-commerce success. Manufacturers should analyze market trends and competitor pricing to set competitive rates.

Pricing should always be transparent on the site or be easily attainable through a quote.

Additionally, having shipping costs and over-time payment options communicated upfront makes for a more trustworthy and transparent brand.

Previous customer reviews and testimonials build trust and credibility with new customers. Encourage customers to leave feedback and respond to reviews promptly.

Creating an automated review marketing plan can assist in this process. Make it easy for previous customers to leave a review by sending an email request, asking on social media or providing a portal on your manufacturing business’s website.

Maintaining accurate inventory levels ensures that products are always available and that customers receive their orders promptly.

To entice quick sales, you can update online customers in real-time about whether or not a product is in stock, low on stock or when it will be available again.

Due to the shorter sales cycles that e-commerce platforms offer, make sure that your business’s fulfillment and logistics teams are well-equipped to handle new volume and shipping requests.

Providing excellent customer service online is just as important as in a physical store. Quick responses and problem resolution can make or break a sale.

Installing a chatbot, contact form or posting a customer service phone number can put customers at ease knowing that they can quickly and easily get a hold of someone in the event of a question or concern.

Manufacturers must keep pace with technological innovations to stay competitive. Consistently educate yourself and your teams on the current best practices for e-commerce strategies to stay ahead in 2024. 

Some of the most advanced innovations to prepare for are listed below.

VR technology allows customers to experience products in a virtual environment, enhancing their buying confidence.

Augmented reality technology allows customers to view the product in their space to see if it truly meets their needs.

Voice-activated searches and AI-driven recommendations streamline the shopping process and improve user experience.

Voice search optimization is a digital marketing skill all its own and should be conducted by a digital marketing expert.

Immersive technologies, like virtual tours, allow customers to explore products and their applications in-depth.

AI is revolutionizing manufacturing and e-commerce by improving supply chain management, customer service and personalized shopping experiences.

AI technology is advancing rapidly and that trend will continue in 2024. As your building manufacturer business establishes an online presence through e-commerce, leveraging AI early will keep your business ahead of the competition.

By staying ahead of the curve and embracing innovation, manufacturers can future-proof their e-commerce business.

AI technologies are innovative now, but soon they will become the norm. Future-proof your manufacturing business by getting in on AI technologies early.

Integrating e-commerce into existing operations can ensure smooth transitions and maximize efficiency.

If you’re nervous about potential gaps in operations when launching an e-commerce site, consider launching it to a small test group to get feedback and shore up any unforeseen operational gaps before it goes public.

E-commerce platforms play a vital role in the success of an online store. For a more in-depth discussion, refer to our article on selecting the right platform.

Business-to-business e-commerce offers manufacturers additional revenue streams by providing a platform for direct sales to other businesses.

Having an e-commerce site catered towards B2B marketing also helps move leads down the sales funnel. If your business’s in-person sales team makes an initial connection but doesn’t close the deal right away, the lead can browse your e-commerce site and gain more information about making a purchase.

The e-commerce site can serve as a valuable middle touchpoint between a sales rep and a purchase.

As mentioned previously, an e-commerce site can greatly increase sales and profit while minimally raising overhead costs in B2B relationships.

Ensuring secure transactions is paramount. Manufacturers should invest in robust security measures to protect customer data.

Not only should your e-commerce site be safe and secure, but it should also advertise that to its users. Having a third-party security badge or statements and information about the security of your e-commerce site can go a long way in the comfort of your customers.

A seamless user experience leads to higher customer satisfaction and repeat business. Manufacturers should focus on site speed, mobile optimization and intuitive navigation.

Great UX starts with a great e-commerce platform and design. It can be difficult to improve on a complicated platform, but a well-designed e-commerce site will have flawless UX built in.

Stay ahead of the curve by embracing the following e-commerce trends for 2024:

Tailor your users’ shopping experience to individual preferences through AI-driven recommendations and personalization.

Personalization tokens should be found at every stage of the buyer’s journey. Emails, ads and cart contents are all places for personalization and AI technology. 

Manufacturers can attract environmentally-conscious customers by offering sustainable and eco-friendly products. Remember to advertise that certain products are eco-friendly. Just because you might know they are doesn’t mean your potential customers will. 

If your business uses environmentally friendly or carbon-neutral shipping practices, be sure to inform your online buyers. 

Leveraging social media for e-commerce can expand your reach and boost sales.

Utilize social commerce strategies like shoppable content and posting reviews to engage with customers directly and make your business and products the easy choice.

Seamlessly integrate your supply chain with your e-commerce platform to optimize inventory management and order fulfillment.

Keep in mind that your manufacturing business may experience an influx of orders and you should prepare your employees to handle the new, increased volume.

E-commerce has become a crucial avenue for success in the manufacturing industry. By embracing innovation, understanding your target audience and implementing best e-commerce practices, manufacturers can thrive in the digital landscape of 2024.

The journey to e-commerce success is not without its challenges, but the rewards are significant. We encourage manufacturers to embrace e-commerce innovation and stay at the forefront of the industry.

In 2024, e-commerce for manufacturers is more promising than ever. By staying informed, adapting to the latest trends and technologies, and continuously refining their strategies, manufacturers can position themselves for sustained success in this dynamic digital era.

Venveo can help your manufacturing business’s digital marketing efforts at any stage. Contact us to learn more about how we can help your business thrive.