What overseas buyers check on an Indian manufacturer's website

The website is the overseas buyer's first supplier check

An overseas buyer who has never visited India reads your website to answer one question: is this a real manufacturer that can ship what I need, with the paperwork I need? They cannot drop by the factory, and they have often found several Indian suppliers with similar products. The site that answers their checks without an email exchange has the better chance of the sample order.

Many Indian exporter sites fall short on the points that matter most. EbizIndia looked at 30 Indian exporter websites and found a certificate number on 1, carton or container packing details on none, and buyers named or described on 5. In its separate study of 30 manufacturer sites published in October 2026, half (15) made any statement about export or the countries supplied.

Certificates they can verify, not just logos

Overseas buyers, and their quality teams, check certificates before they place an order. Give each one in text: the standard, the certificate number, the certification body, the scope as written on the certificate, and the expiry date, with a link to a PDF copy.

A buyer can then check it. ISO points out on its help page on verifying a certification that ISO itself does not perform certifications, and that accredited certificates can be checked through the IAF CertSearch database or with the certification body. A logo on its own invites the question you want to avoid: is this real? The full approach is in why a logo strip of certificates is not enough.

The countries you already ship to

A buyer in Germany or the UAE is likely to be reassured to see that you already export to their region, because it suggests you understand the documents, standards and packing their customs and customers expect. A short export page listing countries or regions, the industries you supply there, and the years you have been exporting is enough. If you cannot name customers, describe them, as in showing proof without naming clients.

Trade terms and packing, stated before they ask

State the trade terms you normally quote on, in the buyer's vocabulary. The International Chamber of Commerce describes the Incoterms rules as eleven three-letter trade terms that clarify the tasks, costs and risks in delivering goods from seller to buyer, and identifies Incoterms 2020 as the current edition. A line such as "We quote FCA our works or CIF destination port, Incoterms 2020; DAP on request" tells a buyer you have done this before.

Then give the export logistics facts on the product or export page:

• Nearest port or ICD you ship from, such as Kolkata, Nhava Sheva or Mundra.
• Export packing: cartons, pallets, wooden crates, bundles, with weights and dimensions.
• Typical quantity per 20 ft or 40 ft container, where it applies.
• Minimum order for export and typical lead time from order confirmation.
• Documents you supply as standard, such as test certificates, packing list and certificate of origin.
• Payment terms you normally accept.

Specifications in the units they use

An Indian site that gives only millimetres and kilograms is fine for European and Middle East buyers, but buyers in some markets and industries work in inches, pounds and psi. Put both on the product page: "50 mm (2 inch)", "16 bar (232 psi)". Use the decimal point, not the comma, and write units out the same way on every page. The product page structure in what an industrial product page needs before a buyer will enquire already leaves room for this.

English that reads as if a person wrote it

Overseas buyers judge a supplier's care partly from the website's English. Spelling mistakes in a product name, machine-translated sentences or a page full of "we are leading, best quality, cheapest price" undermine trust that the specifications should be building. Short, plain sentences with exact numbers read better than long claims.

If you do publish other language versions, Google's guidance on managing multi-regional and multilingual sites recommends a separate URL for each language version, using hreflang annotations, and advises against automatically redirecting visitors from one language version to another or using IP address analysis to adapt content. It also warns against translating only the menus and footer while leaving the main content in another language.

A reply time, and a route that works across time zones

State on the contact and quote pages when an overseas buyer can expect a reply, for example "within one working day, India time (GMT+5:30)". Give an email address that a person reads, a WhatsApp number with the country code, and a quote form with country, port and Incoterm fields. The form fields are covered in the quote form that gets industrial enquiries.

A slow site also costs export enquiries, since a buyer may well open your site first on a phone, perhaps on a roaming connection. Checking that is the subject of whether your factory website is slow on a buyer's phone.

Proof that you have shipped before

Overseas buyers want evidence that someone like them has already bought from you and received what was promised. Useful proof, in descending order of strength:

1. Named export customers with country and product, where you have permission.
2. Described supplies, for example: "Flanged ball valves, 15 mm to 150 mm, for a water utility contractor in Oman, 2025".
3. Third-party inspection agencies you have worked with, named in text.
4. Photographs of export packing and container loading, with captions.
5. Trade fairs you have exhibited at, with year and booth.

A short export checklist for your developer and export team

• Export page with countries or regions, industries supplied and years exporting.
• Certificates in text with number, body, scope, expiry and PDF link.
• Incoterms you quote, with named place and edition.
• Port, packing, container loads, MOQ, lead time, documents and payment terms.
• Dual units on product specifications.
• Proofread English, no machine-translated pages.
• Stated reply time with time zone, email, WhatsApp with country code.
• Quote form with country, port and Incoterm fields.

For a longer list of what overseas buyers look for, see EbizIndia's notes on export buyers and manufacturer websites. Other pieces on building the site itself are in the website rebuilds hub.