Industrial buyers are turning to the Internet nearly twice as often as offline information sources, but many industrial suppliers have yet to effectively provide the kind of information buyers are seeking, according to a ThomasNet.com study.
The study polled 900 industrial purchasers and suppliers.
According to the study:
*Seventy percent of buyers expect to find detailed information on product applications and uses, but only 53% of all sellers’ sites provide it
*Fifty-eight percent seek computer-aided design drawings and plans, but only 13% of sellers make them available online
* Seventy-four percent expect to find product prices, but only 23% of company Web sites offer them
* Sixty-seven percent want to see shipping information and costs, but fewer than 17% of suppliers provide this on their sites
“The research clearly points to a disconnect between the information buyers want and need to make their purchasing decisions and what suppliers are offering online, said Eileen Markowitz, president of Thomas Industrial Network Inc. in a statement. “Industrial marketers need to address the quality and specificity of the information they make available – so they can start to turn more of their Web site visitors into customers and gain a real competitive edge.”
