How to choose a website developer for a small manufacturing business

By Vorenda. Published

Choose a website developer who gives you a written scope, builds each page around what your buyers search for, and hands over the files and accounts in your company's name. Ask what every page is for, who updates it afterward and what happens if you leave. Compare scopes, not totals.

What should a manufacturing website do?

It should answer what a buyer checks before calling: what you make, which materials and processes you work with, what equipment you run, what you can hold in tolerance and how to ask for a quote. A buyer comparing three shops decides in seconds, usually on a phone. If your site does not answer those questions quickly, the buyer calls the next shop.

A good site has three jobs:

  1. Be found by someone searching for what you make.
  2. Answer the buyer's questions fast, in plain words.
  3. Turn the visit into a quote request that is complete enough to price.

What should you ask a website developer before you hire them?

Ask these eight questions. The answers tell you more than a portfolio does.

  1. What will each page do? A developer who can say what every page is for, and who it is for, has thought about your buyers.
  2. Who writes the text? Capability pages need your real specifications. Ask who collects them from you and who checks them.
  3. How will buyers find the site? Page titles, headings, structured data and a sitemap should be part of the build, not an extra.
  4. What will the quote form ask? It should ask for drawings, quantities, material and deadline, so your first reply is a quote and not a list of questions.
  5. How will I update it? Prices, photos and news change. Ask to see the editing screen before you sign.
  6. Who owns the site, the code and the accounts? You should, in your company's name, once the invoices are paid.
  7. What happens after launch? Ask what is included, such as updates, backups and fixes, and what is quoted separately.
  8. Can I speak to the person doing the work? An account manager passes messages along. The designer or builder should be reachable.

What should a written scope include?

A scope is a short document that says what will be built before work starts. It should list:

  • the pages, and what each one is for
  • the features, such as a quote form, a capability search or a language version
  • what you provide, such as photos, specifications and your logo, and by when
  • the stages of the project, with a date for each
  • how changes are handled, so you know the effect on cost and dates before anything is built
  • how many rounds of revisions each stage includes
  • what you receive at the end, and what is not included

If a developer will not write this down, treat that as your answer.

What are the warning signs?

  • There is a total price and no written scope.
  • The developer will not say who owns the code, the domain or the hosting account.
  • The site is a template with no plan for your specifications, equipment and processes.
  • Someone promises a Google ranking. Nobody can promise a position in search results.
  • You are asked to pay in full before you have seen any work.
  • The site is a brochure, with no quote form and no pages for your capabilities.

Should the site be built on WordPress, Shopify or custom code?

Choose the simplest thing that holds up. A company site that your staff will edit often can suit an editing system such as WordPress. A shop that sells online may suit Shopify or WooCommerce. Custom code makes sense when your process is unusual. A good developer explains why they recommend one, and does not push a favorite.

How much does a website cost, and how long does it take?

Both depend on the number of pages and the features, so an article cannot give you a number you can trust. Compare scopes, not totals. Two quotes with different totals may describe two different amounts of work. Ask for a price and a date for each stage.

Where Vorenda fits

Vorenda is a design and engineering studio. We build business websites, from the first sketch to launch, and we agree a written scope before work starts. You own the site, the files and the accounts. If you want to talk about a site for your shop, read about our business website design and development or write to info@vorenda.com.

Questions

Does a new website show up on Google right away?

No. A new site is read slowly. Search engines have to find and index its pages, which can take days to weeks. A developer should set up the page titles, headings and sitemap correctly, and tell you honestly that rankings take time.

Do I need a new website, or can the old one be fixed?

Often parts can be kept. Ask the developer to review what works first, keep the pages that earn their place and set up redirects, so you keep the search visibility you already have.

What should I send a developer to start?

Your logo and brand files, photos of your shop and equipment, a list of what you make, the processes and materials you work with, and examples of websites you like and dislike.

Related

Business website design and development: We build business websites that load fast, work on phones and make it easy to ask for a quote. For companies in Canada, the USA, Europe, India and beyond.

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