This guide shows how to set up a manufacturing company website so a product catalogue produces quote requests, not just page views. You'll get the page structure engineers and buyers expect, a field-by-field RFQ form, a clear position on gated downloads, and the WordPress setup choices that decide how much all of this costs to run.
A manufacturing website wins quote requests when every product family page answers the engineer's questions without a phone call: materials, tolerances, capacity, lead times and certifications, with an HTML spec table, open datasheet and CAD downloads, and a "Request a quote for this part" button that pre-fills the part. The RFQ form should accept drawings (STEP, DXF, PDF), ask only what the estimator needs, and promise a response time.
What do engineers and buyers check before they send an RFQ?
Most industrial buyers have already shortlisted you, or dropped you, before anyone at your company knows they visited. In a Gartner survey of 646 B2B buyers run in August and September 2025, 67% said they prefer a rep-free buying experience, and 45% said they used AI during a recent purchase. That second number matters for manufacturers. If your capabilities only live in a sales rep's head or inside a scanned brochure, neither the buyer nor the AI tool they're using can find them.
Say a machine shop in Ohio makes turned parts for medical and hydraulic customers. The design engineer who lands on its site has a drawing open in another tab. They are checking, in roughly this order:
- Can you make this shape in this material? Stainless 316L, 6061 aluminium, PEEK, whatever is on the drawing.
- Can you hold the tolerance? A shop that states "±0.005 mm on turned diameters" gets a quote request. A shop that says "precision machining" gets a back button.
- What sizes and volumes fit your equipment: maximum bar diameter, bed size, press tonnage, sheet thickness, part weight.
- Which certifications you hold, and whether they're current.
- Typical lead times for prototypes and for production runs.
- Which industries you already serve, because that tells them you understand their paperwork.
The buyer or purchasing manager comes later and checks different things: payment terms, location, whether you can ship to their plant, and who they'll deal with. Both need to find answers without filling in a contact form first.
Certifications need proof, not logos
A strip of badges in the footer is the weakest way to show certification. Put each certificate on a quality page with the scope, the certification body, the certificate number and the expiry date, and link to the standard itself so a buyer can check what it covers.
- ISO 9001 was revised this month. ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026 and replaces the 2015 edition. ISO says certified organisations will have three years to move to the new edition, so a certificate that says ISO 9001:2015 is still normal right now. Just don't write "ISO 9001:2026 certified" until your certification body has actually audited you to it.
- Aerospace suppliers usually cite AS9100. The IAQG certification page explains that the 9100 series builds on ISO 9001 and that certification status is recorded in its OASIS database, which buyers can check.
- Automotive suppliers cite IATF 16949. The IATF site offers a certificate validity check, and it says a revision of the standard is in progress, so keep the edition on your page accurate.
Linking to the verification route shows you have nothing to hide. Buyers in regulated industries will check anyway.
How should a manufacturer structure a product catalogue?
Organise by product family, not by individual SKU. A fabricator with 3,000 bracket variations doesn't need 3,000 pages. It needs one strong page per family (angle brackets, gussets, mounting plates) with a spec table that covers the variants, and filters that narrow the table.
A good family page has these parts, top to bottom:
- A plain title and one paragraph on what the family is for and where it's used.
- A photo or clean render of the part, one image, not a slider.
- A spec table in HTML with dimensions, materials, finishes, tolerances and minimum order quantity.
- Filters for the columns engineers care about, usually material, size range and finish.
- Downloads: a datasheet PDF and CAD files, next to the table, not at the bottom.
- A certifications strip that links to your quality page.
- A "Request a quote for this part" button that carries the family and variant into the form.
- 1Specs in an HTML table, not only inside a PDF
- 2Filters for material, thickness and tolerance
- 3Open downloads: datasheet PDF and STEP file
- 4Only the certificates you hold, linked to proof
- 5The quote button carries the part number into the form
- 6One product image, no slider, so the page stays fast
Example layout with sample parts and values. Show only certifications you actually hold.
Spec sheets belong in HTML first
Google can index PDFs (it lists .pdf among its indexable file types), so a PDF-only catalogue isn't invisible. It's just a poor landing page. Someone who arrives from search on a PDF sees no menu, no quote button and no way to reach the rest of your site. Put the specs in a real HTML table on the page, and offer the PDF as the printable copy for the engineer's file. Tables are also easier to read on a phone, which is where plenty of shop-floor and site visits happen.
CAD downloads and 3D previews
If your parts are designed into other people's assemblies, CAD downloads are the single most useful thing on the page. STEP is the safe default because almost every CAD package opens it. Add DXF for flat profiles and sheet parts. Name the files so they make sense after download ("MP-120-316L.step", not "file_final2.step").
Interactive 3D previews are a different decision. They look good in a demo, but a 3D viewer adds a heavy script to the page, needs someone to prepare a web-friendly model for every variant, and the engineer is going to download the STEP file anyway. For most small and mid-size manufacturers, a clean render plus a STEP download does the job. A viewer earns its cost when you sell configurable parts where the customer genuinely needs to see the change before downloading, or when the parts are too complex to read from a photo.
| Catalogue element | Worth it for most manufacturers? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| HTML spec table per product family | Yes | Readable on any device, indexable, links straight to the RFQ form |
| Datasheet PDF | Yes, as a copy of the HTML | Engineers file it with the job; it shouldn't be the only place specs live |
| STEP download | Yes, if parts go into assemblies | Saves the engineer from redrawing your part |
| DXF download | For flat or sheet parts | Used for profiles, laser and waterjet work |
| Filterable specs | Yes, once a family has more than a handful of variants | Stops people scrolling a 200-row table |
| Interactive 3D viewer | Usually no | Heavy page, extra modelling work, and the buyer downloads the STEP anyway |
| Online pricing | Only for standard stock items | Custom work depends on quantity, material and drawing |
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
What should an RFQ form for manufacturers include?
The RFQ (request for quote) form is where most manufacturing sites lose the lead. The two common failures are opposite: a generic "name, email, message" box that forces three follow-up emails, or a 25-field monster copied from an internal ERP screen. Ask for what your estimator needs to price the job, and nothing more.
A workable field list:
- Name, company, email and phone.
- Country and delivery postcode or ZIP, because freight changes the price.
- Part or product family (pre-filled when the buyer came from a catalogue page).
- Material and finish, with an "as per drawing" option.
- Quantity, and a second field for annual volume if they know it.
- Required delivery date.
- Drawing and model upload.
- Notes for anything else (tolerances not on the drawing, inspection reports needed, packaging).
Everything else is optional. Payment terms, job title and "how did you hear about us" can wait until the quote conversation.
File uploads for drawings
Here's the trap on WordPress sites. WordPress's built-in list of allowed file types (wp_get_mime_types) doesn't include STEP, STP, DXF, DWG, IGES or STL. Uploads of those files will fail unless your developer adds them through the upload_mimes filter or your form plugin handles the file types itself. Test this with a real STEP file before launch, not a JPEG.
File size is the second trap. PHP, the language WordPress runs on, ships with an upload_max_filesize default of 2M and a post_max_size default of 8M. Many hosts raise these, many don't. A STEP file of an assembly can easily be larger than 2 MB, and the buyer usually gets a vague error and gives up. Form plugins let you set limits per field: Gravity Forms' File Upload field, for example, has settings for allowed extensions, maximum file size and multiple files. Set the form's limit, then ask your host to confirm the server limit is higher. State the limit next to the upload button ("STEP, STP, DXF, PDF, up to 50 MB per file"), and give a fallback such as "larger files: we'll send you a secure upload link".
The NDA line and spam protection
Engineers hesitate to upload unreleased designs. One sentence under the upload field helps: say who sees the files, that they're used only for quoting, and that you'll sign the customer's NDA before they send drawings if they prefer. Only write this if it's true in practice.
RFQ forms attract spam, and a traditional puzzle CAPTCHA will annoy the exact people you want. Cloudflare Turnstile runs small non-interactive checks in the background and can avoid showing a visual puzzle to visitors. Pair it with a hidden honeypot field, which most form plugins include.
What happens after the buyer presses send
- The buyer clicks "Request a quote for this part" on a family page. The form opens with the family and variant filled in.
- They add quantity, material, delivery date and upload the drawing.
- The thank-you page confirms what they sent, shows a reference number and states your response time, for example "Quotes within 2 working days. Complex assemblies may take longer and we'll tell you if so."
- An automatic email repeats the reference and the list of uploaded files.
- The RFQ lands in a shared inbox or your CRM with the files attached, not only in the WordPress database where nobody looks.
- An estimator replies with questions or a quote inside the promised time.
The buyer clicks "Request a quote for this part"
Product family and part number already filled in
Quantity, annual volume (optional), material and finish, delivery date, ZIP or postcode
STEP / STP, DXF or PDF, with a note: used only for quoting, NDA on request. A spam check such as Cloudflare Turnstile runs in the background.
Thank-you page and email with a reference number, the list of files, and your real response time, for example "quotes within 2 working days"
The RFQ and files land in a shared inbox or CRM, and someone answers with questions or a price
WordPress does not allow STEP or DXF uploads by default, and PHP's default upload_max_filesize is 2M. Check both before launch. Sources: WordPress developer reference, wp_get_mime_types(); PHP manual, core php.ini directives.
Before launch, submit the form from a phone and a laptop with a real 30 MB STEP file and a PDF drawing. Check the files arrive, the confirmation email shows the reference number, and the RFQ reaches the person who prices jobs. Repeat after every plugin update.
Should you gate datasheets and CAD downloads?
No, for almost every small or mid-size manufacturer. Gating means asking for an email address before someone can download a file. The idea is to capture leads. What you actually capture is a folder of fake addresses and annoyed engineers who were only checking whether your bracket fits their assembly.
An engineer who downloads your STEP file and designs your part into their product has done more selling for you than any form ever will.
Once your part is in their CAD model, the purchasing team has to come to you for a quote. Gating slows that step down, and on a comparison shortlist, the supplier with the open download often wins by default.
There are exceptions. Gate files when the design is proprietary and you only share it under NDA, when a configurator creates a custom model that costs you something to produce, or when a distributor agreement requires you to know who is downloading. A middle route also works: keep all downloads open, and put a short, optional "Want updates when this datasheet changes?" sign-up next to them. People who tick it are real leads.
WooCommerce catalogue mode or a plain catalogue?
On WordPress, you have two sensible ways to build a product catalogue that doesn't sell online.
A plain catalogue
Product families are built as a custom post type (a separate content section in WordPress, like "Products" next to "Pages") with fields for specs and downloads. There's no shop engine, no cart, no checkout. This is lighter, simpler to keep updated and usually the better fit when everything you make is custom or quote-only.
WooCommerce in catalogue mode
WooCommerce is WordPress's shop plugin. You can switch off buying and keep the product pages. WooCommerce's own Catalog Visibility Options extension hides prices and the Add to Cart button globally, per user role or by login status, and costs $59 for a one-year plan as of September 2026. Several quote-request extensions are also sold on the WooCommerce Marketplace to replace the cart with a quote list.
This route makes sense when you have a mix: standard stock items (fasteners, consumables, spare parts) that trade customers can buy online, plus custom work that needs a quote. It's also useful when trade customers log in to see their own pricing. If nothing on your site will ever be bought online, WooCommerce is extra software to update and secure for features you've switched off.
Does Product schema help a B2B manufacturer?
Less than most SEO checklists suggest. Structured data is code on the page that describes it to search engines, and Google's Product markup comes in two types. Merchant listings require a name, image and an offer with a price and currency, and Google states that only pages where a shopper can purchase the product are eligible. A quote-only catalogue doesn't qualify.
Product snippets are for pages where people can't buy directly, but they need a review, an aggregate rating or an offer. Most custom manufacturers have none of these to mark up honestly, and inventing a price or a rating to qualify breaks Google's guidelines.
So add Product markup to standard items you actually sell with a published price, and don't spend money forcing it onto quote-only pages. For custom work, clear page titles, HTML spec tables and proper internal links do more. If your catalogue pages aren't appearing in search at all, the cause is usually indexing, not schema, and this guide to a website not showing on Google covers the checks.
How do you keep a catalogue with big images fast?
Manufacturing sites tend to be slow for the same reason: photos straight from a DSLR or a render farm, uploaded at 6,000 pixels wide, dropped into a slider on every page. Google's guidance on Largest Contentful Paint (the time until the biggest image or text block on screen appears) is 2.5 seconds or less for most visits. A hero photo of a CNC cell at 8 MB won't get close on mobile data.
- Resize images to the largest size they're actually shown at, then compress them. WordPress creates smaller copies automatically; the problem is usually a theme or page builder loading the full original.
- Use lazy loading (images that load only when scrolled near) for everything below the first screen. Don't lazy-load the main product image, because web.dev advises against lazy-loading images likely to be visible when the page loads.
- Replace homepage sliders with one strong image. Nobody waits for slide four.
- Keep datasheets and CAD files as downloads, not embedded PDF viewers on the page.
- Load 3D viewers or video only after a click.
For the full process of finding what's slowing a site down, see how to fix a slow website.
Common mistakes on manufacturing websites
- Capabilities written as adjectives. "High-quality precision parts" says nothing. "5-axis milling, parts up to 600 × 400 × 300 mm, aluminium and titanium" says everything.
- Only one quote button, on the contact page. Put it on every family page and pre-fill the part.
- Catalogue in one 40 MB PDF. It's slow to open, hard to search on a phone and impossible to link to a single product.
- Certificates that expired two years ago still on the quality page.
- No lead time information at all. Even "prototypes typically 1 to 2 weeks, production quoted per order" is better than silence, as long as it's your real figure.
- An upload field that rejects STEP files or anything over 2 MB, discovered only when a buyer complains, or more likely doesn't.
- RFQs going to a mailbox nobody checks. Test where they land every quarter.
- Redesigning the site and changing every product URL without redirects. Years of search rankings on part pages can disappear. Read about how to redesign a website without losing SEO before you move anything.
Getting the catalogue and quote form built
If you'd rather not wire up the file types, upload limits and RFQ routing yourself, BerdisDev builds WordPress catalogues with product family pages, spec tables, open downloads and quote forms that accept engineering files. You can see what we build on the services page, or send us your current catalogue and we'll tell you what it would take.
Frequently asked questions
What should a manufacturing company website include?
At minimum: a capabilities page with equipment, materials, tolerances and part size limits; product family pages with HTML spec tables and downloads; a quality page listing certifications with scope and expiry dates; the industries you serve; typical lead times; and an RFQ form that accepts drawings. Contact details and your location should be visible on every page, since buyers check where parts ship from.
What file types should an RFQ form accept?
STEP (.step and .stp) and PDF cover most requests. Add DXF for flat and sheet metal parts, and consider IGES, DWG or STL if your customers send them. On WordPress, none of these CAD formats is allowed by default, so your developer has to add them. Always state the accepted types and the maximum size next to the upload button.
Should manufacturers show prices on their website?
Show prices for standard stock items with fixed pricing, such as fasteners, consumables or spare parts. For custom or made-to-drawing work, prices depend on material, quantity and tolerances, so a quote form works better. What you can publish is minimum order quantities, typical lead times and price breaks where they're stable, which helps buyers qualify themselves.
Is WooCommerce good for a manufacturing catalogue?
It's a good fit when you sell some standard items online and quote the rest, or when trade customers log in for their own pricing. WooCommerce can hide prices and the cart through extensions such as Catalog Visibility Options. If everything you make is quote-only, a plain WordPress catalogue without a shop plugin is lighter and easier to maintain.
Do CAD downloads really bring in quote requests?
They help because an engineer who places your part into their assembly model will need to buy that part from someone, and the easiest supplier is the one whose model they used. That's why the files should be open to download without an email gate. Name files clearly, keep them next to the spec table and update them when the part changes.
Sources (15)
- Gartner press release, 67% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free experience (March 2026)
- ISO 9001:2026 Quality management systems, Requirements
- ISO 9001:2026, what businesses need to know
- IAQG certification and OASIS
- IATF Global Oversight
- Google Search Central, file types indexable by Google
- WordPress developer reference, wp_get_mime_types
- PHP manual, core php.ini directives
- Gravity Forms, File Upload field
- Cloudflare Turnstile documentation
- WooCommerce, Catalog Visibility Options
- Google Search Central, merchant listing structured data
- Google Search Central, product snippet structured data
- web.dev, Largest Contentful Paint
- web.dev, browser-level image lazy loading