Does your company sell industrial products to other businesses? Here in the digital age, there are many compelling reasons to add to your company’s sales channels using e-commerce. Let’s explore whether or not e-commerce is right for your industrial company and how adding online selling can not only increase your sales growth but also your overall digital footprint through enhanced search ranking, referring links, content and validity.
E-commerce is accessible 24/7, 365 days a year. This gives your target audience or market ultimate flexibility to purchase your goods anywhere and anytime. A well-executed e-commerce website gives businesses the perfect opportunity to add comprehensive item descriptions, related items in submenus and application data in one easy-to-find place. One could consider it a repository of product information that subsequently makes it easier for your customers to purchase. E-commerce versus traditional customer service and inside sales offers a much more agile, real-time advantage furthering your company’s value proposition. Making it easy for your customers and prospects to do business with you should be your top priority.
Maintaining a product catalog on an e-commerce platform is good for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). The catalog not only adds validity to your brand and website, but it also adds valuable content. Showing how a product works for different applications through thorough descriptions, videos, high-resolution imagery and real-world examples not only helps the customer determine the right item but also becomes a helpful resource for reference data. There is also the opportunity for customers to review these products and offer even more “free” product support through their own experiences. When companies maintain an effective e-commerce portal in their respective industry, they own a competitive advantage.
E-commerce can help separate the winners from the losers in a company’s catalog. Search ranking, volume and frequency for certain keywords and keyphrases show the popularity of products. Interpreting this data could also reveal trends in demand, seasonality and cycles. If you sell your products online, you will quickly learn what your end users are looking for and will be able to adjust inventory stock levels and responsiveness accordingly. The integration of e-commerce with your company’s ERP and CRM programs add even more capability. You will have the ability to show real-time inventory and synchronized order processing, confirmation, and tracking and notifications all from one login. Relationship management is enhanced because sales now expands the follow-up channel with even more customers that may not have been discovered otherwise.
Consider whether or not building an e-commerce portal is right for your business. Gotham Industrial Marketing can objectively evaluate your business model, target markets, customers and goals. We then help determine the best course of action using best practices of e-commerce website design, function and performance to create an online marketing strategy and most importantly, consistently measure and leverage the results. Are you ready to use e-commerce as a tool to add to your sales growth?