Export website checklist for manufacturers: 27 things to get right

How to use this checklist

Work through each section in order. Items marked as critical are the ones that most commonly cause manufacturers to lose export inquiries — fix these first. Items marked as recommended add meaningful value and should be addressed within 3 months of going live.

Section 1 — Technical foundation

1. Mobile performance score above 85 (critical)

Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev). A score below 85 on mobile means buyers on phones — a large and growing share of B2B research — will encounter slow load times and may leave before the page finishes loading. The most common fixes: compress images, eliminate render-blocking scripts, use a fast host.

2. Core Web Vitals pass (critical)

Google uses Core Web Vitals to rank pages. The three metrics to watch: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) under 2.5 seconds, Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) under 0.1, Interaction to Next Paint (INP) under 200ms. These are measured from real user data and also testable via PageSpeed Insights.

3. HTTPS on all pages (critical)

All pages must load over HTTPS. A padlock in the browser bar is the baseline expectation from buyers and a ranking signal for Google. If any page loads over HTTP, fix it immediately.

4. Clean URL structure (recommended)

URLs should be readable and descriptive: /products/stainless-steel-valves rather than /cat.php?id=42. Clean URLs are better for SEO and easier for buyers to share and remember.

5. XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console (recommended)

A sitemap tells Google about all your pages. Submit it via Google Search Console (search.google.com/search-console). For multilingual sites, include all locale variants in the sitemap.

Section 2 — International SEO

6. hreflang tags on every page (critical for multilingual sites)

If your site has multiple language versions, hreflang tags tell Google which page is for which language/region. Missing or incorrect hreflang causes your translated pages to compete with each other in search results. Test with a hreflang checker tool.

7. Unique title and meta description on every page (critical)

Every page needs a unique title (under 60 characters) and meta description (under 155 characters). These appear in Google search results and directly impact whether buyers click your listing. Generic or duplicate titles are a common and serious SEO error on manufacturer sites.

8. One H1 per page, matching search intent (critical)

Each page should have exactly one H1 heading that reflects what a buyer would search to find that page. For a stainless steel valve product page, the H1 might be "Stainless Steel Ball Valves — Custom OEM Manufacturer". This is one of the highest-impact on-page SEO changes you can make.

9. Canonical tags set correctly (recommended)

Canonical tags prevent duplicate content issues by telling Google which version of a page is the "original". This is especially important for product pages that appear with multiple filter combinations in the URL.

10. Keyword research completed for each target market (critical)

Do not assume the keywords buyers use in German, French, or Arabic are direct translations of English terms. Run keyword research in each target language. The actual search terms buyers use are often surprising — and different from what you'd expect.

Section 3 — Product and capability pages

11. Dedicated page for each product category (critical)

Every major product category should have its own page — not a single "Products" page with everything listed on it. Dedicated pages can rank for specific queries. A single products page almost never ranks for anything specific.

12. Technical specifications clearly stated (critical)

International buyers compare suppliers on specifications: dimensions, materials, tolerances, certifications, minimum order quantities. If these aren't clearly stated on the page, buyers move on to a supplier who does state them. You don't need to list every variant — a range or "available in custom sizes, contact us" is enough.

13. Real product photography (critical)

Stock images are immediately recognisable to experienced buyers and reduce credibility. Real photos of your actual products, production line, and facility build trust. Even phone photos are better than stock photography.

14. Export experience signals visible (recommended)

State clearly that you export. A "We export to X countries" or a map of markets served tells buyers this is a normal part of your business. Many manufacturer sites never mention export at all — which leaves international buyers uncertain.

15. Capacity and lead time information (recommended)

Buyers making procurement decisions need to know if you can fulfil their volume. Even rough figures ("production capacity: 50,000 units/month", "typical lead time: 4–6 weeks") give buyers the information they need to decide whether to proceed.

Section 4 — Trust and credibility

16. Certifications displayed and downloadable (critical)

ISO 9001, CE, FDA, REACH — whichever certifications apply to your products and markets. Display them prominently, ideally with the certificate visible or downloadable. Buyers in regulated industries will not proceed without confirming certifications.

17. Company history and founding year (recommended)

Years in business is a trust signal. "Founded in 1987" or "Over 30 years of manufacturing experience" communicates stability and track record. New companies can emphasise the team's cumulative experience instead.

18. Team photos and names (recommended)

Putting real people behind the business — especially for small and medium manufacturers — dramatically increases trust. An "About" page with real team photos and the founder's background can be more persuasive than a long list of capabilities.

19. Client references or case studies (recommended)

Even anonymised references help: "We supply a Tier 1 automotive components manufacturer in Germany" or "12 years supplying European FMCG brands". Specific references are better, but confidentiality is common in B2B — anonymised references are widely accepted.

Section 5 — Inquiry conversion

20. Contact/inquiry form on every product page (critical)

Don't make buyers navigate to a contact page to send an inquiry. A simple inline form — or a visible CTA button that opens a form — on every product page significantly increases conversion. The form should ask for minimum information: name, company, email, what they're looking for.

21. Response time promise visible (recommended)

"We respond within 24 hours" removes uncertainty and signals professionalism. If you can genuinely respond faster, say so. This is a small copy change with a disproportionate impact on whether a buyer submits an inquiry or moves on.

22. WhatsApp or alternative contact for key markets (recommended)

For the Middle East, South Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia, WhatsApp is the preferred business communication channel. A WhatsApp link or QR code on the contact page is genuinely useful in these markets. For European and North American buyers, email and form are sufficient.

Section 6 — Content and localisation

23. All content in target-market language (critical for multilingual sites)

Machine translation is detectable and off-putting. Every page in a target-market language should be human-reviewed and adapted — not just translated word-for-word. Buyers notice bad translation immediately and it undermines the credibility you've built everywhere else.

24. Guides or resources section (recommended)

A guides or resources section adds long-tail SEO value and positions you as an expert. It doesn't need to be large — three to five well-written guides that answer buyer questions are more valuable than twenty thin articles.

25. FAQs on product and capability pages (recommended)

FAQs answer the questions buyers have before they inquire — and they add SEO value because they often match long-tail search queries. Common manufacturer FAQ questions: minimum order quantity, lead times, customisation options, certifications, payment terms.

Section 7 — Analytics and measurement

26. Google Analytics 4 installed and configured (critical)

You cannot improve what you don't measure. GA4 shows you which countries your traffic comes from, which pages buyers visit, and whether they complete your inquiry form. Set up a conversion event for form submissions from day one.

27. Google Search Console verified and monitored (critical)

Google Search Console shows you exactly what queries bring buyers to your site, which pages are indexed, and any crawl errors Google encounters. It's free and irreplaceable. Verify your site and check it monthly at minimum.

What to prioritise

If you're starting from scratch or doing a first audit, focus on: technical performance (items 1–3), product page structure (items 11–13), trust signals (items 16, 17), and inquiry conversion (items 20–21). These seven items have the highest impact on export inquiry generation and should be your first priorities.

Items in Section 2 (International SEO) compound over time — the sooner you implement them, the sooner they start delivering. Section 6 (Content and localisation) is a medium-term investment that pays significant dividends as your organic visibility grows.