Expert's Corner
What's
an Accidental Landing Page?
Brian Makas, Manager of Business
Intelligence for ThomasNet, shares his perspective on how you can make the most
out of every visit to your website.
Thanks to search engines, any page on your website could serve as a
landing page,
whether you want it to be or not. And, on the web, decisions are often measured
in seconds:
How can you make sure that your prospects can immediately
find what they are looking for no matter what page they land on?
Read more...
How Reducing Card Processing Payments can Contribute to ROI
Many manufacturers providing goods and services to corporate and
government customers accept purchasing cards – more widely known
as p-cards – as a form of payment. Lincoln Electric Company,
a world leader in developing and manufacturing welders and cutting tools,
accepts p-cards which presently represent about 6% of their net
revenue. This volume of p-card usage has also resulted in rising
processing fees for Lincoln. Their challenge: Develop a
process improvement for accepting p-cards which would result in savings to
their bottom-line.
Lincoln applied a
Six
Sigma business management strategy to help identify a process
improvement. This analysis helped Lincoln develop a solution which included
a B2B payment solutions company – 3Delta Systems, Inc. (3DSI) –
the same company that provides payment services with ThomasNet.
The result: Lincoln Electric reduced their p-card processing
fees by nearly 50%. Their baseline interchange fee reduced
from 2.7% to 1.4%, saving the company $1.4 million annually in direct
interchange fees. Want to learn how you can contribute to your ROI?
Read more...
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Manufacturers Aim
for Rebound
“By the second quarter of 2010 or sooner” is when 76% of
executives at manufacturing and industrial companies say the U.S. economy will
improve, according to the ThomasNet Industry Market
Barometer survey.
More than 800 industrial decision-makers - executives and managers from
small, mid-size and large companies - responded to the ThomasNet Industry
Market Barometer survey. The survey shows manufacturers are taking control of
their own futures and they’re using the Internet to emerge from the
economic downturn. They’re combining ingenuity with decisive action to
direct their own rebounds, rather than waiting for the economy to pick up
steam, and they’re saying: “Always energize around
sales, innovation, marketing and cost control measures.”
Are you doing the same? Are you ready to take
advantage of the economic rebound other suppliers and manufacturers --
possibly your competitors -- are anticipating?
Know What Your Competitor is Doing
Now
Manufacturers are taking action. 70% of manufacturers say they’re
employing these strategies to help them survive and succeed during these
changing times:
- Developing new or innovative products
- Looking for business in new industries
- Exploring new sales channels
- Increasing online marketing
Respondents shared lessons they have learned during the economic downturn
over the past year or so, which have formed the foundation for their new strategies:
“You can’t be diversified enough in a down market.”
“Stay customer-focused. Be flexible to meet customer expectations. Be
proactive in responding to customers and/or anticipating customer needs.”
“Innovation must never end.”
“The Internet is one of the best business tools available, period.”
Take control of your company’s rebound by...
Read more...
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61%
of industrial businesses say
that the Federal Stimulus Package won't help their businesses rebound.
In fact, industrial market professionals are taking matters into their own
hands.
Click here to learn more...
Source: ThomasNet's Industry Market Barometer Survey, October
2009
News
U.S. Manufacturing Expands Again in September
The ISM Manufacturing Report on Business
for September showed that economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded
again for the second consecutive month. 13 of 18 manufacturing industries
reported growth. According to one survey respondent, "Business is picking up
– lots of opportunities."
Read more...
Financial
Health Improving for Industrial Sector
The National Association of Credit
Management (NACM) says recent improvements in credit availability may indicate
that better financial health for the industrial sector is on the horizon.
Read more...
6 Steps
to a Successful Content Marketing Strategy
On ContentMarketingToday, Newt
Barrett, co-author of Get Content Get Customers, says you can
transform prospects into buyers by following these six steps…
Read more...
Quarterly
Manufacturing Survey Invites Optimism
Managing Automation reports that
the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI (Machine and Allied Products Institute)
quarterly survey shows that the composite index for the industrial sector is
at its highest level in a year.
Read more...
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