Your company may have a robust, full-featured Web site, complete with a searchable online catalog, product specification sheets, technical articles, intuitive navigation, a site map and more. If this is the case, you should be commended for a job well done.
Yet, in the digital age, having a great Web site isn’t enough to help you rise above your competitors and gain the attention of potential customers. The fact is, your target audience and customers use a variety of online sources to seek out suppliers, products and information. Your company Web site is one of those sources—and an important source—but it’s not the only one, and usually not the first one that potential customers find.
According to the 2013 Buy Cycle Survey, in the early stages of the buy cycle, when buyers are defining needs, conducting research, and identifying vendors, a broad array of information sources are used, including social media, Webinars, e-newsletters, and search engines. It’s not until buyers reach the procurement stage of the cycle that supplier Web sites become the most important information source.
Increase Your Online Presence
This data indicates that suppliers need a broad, yet focused online presence to connect with potential customers where they are online. Suppliers should consider allocating marketing budget to:
- Advertisements in targeted industrial e-newsletters
- Building presence on specialized search engines and directories
- Using banner ads on Web sites
- Increasing social media initiatives such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and blogs
- Participating in virtual conferences and online events
Online events are growing in popularity as traditional in-person tradeshows decline in attendance due to lack of effectiveness as well as the burden of travel and opportunity costs. According to the Forrester Report, “B2B US Interactive Marketing Forecast, 2009-2014”, investment in online events is expected to grow 11.8% in 2010 alone. As an online event sponsor, your company can communicate its message, participate in discussions, chat with potential customers, promote its content, and track exactly who interacted with them.
Another trend in the digital age is the use of video. According to a recent industrial marketing trends survey conducted, 68% of manufacturers stated they plan to increase their spending on video in 2013. Video has rapidly become an important business-to-business marketing tactic, for a number of reasons:
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