What Does Your Shop’s Website Say in 0.05 Second?

Machine shops are accustomed to thinking in terms of thousandths of an inch, but what about thousandths of a second? This blog post from manufacturing marketing firm Krixis Consulting claims that visitors to a website form an impression about it (and the company behind it) in 50 thousandths of a second.

That is not fair. In an ideal world, a machine shop would be judged entirely on its machining performance, not the design of its website. But, of course, life isn’t fair. Arguably, marketing isn’t fair, either.

In making the case for why a machining business needs a strong website, that same blog post summarizes the impression that good and bad websites make. The website that is flat, dated, confusing or difficult to understand says that the company behind that website is:

• Technologically backwards.
• Oblivious to what others think.
• Content to advertise itself poorly (so imagine what its product is like).

Meanwhile, the website that is up-to-date, engaging and interesting says that the company is:

• Striving to stay ahead of changing times.
• Willing to put extra effort into something others avoid (so imagine what it will do for a customer).
• Proud of its brand, and not inclined to cut corners when the impression of that brand is at stake.

Here are a few more thoughts on machine shop marketing.