How Thomas WebTrax Differs From Google Analytics, The Thomas Network & More

More than 11,000 manufacturers use Thomas WebTrax to turn anonymous website traffic into real, actionable leads for their businesses.

However, we understand that you may still have questions about WebTrax, how it fits in with other Thomas solutions, and how it stacks up to other tools available in the marketplace. Hopefully, this post clears things up and helps you decide which solution works best for your industrial business.

Manufacturing Marketing Budget: How Much Should You Spend?

Even though the manufacturing industry has had a long dominance in the U.S. economy, it’s still relatively a newcomer when it comes to all things industrial marketing.

Instead of word-of-mouth referrals and newspaper advertisements, digital platforms have become the most effective way to drive new business with a more expansive reach and more effective ways to highlight a company’s value proposition. Marketers and business owners utilize pay-per-click, content creation, email blasts, and many other tactics to their advantage, but to some, these methods can feel overwhelming. With so much opportunity comes tough decisions on how to direct your time, energy, and money.

New Suppliers on Thomasnet.com for February 2021

At Thomas, we're on a mission to help industry grow through connecting buyers and sellers. In our quest we constantly scour North America to ensure we find every new B2B supplier we can, so we can help you on whatever mission your company is driven by. Here we're showcasing ten of our latest finds across the US and Canada, from luminous markings suppliers to secure data sharing service companies. 

New and Noteworthy Categories on Thomasnet.com for February 2021

The pursuit of perfection is an impossible task, but our team of intrepid taxonomy experts strives to make our collection of 75,000+ categories as close as possible to it year-round. Over the past month alone, they've added the most relevant new products and services they could find, searched for outdated terms to get rid of, and found new ways to interconnect all of these categories to make it easier to find what you need. We're exploring the fruits of their labor below, encapsulated in 11 new areas to source. 

Industrial Website Design Examples For CNC Machine Shops

According to Thomas’ latest industrial buying habits survey, 73% of those surveyed pay attention to your website. One respondent said, “You MUST have a website. On it, be very clear and detailed about your supply capabilities and lower limits. Include all public contact and social media channels, locations and areas served, your business structure, history, and mission/vision.”

As more manufacturers shift toward traditional growth methods to digital marketing tactics, here are some industrial website design examples to get your CNC machining website geared for more leads.

6 Ways Manufacturers Can Turn A Lead Into A Customer (With Examples)

You worked hard to market your capabilities and nurture your prospects. Now your sales team has a healthy list of leads. However, research shows that 40-50% of inbound sales leads are ignored and never followed up on, which can add up to a lot of lost revenue for your business.

Developing an effective lead follow-up process can ensure that you don’t leave potential opportunities on the table. Here are the strategies that should be a part of your process.

Opportunities For Manufacturers In Solar Energy Equipment

In September 2020, Thomas reported sourcing for solar energy equipment on the Thomasnet.com platform had grown by 125% year-over-year and a substantial 171% over Q2 averages. In related category searching on the platform, solar collector panels were up by 157% year-over-year in Q3 2020 and 11% over Q2 2020 figures, and searches for inverters on the Thomasnet.com platform have grown 172% year-over-year and are currently up 88% over Q4 2020 averages.

More recently, searches for solar energy equipment on the Thomasnet.com platform were up 650% week-over-week. 

Why Public Relations Matters To Manufacturers

As companies in the industrial sector look for ways to win new customers and keep loyal customers, they need to find ways to stay top of mind in a competitive landscape. From producing videos, creating valuable guides, to being everywhere your buyers are —  a recognizable brand in addition to those marketing tactics can put you in a position to win more business.

Public relations (PR) can help manufacturers boost their brand awareness and drive credibility and sales. Let's outline how you can get started.

How To Become A Defense Supplier

Did you know that the Department of Defense (DoD) spends more than 60 percent of the federal procurement budget eligible for small businesses? In the 2017 fiscal year, DoD awarded more than $60 billion in prime contracts to small businesses.

From anonymized sourcing activity across Thomasnet.com, Thomas Industrial Data shows the Aerospace & Defense Industry is a rapidly evolving field. Continued military spending growth is a sign for suppliers to secure ongoing business and tap into new market opportunities — but today, businesses continue to shift in their sourcing as they pivot to help the country combat COVID-19. Read on to learn how you can become a part of the solution.