A manufacturer’s website should do more than list its services. It should demonstrate quality, showcase capabilities, and make it easy for potential customers to trust the business before ever contacting the business.
That’s what we set out to do when creating the new website for BSM Inc. (Buffalo Springs Manufacturing). They wanted a modern, image-heavy website that would showcase their skills but lay a solid SEO foundation for the future. Here’s a peek into how we approached the project.
Project Goals For a Brand New Website Design
BSM approached us with a few core objectives:
- Create a sleek, “cool” website that demonstrates the quality of their work
- Display their new, large library of custom photography and video
- Make it easier for visitors to understand their manufacturing capabilities
- Structure their services in a user- and search engine-friendly way
- Simplify website maintenance for their in-house team
Rather than building a website full of walls of text, we focused on allowing their work to do the talking with eye-catching visuals and intelligent page layouts.
A Website Made for Professional Photography & Video
One of the key objectives of the project was to make the photography the main attraction of the website. BSM had their facility, equipment, and fabrication process professionally photographed and videotaped, and so we built the site to utilize those assets.
The website utilizes:
- Large imagery
- Engaging galleries
- Embedded videos
- Interactive hover effects
These elements are used throughout the website to demonstrate the company’s capabilities and add visual interest without distracting from the content, guiding visitors through. The end result is a website that exudes professionalism, experience, and quality manufacturing from the get-go.
Custom Service Pages That Boost SEO
Rather than presenting all of BSM’s core manufacturing services on a single page, we opted to create individual pages for each service, which include:
- Steel Fabrication
- Stainless Fabrication
- Aluminum Fabrication
- Custom Machining Services
Such a structure facilitates website navigation for visitors and helps search engines understand exactly what the company offers. Optimizing service pages will increase your chances of ranking for each service and will make future SEO campaigns much more effective.
Laying Down The Foundations of Local SEO
Although the website launch wasn’t an active SEO campaign, we baked in important local SEO elements from the start. This consisted of:
- Location-specific content
- Website architecture for future content expansion
If they do choose to invest in SEO later, BSM can more efficiently pursue local search optimization by laying this groundwork early.
Improving Their Google Business Listing as Part of Our Web Design Services
We also linked the service structure of the website to their Google Business Profile to further strengthen BSM’s online presence.
We listed every one of their core manufacturing services in their Business Profile so that Google better understands what the company does. This increases relevance when potential customers search for those particular fabrication services.
It is important for a website and Google Business Profile to be consistent in this way for a strong, relevant search presence.
Easy Hiring with a Flexible Careers Page
BSM needed a careers page they could update and manage themselves, rather than relying on a developer for their hiring needs.
We have built in two flexible options directly into the website:
- A standard message indicating there are no openings at this time but resumes should be sent for consideration for future openings
- An accordion layout that allows the team to easily publish and organize current job openings
We also developed a simple job application form on the website that eases the application process for both the applicants and the BSM team. The end result is an intuitive, easy-to-maintain hiring page for the BSM team to make their lives easier, too.
A Minor Change to the Logo on the Web
As part of the project, we also made a few digital tweaks to the logo. We did not opt for a complete redesign of the logo; we retained the recognizable branding and only added a metallic texture to the logo for the web. This helped the logo pop on the dark theme of the site and visually reinforced BSM’s expertise in metal fabrication.
The upgrade was made for digital use only because metallic gradients sometimes don’t translate well to print materials or embroidered apparel. We always think about these little details and educate clients on each decision we make, too.
The Final Result of Website Design For a Metal Fabrication Company
BSM’s new website combines clean design, professional visuals, and smart website architecture to create a better experience for both visitors and search engines.
The design might appear uncomplicated and simple to browse, but a great deal of forethought went into building a website with a view to future expansion. Every decision was made with the long game in mind, from dedicated service pages and industry landing pages to flexible hiring tools and an SEO-friendly sitemap.
As visitors learn about BSM’s fabrication capabilities or opportunities to join the team, the website portrays BSM as the experienced, professional manufacturer it is.
Want to Grow Your Business With a Website?
Wes Web builds websites that look great and are built to support your long-term marketing strategy. No matter what industry you’re in, such as manufacturing, construction, home services, or the like, we build websites designed for user experience, SEO, and future growth.
If you’re ready for a website that works as hard as your business does, we’d love to help. Contact us today!