The Thomas Blog

b2b buying process
Business Tips

Get Selected In The B2B Buying Process: 26 Items To Check Off

As you know, industrial/B2B buyers and procurement managers looking to establish a long-term relationship with your business may vet you quite thoroughly. 

And today, they prefer to evaluate suppliers anonymously online, then create a shortlist of potential partners before contacting you for further vetting. 

Are you losing out to potential new customers? Here's how you can make sure your online presence doesn’t have any holes that leave you short of gaining new business.

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manufacturing responsive website
Website Design

Do Manufacturers Need A Responsive Website In 2021?

Do you still have the same phone you carried around when you launched your current website? You most likely don't. Why? Because technology changes daily. If you still had an iPhone 4 it wouldn’t be able to run any apps, the screen would be cracked, the battery wouldn’t charge and no one would fix it for you because it was discontinued in 2013. 

Your current website is just like that old phone. Yes, you can still own it, but it won’t function in a way that helps you get the job done. Coding best practices have changed drastically since you last updated your site. The outdated design and technical architecture of your website may be negatively impacting your business.

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Factory video production services for manufacturers
Video Marketing

Factory Video Production For Manufacturers That Engage B2B Buyers

There are lots of new tools and solutions designed to enhance communications in today’s digitally connected world. But, by far, one of the best solutions to emerge has been the use of video. That’s because people retain 95% of the content they watch via video compared to only 10% of content read by text. Videos continue to be one of the most used digital marketing tools to convert prospects, recruit new talent, and enhance efficiency on your shop floor.

Manufacturers invest in different types of videos to increase their sales opportunities, like a company overview or factory tour. Factory tour videos allow you to connect and interact with people, businesses, and organizations visually from anywhere in the world. Let’s go through what makes a good factory video and how you can get started.

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CNC machining - How to find customers for cnc machine shop
Business Tips

How To Find Customers For Your CNC Machine Shop Using Digital Marketing

You may have heard it plenty of times: You should be online; people are searching for your company online; if you are not online, you miss out on opportunities.

These statements aren't wrong, but they're incomplete. Being online is one thing, but the real goal should be to have a strong online presence — this gets you results. A strong online presence can supplement your traditional growth methods and bring you one step closer to your goal of finding new customers.

If you're looking to grow your customer base, search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and BING are where you want to appear. Why? According to research 4 out of 5 buyers research products online before contacting a sales rep. Industrial buyers know how to find exactly what they want quickly — and they're using long-tail (3-4 keyword) search terms online. And 53% of industrial buyers make their decision in less than one month.

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What industrial B2B buyers care about new suppliers
Content Marketing

What Industrial Buyers Care About Most When Shortlisting New Suppliers

The industrial buying process can be long and complex. Buyers these days prefer to source, research, compare, and shortlist potential partners anonymously online. Creating a shortlist is an essential component of the supplier discovery and selection process, but what kind of information are these buyers looking for, and what factors matter most when deciding to make a purchase decision?

We polled more than 400 real, verified, and registered buyers who source on the Thomas Network. Here a look at the top 4 most important factors they consider when sourcing new suppliers.

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chatbots for manufacturers
Marketing Strategy

What Manufacturers Need To Know About Chatbots

When it comes to digital marketing, capturing leads is the ultimate goal. Always has been, always will be. How those leads are being captured, however, is changing right before our eyes. Landing pages with forms have another friend in the lead generation toolbox to help book meetings, qualify visitors, and provide information more easily.

You may have experienced them before. It’s midnight, and there you are, minding your own business, checking out a website, and hunting for information. A chat box pops up — bloop! — and asks you if you need help. This surprises you because you figured you were the only one awake at this hour. Surely their customer support isn’t available now, right?

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Actionable Next Steps for Manufacturers...

Free Missed Opportunity Report

Free Missed Opportunity Report

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The Ultimate Guide To Marketing

The Ultimate Guide To Marketing

Learn about all the Digital Marketing Tactics that are Driving Growth for Manufacturers in 2021

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