The MarCom Strategist: A Free B2B Marketing E-Newsletter

December, 2007
Published by Dianna Huff
Volume 7, Number 12

Welcome!

Did you know your biggest competitor isn't the company in the next town or state or even China? Your biggest competitor, according to Linda Rigano of ThomasNet, is the Internet browser "back" button. In this issue you'll find an excerpt of a terrific podcast with the folks at ThomasNet who explain what buyers look for when it comes to B2B Websites.

May you experience peace, prosperity and joy for the coming New Year.

Developing Web Content Buyers Want: An Interview with ThomasNet

By Dianna Huff

I recently had the opportunity to interview Linda Rigano, Director of Strategic Alliances, and Brendan O'Connell, Director of Web Operations, both of ThomasNet, for my MarCom Strategist Podcast.

ThomasNet is a site where industrial buyers go to source all sorts of products.

In the pre-Internet days, ThomasNet was known as the Thomas Register, a collection of heavy green books that housed the information you now find online. In fact, in my first "real" job out of college, I used to consult those books on a regular basis when sourcing materials for high-tech projects.

Because they work directly with B2B companies, ThomasNet has compiled some pretty good data about what industrial buyers want when it comes to sourcing products online.

Linda and Brendan shared some of this information -- what follows is an expert of a 25-minute podcast interview. (For a full transcript and podcast download, see the links below).

Dianna: How has the Internet changed the buying cycle?

Linda: What we're seeing is a changing role in how buyers are sourcing products. Sourcing products is a large part of their job -- for many, it's 25% of their work week. In the old days, they picked up the phone and called you. Now they source everything online.

What we're finding is that many smaller B2B companies have a "black hole" when it comes to their Website. Their main competitor isn't the company in the next town or state or even China. It's the Internet browser "back button."

And the scary part is, if someone is at your site, and they click back out, you don't even know they've been there. That's how the Internet has changed the buying cycle.

Dianna: How come B2B didn't get -- and in many cases still doesn't get -- the Web the way B2C did.

Brendan: It's because understanding the Internet is harder. You talk to a small machine shop in Eastern Massachusetts or New Hampshire, you'll find the shop owner is more focused on their business -- and most likely doesn't have a marketing department or marketing experience. They don't understand that "clicks" mean users and users mean prospects and that these prospects affect their business. However, they're getting it now.

Linda: Yes, ThomasNet gets 3.5 million visitors a month coming to the site looking for suppliers. Our frustration is that suppliers' Websites are literally black holes.

Dianna: Do you mean sites don't provide the information buyers need?

Linda: Exactly. You look at a typical mom and pop B2B site, and you think, "So what exactly do you do?" or "What do you offer?" When a buyer comes to your site, you've got between five and eight seconds to convince them you make what they want.

However, I would say 80% of the B2B sites out there make it very difficult for buyers to verify that the company makes what they want.

The other problem is navigation -- site visitors have to click around trying to find what they need -- or a company will upload their mega-page catalog as a giant PDF, which is too difficult to navigate or search.

So we tell our suppliers that every page of their Website should have a phone number -- so that buyers can pick up the phone to ask, "Do you have the part that I want?"

Dianna: AMEN! I preach that too.

Linda: Setting up a B2B Website also means buyers should have the ability to send an RFQ or ask for a CAD drawing. A lot of buyers say they want a CAD drawing so that they can download it and insert it into their part or product -- yet a lot of manufacturers won't make CAD drawings available for fear of giving away "secrets." However, the engineer just wants basic information.

We have lots of additional information about this topic, which people can read in our new white paper, "Aligning Your Online Marketing Strategy with Your Business Plan."

Dianna: Thank you, Linda and Brendan for your time.

You can download the podcast, the transcript, and the ThomasNet white paper using the following links:

What can Dianna Huff do for you?

My goal is to make your job easier -- and to help you succeed with your marketing projects and campaigns.

Want your site to rank well in Google through search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting?
Responsible for a B2B e-newsletter and need help getting it out the door?
Need a complete Website overhaul and don't know where to begin?

If you answered yes, then give me a call at 603-382-8093 or send e-mail to info@dhcommunications.com. I can help you.

Email: info@dhcommunications.com

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