The Thomas Blog

4 Important Functions Of An Online Catalog

Simply put, online catalogs these days should deliver the data that your customers are demanding. But with all the technological capabilities and different platforms out there, it can be difficult to assess the best deal and best fit for your organization.

There are a few features to look for in a platform that should be your non-negotiables in order to deliver the best digital customer experience possible to your customers and prospects. Let's review those four important functions that you’ll want to ask for and see in action when it comes time to choosing your dynamic online catalog platform.

How To Create An Online Product Catalog

Digitized information offers vast flexibility for both you and the customer. When deployed correctly, digital information can make the most complex product searches simpler and more efficient. Here’s how the most successful companies sell complex industrial parts: 

1. By leveraging a well-organized online product catalog 
2. Through technology-configured complex products
3. Providing information in the necessary formats for different users. i.e. BIM and CAD files 

By focusing on these three aspects of online selling, manufacturers can create a simpler buying process for even the most complex industrial components.

How To Outperform Competitors With Better Product Experience Management

Online sales giants have forever changed the way buyers buy. Whether the buyer is a consumer looking for shoes, or a design engineer looking for an actuator, the expectation is that the product they’re looking for is easy to find, with detailed information that makes it easy to evaluate and compare that product with similar and competing products. 

How To Use CAD Models To Drive Lead Generation

Digitized information can help to make the sourcing process simpler and more efficient — especially for complex industrial parts, ultimately helping manufacturers generate more leads.

Manufacturers are increasingly optimizing their product data offerings with CAD files, drawings and configurable components, differentiating their digital customer experience from their competitors. Why? Because more engineers are downloading CAD files and demanding access to digitized product information in the formats they need to get the job done.

So if you're looking to drive more sales, read on to learn how to provide CAD models from your website.

5 Things Every Product Manufacturer Must Know To Drive Leads

Engineers and sourcing professionals rely on comprehensive, digitized product data in order to do their jobs. They need accurate data, and they need it fast. Many manufacturers rely on a website and phone number to handle inquiries for new data, but is it really the most efficient way? 

According to Forrester Research, rich omni-channel experiences deliver several competitive advantages for B2B businesses — especially those with complex products. Omni-channel supply chains serve customers across different channels. The difference with a multi-channel approach is that with an omni-channel approach, the channels are fully integrated in order to provide a seamless customer experience. We’ve listed out five things all OEMs and industrial manufacturers must know to generate more leads, satisfy customers needs and increase sales.

How To Improve Your Supplier-Distributor Relationship

A prospect that you’ve been chasing for months has been researching you as well, checking out your product catalog on a distributor’s website and downloading your CAD models. They’ve narrowed down their shortlist to you and a couple of your competitors, and now they’re visiting your website to gather additional details.

But when they arrive on your site, what they see doesn’t quite match what they saw on the distributor’s site. Part numbers are off, and specs aren’t aligning 100%. Plus, basic company information doesn’t match with what they read before and content looks outdated.

Reconciling the differences would take way too long, so instead they just cross you off their list. And you never even knew they were interested in the first place.

Unfortunately, this scenario plays out all too frequently and prevents the supplier and distributor from meeting their goals. In some cases, the scenario results in a dropped key customer and the existing customer base begins to diminish.

BIM Vs. CAD Files: What's The Difference?

For decades, product design engineers have used computer-aided design (CAD) programs — such as Autodesk’s AutoCAD — to design various parts and components. These sophisticated programs are capable of creating extremely detailed 2D and 3D models.

With building information modeling (BIM) files growing in demand among leading architecture firms, many building product manufacturers consistently ask the question, “Can’t I just convert CAD files to BIM files?” The short answer: No. CAD and BIM file types differ in many ways, making a successful conversion nearly impossible. 

Don’t Cheap Out On Your BIM Content

For commercial building product manufacturers, adopting Building Information Modeling (BIM) can lead to greater visibility, more leads, and increased opportunities to get spec’d into projects.

By The Time You Hear About A Commercial Building Project, It’s Already Too Late

In the high-stakes arena of building product manufacturing, every opportunity to get spec’d into a new commercial building project can make a multi-million-dollar difference to your bottom line. Unfortunately, by the time you come across the opportunity, it’s already too late to win the bid.