The right CMS: The catalyst powering manufacturing website growth

Manufacturing is evolving rapidly, with Industry 4.0 driving operational advancements and digital transformation. As factories become smarter and more efficient, consumer expectations have also progressed. Customers today demand the same convenience and seamless digital experiences they experience in other industries.

This shift is already redefining the buying process across the sector. Manufacturers are increasingly investing in digital product research tools, self-service portals, and real-time inventory visibility, capabilities now considered “table stakes” for delivering an exceptional digital experience, according to Deloitte’s Future of Digital Experience in Industrial Manufacturing Study.

Today, websites have become the first touchpoint for product discovery, and play a key role throughout the customer journey. Yet, many manufacturers are held back by traditional CMS platforms, limiting their ability to deliver the frictionless, content-rich digital experiences that customers expect.

A modern CMS is more than a content tool for manufacturers, it’s a catalyst for growth, enabling manufacturers to simplify complex product content, personalize customer journeys, and integrate seamlessly with backend systems.

As digital transformation reshapes manufacturing, websites have shifted from being a static product catalog to a critical revenue driver. Today’s customers, whether it’s individual consumers or business customers, are increasingly relying on websites as the first touchpoint to research, compare, and evaluate products.

This expectation goes beyond simply finding product listings. Customers now demand a rich website experience that enables them to explore detailed product specifications, compare solutions, access technical documentation and certification, check inventory, and manage orders, all in one place.

A modern website is not just a tool for product discovery, it’s fast becoming an enabler of the entire customer journey, helping customers make informed decisions faster.

Leading manufacturers are already adapting to this shift. Atkore, a supplier of electrical and safety infrastructure products, transformed its website into a connected digital experience platform using Sitecore XM Cloud. 90% of pages load within a second on their new websites and provide customers with a consistent, connected experience from product search to a quote request submission across 700 categories and 27 brands.

This demonstrates how modern websites empower manufacturers to meet customer expectations, simplify processes, build stronger relationships and ultimately drive growth.

Manufacturers that fail to deliver high class seamless digital experiences risk losing customers early in the buying journey.

While leading manufacturers are making progress in transforming their websites into revenue-driving platforms, many still struggle to deliver the seamless digital experiences that customers now expect. These are:

• Legacy CMS platforms slowing down innovation

Many manufacturers still rely on traditional CMS platforms that lack the flexibility to support rich content experiences, complex product data, and personalization at scale.

56% of marketers across industries, including manufacturing, surveyed as part of our websites 2025 study said that their organization still relies on traditional CMS platforms that struggle to meet today’s experience demands.

A marketing leader participating in the Websites 2025 study summed up this challenge:
“We've outgrown our home-grown CMS's ability to efficiently scale globally to meet the demands of site content localization and ability to update and publish quickly. It is also not built to integrate seamlessly with the rest of our CRM and other tech stacks”

This lack of platform agility leads to slow content updates, inconsistent product information and missed opportunity to engage customers in an industry where product specifications, certifications and availability often change frequently.

• Product content & data complexity

Manufacturers often manage thousands of SKUs, technical product information, CAD drawings and regulatory certifications, all of which must be up to date, searchable, and easy to find on the website. Most outdated CMS platforms fall short in handling this effectively, leading to poor customer experiences, while four in five marketers in the manufacturing industry report that they are failing to deliver excellence with their data management.

• Siloed systems

Manufacturers often operate in disconnected digital environments, with CMS platforms that don’t integrate easily with other core systems, including ERP, PIM, DAM, or CRM. This results in fragmented customer journeys, causing inconsistent information across different touchpoints, missed self-service opportunities and customer frustration.

According to our Websites 2025 report, 65% of marketers across industries, including manufacturing, recognize the importance of strong integrations and scalability. However, only 13% are very confident that their current CMS can scale and integrate with new technologies.

Manufacturers that continue to rely on outdated website platforms risk frustrating potential customers with poor product content accessibility, inconsistent information and poor performance, leading to higher abandonment rates and the risk of losing potential customers to competitors.

On the other hand, manufacturers that invest in modern CMS platforms unlock greater content agility, better system connectivity, and the ability to deliver fast, accurate and engaging website experiences.

While many manufacturers are still addressing foundational website challenges, the future of digital experiences is evolving rapidly, driven by emerging technologies, including AI and changing customer behaviors across generations.

One such shift is the rise of phygital experiences. As the lines between digital and physical experiences continue to blur, manufacturers must prepare for a future where websites not only enable product research but also power phygital experiences such as AR product visualization, interactive digital catalogs, and virtual factory tours.

At the same time, AI driven systems are transforming how product information is sourced and evaluated. Websites will need to be machine-readable, with structured product data, APIs, and real time inventory, enabling AI systems to surface accurate information quickly, helping fast-track decision making, and benefiting both manufacturers and customers.

Explore how organizations across industries are transforming their websites into platforms for growth. Download the Websites 2025 report.