Make the Most of Your Website - Modern Distribution Management

Log In

Make the Most of Your Website

Too many distributors design a website for themselves and not for their customers.
jack-keough-94x94
Author
Date

Bob DeStefano, president of SVM E-Business Solutions, offered some excellent tips on how to make your website a successful marketing and educational tool during a seminar he conducted during the Industrial Supply Association convention in Indianapolis.

We Deliver Distribution News to Your Inbox
Sign up below to receive MDM Update, your free weekly distribution news update by email.

\"\"

DeStefano, who also writes a blog for MDM, pointed out that a website is “the public face of your company; you must make the most of it as a marketing tool.”

Related: Go Beyond ‘Brochureware’ Online

He also brought out an important point we’ve mentioned before: Too many distributors design a website for themselves-not for their customers.

After DeStefano’s comments, I visited 15 various distributor sites. It was amazing to me that many of these companies focused on the history of their companies not on the products/services they provided customers; some sites had outdated product information and certainly had no “call for action.” Few of these firms did not have its phone numbers prominently displayed nor did they have information on how to contact sales representatives.

One of the main reasons potential customers visit your site is they’re seeking information. And, in many cases, it’s not readily available. Often buyers use your site to conduct research into products but still eventually want to talk to a customer service representative/inside sales person. 

DeStefano notes that distributors and manufacturers need to drive traffic to those sites, making these home pages a “resource center” rather than just a selling tool.

To make your site as useful as possible and attract search engines, distributors and manufacturers should update their sites frequently, publish blogs from executives/product managers, posting them regularly and allowing readers to post comments for each entry. Many manufacturers also use online educational videos to demonstrate new products in action.

DeStefano also advises companies to consider using webinars or e-mail newsletters as lead generation tools and to provide educational information for potential customers. .

Building a website and then ignoring it is not the way to drive your business. Making your site a lead generation mechanism tool for potential and existing customers is one of the best investments your company can undertake. 

Jack Keough is a contributing editor to Modern Distribution Management and the owner of Keough Business Communications. He can be reached at jack@mdm.com or by phone at 508-734-0029. Keough is the former editor of Industrial Distribution Magazine.

Related: Grainger's E-Commerce Evolution

Share this article

About the Author
Recommended Reading
Leave a Reply

Leave a Comment

Sign Up for the MDM Update Newsletter

The MDM update newsletter is your best source for news and trends in the wholesale distribution industry.

Get the MDM Update Newsletter

Wholesale distribution news and trends delivered right to your inbox.

Sign-up for our free newsletter and get:

  • Up-to-date news in a quick-to-read format
  • Free access to webcasts, podcasts and live events
  • Exclusive whitepapers, research and reports
  • And more!

2

articles left

Want more Premium content from MDM?

Subscribe today and get:

  • New issues twice each month
  • Unlimited access to mdm.com, including 10+ years of archived data
  • Current trends analysis, market data and economic updates
  • Discounts on select store products and events

Subscribe to continue reading

MDM Premium Subscribers get:

  • Unlimited access to MDM.com
  • 1 year digital subscription, with new issues twice a month
  • Trends analysis, market data and quarterly economic updates
  • Deals on select store products and events

1

article
left

You have one free article remaining

Subscribe to MDM Premium to get unlimited access. Your subscription includes:

  • Two new issues a month
  • Access to 10+ years of archived data on mdm.com
  • Quarterly economic updates, trends analysis and market data
  • Store and event discounts

To continue reading, you must be an MDM Premium subscriber.

Join other distribution executives who use MDM Premium to optimize their business. Our insights and analysis help you enter the right new markets, turbocharge your sales and marketing efforts, identify business partners that help you scale, and stay ahead of your competitors.

Register for full access

By providing your email, you agree to receive announcements from us and our partners for our newsletter, events, surveys, and partner resources per MDM Terms & Conditions. You can withdraw consent at any time.

Learn More about Custom Reports

Request a Market Prospector Demo

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.