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Distributors Need an Integrated Online Presence to
Meet the
Information Needs of Industrial Professionals
Survey Results Show Engineering, Technical and Industrial Professionals are
Finding New Distributors Using General and Vertical Search Engines, Online Industrial Directories
TROY, NY - (BUSINESS WIRE) - 5/15/07 - The ability to be found on the Web by customers continues to be increasingly important for distributors, according to the 2007 Distributor Buying Trends Survey. This second annual survey of engineers, technical buyers, scientific professionals and other members of the industrial community was conducted by GlobalSpec (www.globalspec.com), the leading specialized search engine, information service and e-publishing company for the engineering, technical and industrial communities, and unveiled this week at the Electronic Distribution Show and Conference in Las Vegas.
Seventy-eight percent of respondents stated they go online first to find new distributors, using general and vertical search engines, such as GlobalSpec, and online industrial directories. These results indicate the need for distributors to have an integrated, highly visible online presence to increase their opportunities to be found by their target audiences.
Respondents also indicate a gap between important features of distributors’ online presence, such as up-to-date content, technical specifications and a searchable online catalog, and their satisfaction with distributors’ Web sites in delivering these features. These findings show that distributors looking to gain a competitive advantage and meet the needs of their clients should implement robust online marketing and search capabilities, including search by specification and part number, as these are preferred ways for engineering, technical and industrial professionals to gather information.
Additionally, the survey asked how industrial professionals choose new distributors. Availability, delivery and customer service all ranked ahead of price as reasons for choosing a distributor. Since the majority of respondents indicated they sourced products from seven or more distributors in the past year, availability, delivery and customer service can be key differentiators for distributors operating in a competitive environment.
Other findings from the 2007 GlobalSpec Distributor Buying Trends Survey include:
- 96% of respondents reported sourcing products from distributors in the past year
- 45% of respondents stated the main reason they contacted distributors they have not purchased from in the past was that a current distributor did not have the right product
- 69% of respondents search for parts using a part number at least once a month
- 87% reported purchasing parts online in the past year
Results including full color charts and graphs of the 2007 GlobalSpec Distributor Buying Trends Survey can be found at: http://www.globalspec.com/wp/GSDistributorSurvey2007.
About GlobalSpec, Inc.
GlobalSpec, Inc. is the leading specialized vertical search, information services and e-publishing company serving the engineering, technical and industrial communities. GlobalSpec users benefit from domain-expert search engines, a broad range of proprietary and aggregated Web-based content and over 56 product-specific e-newsletters – helping them search for and locate products and services, learn about suppliers and access comprehensive technical content. SpecSearch®, GlobalSpec’s trademarked search technology, allows users to search by specification more than 171 million parts in 2,200,000 product families from more than 21,000 supplier catalogs. For suppliers, GlobalSpec offers highly filtered sales and marketing opportunities, product promotion and brand advertising platforms, and a wide range of e-media advertising and marketing solutions.
GlobalSpec, SpecSearch, The Engineering Search Engine and The Engineering Web are registered trademarks of GlobalSpec, Inc.
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