Tips for Industrial Companies to Increase Online Presence

Written by Kerry O'Malley Sunday, 30 October 2011 14:06

Survey engineering, technical and other industrial customers, and you'll quickly realize that the vast majority of them go online to search for suppliers, products, and service providers. With so many websites competing for their attention, you need to leverage other opportunities for them to find YOU.

Your competitors are doing it - it's not really an option any more.  You need visibility in the same online sources your prospects and customers go to for information.  Every page where your company's name appears on the Internet increases the chances that potential business finds its way to you.

Having a current, interactive, search engine optimized website is only the beginning.  Here are some strategies that will help increase your online presence and drive more traffic to your website.

1. Send out press releases. This has to be the most underutilized marketing tool in the industrial sector.  There are thousands of online journalists that are looking for news on a daily basis.  There are countless sites that provide trade industry news, and even bloggers are looking for a constant source of new material.  Websites, such as PRWeb, will publish your news release free. You can also outsource this function to a company like Marketects, and know that an industrial P/R pro is getting the word out about your company's products, services, and innovations.
2. Write articles or white papers. Articles are content, and the web thrives on content.  If someone in your company writes an article or a week, and it's published on several of the many article directories online, you'll be amazed at the additional traffic driven to your website.
3. Get more content onto your website. Search engines are "indexing software"  and they need words to index.  Google especially loves websites with blogs.  Many people are intimidated at the thought of writing something on a daily basis, but even if you only blog once a week, it helps.  You can also add a "News" page, but treat it more as an article index. The important thing is to add content regularly.
4. Comment on Blogs on other websites. Commenting on other sites' blogs and participating in online discussions gives you the opportunity to A - build credibility for yourself and your company and B - work in your company's name or website address so anyone reading the blog can link back to your website.  Industrial social media such as blogs and discussion groups, particularly on trade industry related sites, are great ways to get your company's name out there.  Just remember that what you post is a direct reflection on your company.  Be careful to remain unemotional, professional, and take time to check spelling and grammar!
5. Place banner ads. Banner ads can be great for branding and lead generation - IF they're placed on the right websites.  Work with an industrial marketing communications company, like Marketects, that has insight into the online behavior of your target audience.  They'll help you design the ads and place them on the right websites.
6. Join industry trade associations. Most industrial trade associations allow members and associate members to list information about their company in a directory.  Typically, this includes a link back to your website.  The amount of information you're allowed to publish varies depending on the association, but this is another great way to build your online prescence and brand your company.
7. Advertise in industry e-newsletters. Most trade publications now also have online editions that are emailed to "opt-in" subscribers.  Also, most trade associations have some type of e-newsletter that is regularly sent to members.  E-newsletter ads let you deliver your message directly to the in-box of potential customers.  This is a great way to announce new products, trade show involvement, or to offer White Papers, or other "free" incentives.
8. Submit listings to online directories. Most technical professionals have favorite websites and directories they use on a regular basis.  Ask a few of your customers where they go on the Internet when they're looking for a new vendor, or a solution to a problem.  Searchable online directories usually offer listings for free.  They want the user to have as many choices and options as possible.  Take advantage of this, since most prospects are searching at the time they actually need the product or service!
9. Use your personal email address book. A simple email with a message saying, "Check out our new "widget" at www.widgets.com!" can be more effective than you think - if you're sending the emails to acquaintances, colleagues, and customers that already have some knowledge about what your company does.  The simple email is starting to take the place of the simple letter.  It's online networking at its most basic, but it can really work.
10. Use your lead / prospect database for email marketing. Whether it's once a week, once a month, or once a quarter, start sending out professionally created marketing emails in the form of a newsletter, bulletin, or ad.  It's becoming harder to stay out of JUNK folders, but you will still get through to some of your prospects.  You can build your own lead database, or "rent" one from a trade publication that has opt-in subscribers who are potential customers for your business.  Email marketing is fast replacing the direct marketing of years past, which came through the USPS.  Not only is it less expensive (no printing costs) it is easier to gauge ROI.
11. Consider PPC (Pay per click) keyword advertising. Many industrial companies are using "pay per click" keyword advertising to some degree to drive traffic to their website.  You can do it yourself, or you can hire a company like Marketects to manage it for you.  The key to minimizing costs and maximizing leads is to choose specific keyword phrases rather than broad search terms.  (For example, "spring energized seals" rather than "seals.")  If done properly, PPC advertising can be the most effective type of advertising there is - actually, advertising in reverse.  Instead of placing an ad in a magazine and hoping to catch the interest of someone looking for the product or service you offer, the potential customer is doing a keyword search because he is already looking for that particular product or service.
12. Start a social media program. Rome wasn't built in a day, and your social media program won't be either.  Many industrial companies look at all the social media options available, think of all the time involved in setting up accounts, tweeting, posting, and engaging, and simply throw their hands up.  You don't have to tackle it all at once.  Start slowly.  Assess which of the top 4 social media platforms for industrial companies will be most advantageous for your company to approach first:  LinkedIn; YouTube; Twitter; and Facebook.  Learn all you can about these top 4 social media sites, and then start with one.  There are plenty of companies who can help you get started if  you don't have internal personnel to manage this aspect of your marketing communications.
13. Shoot some videos. Video is a natural for industrial companies that manufacture equipment, or engage in complex processes that need explanation.  Video recorders have become very affordable; and since the use of video on industrial websites is in its infancy, viewers are usually fairly forgiving if the quality of the video isn't top-notch.  If you don't feel comfortable shooting the video yourself, there are freelancers that can help you without breaking the bank.  Not only are videos a powerful tool on your website, they will provide you with content to create a YouTube channel for your company.  YouTube is owned by Google.  Companies with YouTube channels rank higher in search results than companies that don't.