Andrew Fischer

Agile is pleased to be working with Andrew Fischer with our first project to develop traffic and referrals for Intelliskin. IntelliSkin is a performance apparel company focused on improving posture and alignment for enhanced well-being. If you are interested in purchasing a posture shirt you can use our  IntelliSkin promo code by clicking here or use promo code 82786. By using the IntelliSkin promo code you will save $5.00 and also receive free shipping. Or just click here and the discount and free shipping will be applied.

Andrew Fischer is a golf fitness instructor on the PGA Tour. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters champion Bubba Watson. He has been involved in the promotion and consulting of numerous golf fitness products, including being the co-owner of www.barefootberbs.com Andrew Fischer graduated from Fairmont State University where he received Bachelor’s degrees in Exercise Health Science and Health Enhancement in K-12. He is also a licensed teacher for both Physical and Health Education.

Andrew is a Registered Massage Therapist who specializes in Golf Conditioning, Injury Prevention and Soft Tissue Rehabilitation. He is also a Full-Body Certified A.R.T. Practitioner that identifies and treats Repetitive Strain/Soft Tissue Injuries.

Andrew is inspired by the work of several TPI Advisory Staff members including Greg Rose, Mike Boyle, and Robert Yee. He continues to speak at seminars and schools around the country on golf fitness. He enjoys international travel and sociology in his spare time. Andrew resides in Orlando, FL.

Below is a video on Andrew.

IQS “Industrial Quick Search”

IQS was started in 2000 by a former representative of Thomas Register. The company build a large number of Directory listings with 5 advertisers listed on the first page. By scrolling over the name of each company you would get a thumbshot preview of each site, They filed a patent for this back in 2003.

When they first built out the IQS site, it was fairly slick for the time and ranked very well on Google. However, IQS, like many Directories these days, does not rank as well and seems to depend more on PPC to drive traffic. The site has remained  virtually unchanged in the last 10 years and really offers the visitor very little extra value.

And while the site has a Google Toolbar Page Rank of 5, all the links on IQS are no follow links so there is no benefit even from inbound links.

The site offers premium listings where 5 companies appear on the first page. Standard pricing for this has been $2,000 per year depending on the heading.  Companies can be listed on Page 2 for $499 for Top listing or $199 for regular listing.

Insiders Tip

The site has not been substantially improved or updated in many years. The value of the technology is limited and traffic has suffered over the years with the loss of organic ranking. For $2,000 you are better off spending on PPC or SEO. Our clients have not seen significant traffic or conversions from these programs. And there is little value in the no follow links.

MacRAE’S Blue Book 

MacRAES Blue Book (http://www.macraesbluebook.com/) has been around since 1893. The company claims Information on over 1,200,000 North American industrial companies with more than 2 million product listings indexed under more than 50,000 product headings. They also state they see more than 200,000 visitors a month.

Programs start at $1088 annually for 15 headings and up to about $5,000 for 200 headings. A complete rate card can be found here.

Insiders Tip

Some of our advertisers have seen decent traffic from MacRae’s site. For a little over $1,000 it may be worth taking a look and finding out traffic levels for specific headings. The  site also offers users a way to send quotes to multiple advertisers with a few clicks.

On the downside, the site is loaded with banner ads and Google AdSense ads. The search results pages are just loaded with multiple ads and links so while you are paying to be listed, the company is profiting from Google on the same page.

Power Sourcing

Completely outdated requiring registration. Worth checking out for inbound links but that is it.

Process Register

Costs range from $600 to $1300 for an annual program. Links are follow links but traffic is not very substantial. Program details below

There are many many other small sites or specific Directory’s for niche markets. If you feel we have left out any major players in this space please feel free to add a comment or drop us a line at sales@agileinternetmaketing.com.

As with most Industrial directories, content is arranged by Product or Service type. Zycon has over 565,000 company  listings in over 10,000 product categories. They describe themselves as:

Zycon is a rapidly growing online industrial directory, engineering resource, and vertical search engine that directly targets buyers and sellers in the industrial, manufacturing, contract manufacturing and distribution sectors worldwide.

Zycon specifically offers a user-focused web site design, reducing the navigational steps required to find the products, companies, distributors and services worldwide that directly meet your needs.

According to the website stats they average 1,630,000 page views per year but those stats on the website are from February of 2011. Traffic is generated from a blend of organic search engine traffic, PPC and repeat usage.

How the Programs Work

Zycon offers free listings with limited information in 3 categories.

There are various levels of paid programs.  Zycon rotates placement of advertisers in three different slots – top, middle and bottom –  depending on cost of program.

Program options include:

-A limited “Company Logo Program” for $600 to $1400 annually which give you expanded information and a link to your website in 5 categories. You can choose top, middle or bottom third of rotating placement ads. Full details  can be found here. Below is a Basic Plus logo example:

-Display Ad Programs run from $2400 to $7200 and offer expanded listings, catalog information, product news and  press releases. (See Screen shot below for examples.) Complete detail on these programs are here

-The third option is a Pay-per-Click Model where advertisers may opt for a PPC program similar to Google AdWords. Programs start for as little as .25 per click and for only a $1.00 per click you gain a picture gallery/product catalog and higher position. Advertisers can also set monthly budget limits. More details here.

Insiders Tips

-While the look and feel of Zycon may seem dated, functionality is very similar to ThomasNet. They push a pop-up box  at the Category level to assist in generating  quotes which are forwarded to Advertisers. While it may seem annoying to some, the Company claims it does drive conversions.  They say it assists searchers who are uncertain how to search or exactly what to call the product they are looking for.

-Zycon also offers a “Guaranteed Actions for Life of Program” based on the dollar amount. For example, a client spending $2400 is assured of receiving 960 “actions” which encompasses viewing company information or linking to their website. If an Advertiser does not enjoy the minimum number of conversions, Zycon will extend the program beyond the annual agreement period until the minimum is hit. While “actions” hardly equates to  orders, it is refreshing to finally see a Directory guarantee something beyond a bill.

-While most of the links on Zycon are Nofollow, they will allow one “follow” link in one category of the advertisers choosing.  For those concerned with link building, this is another advantage. And while only one follow link is allowed, it almost assures the advertiser that there will be very few follow links on that page which will greatly increase the value. Zycon has a Home Page Toolbar PR of 4, a SEOMOZ Domain Authority of 49, and a Home Page Authority of 57 for you Link Building geeks out there.

CONCLUSION

Zycon is certainly much smaller than ThomasNet or GlobalSpec in both activity and Brand recognition but they also have a much lower cost of  entry. They also are willing to offer at least a minimum actions guarantee which is more than alost any other Industrial Directory will do. And they are willing offer a PPC program for companies who want to try out the service and measure results on a monthly basis with the option of converting to an annual program if volume and conversions warrant.

Some of our clients have had success with Zycon in terms of number of quotes generated. While the volume is lower than others, the conversion of quotes to RFQ’s has been favorable. We think Zycon is worth a try depending on the Category and budget. As always, it is advisable to set up your Analytics to measure the effectiveness of all of your online investments. Below is an example of how you can set up Google Analytics to tell you where your online RFQ’s are coming from (read full tutorial on measuring  online conversion for custom manufacturers)

Based on the wide variety of Program options including PPC, the value of a relevant, thematic  and high PR link, we fell Zycon is worth a try for most Industrial firms. The salespeople are knowledgeable and helpful in crafting the correct program for you. Insure your Analytics are up to par and give it a try.

Visit our Industrial SEO page for more information on generating traffic for Industrial companies.

Company – Major National Laser and Welding Services Firm

Objective - Obtain Page 1 Ranking for 10 key terms, increase RFQ’s, adjust other online  marketing investments.

Results 

• Achieved  Page 1 rankings in Top 3 positions in 8 of 10 keywords
• Organic traffic increased 55% in first year.
• RFQ’s increased 44%
• Decreased Industrial Directory spending by $15,000 while increasing RFQ’s
• Decreased bounce rate by 12% with more qualified traffic
• Improved tracking and origins of RFQ’s

In summary, we greatly increased quality RFQ’s while eliminating wasteful spending on other ineffective online spending.

Every client and every challenge is different, but if you are an Industrial firm, we can make you more effective and successful online. Call us today to discuss your challenges.

For other client stories, read our Testimonials

Overview

GlobalSpec was founded in 1996 and claims to have over 7,000,000 registered users. They were acquired by IHS earlier this year.

GlobalSpec is different than most Industrial directories in two ways. First, it requires registration and provides this contact information to advertisers. Second, they attempt to keep the user within GlobalSpec as opposed to driving them to advertisers websites.

GlobalSpec also has expanded beyond a simple directory. They have branched into searchable catalogs, newsletters, online events, online trade shows and a  banner advertising network.

How the Programs Work

Directory Program – Global Spec has a standard directory that is similar to ThomasNet and others but incorporates their Spec Search technology allowing the user to narrow down their choices  by selecting attributes of the product or service (see below)

Users can also compare different products and catalogs from different manufacturers. As you can see, GolbalSpec works to keep the advertisers on the site and not send them to individual manufacturers websites.

Ranking is also by Alphabetical sort for all advertisers followed by non-paid listings with much less content.

The big push with GlobalSpec is “lead nirvana” since they are providing full contact information. (See a sample of leads below)

Cost for Directory programs are $18,000 for a one year period and they often offer a 6 month trial program at

Newsletters

GS also published over 70 product and industry newsletters which they sell display advertising. Most of the advertisements are more “advitorials” They claim that 95% of subscribers are Global Spec registered users and that 60% of subscribers read the newsletters. Subscriber base for each newsletter ranges from about 20,000 to over 200,000. Prices are sold in three different packages and range from about $2,000 to over $6,000 per issue. Sample newsletter below.

Online Trade shows and Events

GlobalSpec has made a big push into online trade shows and events. Cost for exhibiting at events ranges from about $5,000 to over $10,000. For a list of upcoming events visit http://beta.globalspec.com/events/upcoming events.

Insiders Tips

A few things to consider with GlobalSpec:

-Regardless of the number of categories you are listed in, the price is basically the same. So if you are a niche manufacturer, you will probably not see a ton of traffic. However, if you are a broad-line manufacturer or distributor, you may be listed in a variety of headings generating more leads. As always, it is important to measure your activity and conversions so you KNOW what activity you are generating.

-Contact information of their registered users is shared with many advertisers leaving the question of how “hounded” these folks may be from Advertisers they did not request information from. And if a prospect was truly interested in a manufacturer, wouldn’t they initiate contact? And are you left chasing “names” that are not really leads?

Conclusion

GlobalSpec has introduced some fairly slick technology and continue to innovate with Online events. The Newsletters may be a point of interest for larger companies looking for new branding opportunities. As for the smaller manufacturers, it is a significant investment to be listed on the site. Our clients have had mixed results, so it is difficult to  issue broad statements as to effectiveness of the marketing dollars. It would be best to determine exact Categories and look at the activity and user base before making a commitment.

NEXT INSTALLMENT

Look for our next installment where we look at some of the second tier players including IQS, Zycon and Process Register.

Click here and order your items or click on any of the images for your savings

And remember you can use this for:

IntelliSkin Promo Code

PostureCue V-Tee Promo Code

Foundation Shirt 2.0 Promo Code

Foundation Posture Cue Tank Promo Code

Empower Posture Cue Sports Bra Promo Code

Overview

ThomasNet is the granddaddy of Industrial Directories established over 100 years ago. The “Big Green Books” as they were called in most companies, adorned the walls of most Purchasing Agents and Engineers across the country. Thomas Register was considered the “Bible” for sourcing industrial suppliers and very few manufacturers did not have some presence in the books. The company is still privately held and does not disclose annual sales figures.

The Internet changed that stranglehold and niche Thomas enjoyed and the company started to diversify online finally eliminating the books in 2005.  Today the site lists over 600,000 supplier in 67,000 product categories. Thomas  also branched out in to Web Publishing Services including websites, proprietary Catalog Management System, CAD, and a Newsroom.

How the Programs Work

While ThomasNet has expanded the array of offerings, the great majority of revenue is from Directory listings. Suppliers buy ranking under a selected Category competing on an annual basis for top ranking. For example, a Metal Stamping supplier might spend $25,000 to rank at the top of the “Metal Stamping” heading while other categories might cost only $270 to rank at the top of the page.  Advertisers are displayed in order of total spending for that Category with non-paid suppliers appearing below. Each Category has a total of 25 suppliers listed on the page.  Each category is a separate bid or auction. Pricing is not based on activity or clicks although advertisers are given historical data regarding activity at each heading.

Searchers on ThomasNet have a variety of options to sort results and can either click on a Company profile or link directly to the Advertisers site.  Users  of ThomasNet can also Monthly Activity reports are emailed to Advertisers the following months showing activity from the ThomasNet site.

Cost of Average Program

There are no specific cookie cutter programs as each Advertiser decides what and how many Categories they wish to advertise under. As noted, some headings are very competitive and may cost tens of thousands to appear on the Top 3 while lesser and more niche Categories have few if any advertisers (and traffic perhaps). Generally, the average program cost is about $7,000 per year. Programs are for a term of one-year and are not cancellable and Thomas does not offer trial programs. Advertisers may adjust programs on an annual basis. Thomas sells primarily through a network of Independent sales agents but also has expanded a direct telesales department as well. Most reps will not offer programs below $2,000 to new advertisers.

Source of Traffic and Demographics

A majority of the traffic on the Thomas site originates from either organic ranking on Google or via PPC programs. It is believed that ThomasNet has seen a decline in organic Google traffic since the Google algorithm change and Panda updates in 2011. They seem to have dramatically increased their PPC efforts since the change. Some believe as much as 70% OF TRAFFIC  is via Google.

Insiders Guide

Line any marketing effort, measuring effectiveness is key but often difficult for custom manufacturers and service companies. Also, for some companies, one inquiry may result in a $100,000 order and easily justify the cost of a five figure investment. That said, let’s look at some of the intricacies of a Thomas program.

Insider TIP # 1 Ranking formula

 Industrial Directories, including ThomasNet are not cheap. For suppliers who are used to spending $1 to $2.00 per click may be alarmed when they see what they pay per visitor from a ThomasNet. For the clients we manage, $70 to $100 per visitor is not unheard of. While that may seem ludicrous to some, if the traffic converts then your ROI may be justified. All the traffic in the world at $1.00 per click is worthless if it does not turn into orders.  To see more on how to measure conversions see out post here

As we mentioned, Advertisers select a Category and decide how much money they want to spend to rank high on that Category. Generally a Sales Rep may share with you where each Advertiser is spending money so you can decide how to position yourself. Make sure you know the following:

Total Traffic Under that Category

Total Clicks to Advertisers Website for that Category

Spend for Each Advertiser by position.

(see graphic representation Example only. Not real statistics)

There is often a “sweet spot” where you can position yourself to maximize your rank while minimizing your spend. In this supposed example, the third ranked supplier is spending $24,500 while the fourth ranked supplier is spending $19,000. You best return would be to spend $19,500 and rank fourth. Unlike AdWords, your bid is not dynamic and adjusted to others in the process. You need to pull this information from your sales rep and take some item to analyze. Thomas actually uses points with each point costing $270 but the process is the same. Again you need to analyze

Activity at heading

Dollars/points  spent at each position

Find your sweet spot.

Insider Tip #2   

Analyze Only Traffic From Paid Headings

Each advertiser  will be listed under the Category he is paying for as well as any related headings. For example a Metal Stamping company may buy ranking under “Metal Stamping” but may be listed under  another 50 categories such as “Stampings”, Precision Stampings, Eyelets, Deep Drawing etc. While it may be a source of additional traffic beyond your paid Categories, many of the headings are very broad and will not be very relevant. Also, your ranking under these headings might be 255 out of 500 suppliers so obviously any activity would almost surely come from people prospecting on the site. The directory is very complete and is used as a prospecting tool so much of that activity may be the China or salespeople variety. With an  Internet program you must separate the wheat and the chaff, when you analyze your Investment, you only want to include relevant traffic that you are buying.

Insider Tip #3

Measure Measure Measure. Pick your important Analytics and make sure you measure what is effective. For most of our clients, it is all about driving qualified Inquiries that turn into sales.

If you are an advertiser you want to insure you have a quick way to determine how many online Inquiries are generated by each Source. How  many quotes are coming in from ThomasNet vs. Google vs. Global Spec etc.

See this screen capture which can be quickly set up in Google Analytics and allows you to track where points of contact are coming from. While phone  calls are another discussion,  this gives you a powerful metric to determine effectiveness of each marketing channel.

At a glance you can see where your online Inquires are originating from. Offline calls will usually mimic these numbers and your salespeople can find out more as to whewre they found you (although not always as accurate in retelling).

Insider Tip #4

Position your self in the Top 3 or 5 but do not pay a premium for the top spot. Much like Adwords, being in the First Position is not always the wisest choice. Many engineers and sourcing professionals are savvy Internet users. They are capable of narrowing a search down with “their eyes” as well as with a mouse. Location, name recognition, capability, past association may all play a role in deciding which result (or results ) to click on. Generating a bunch of traffic that does not convert helps no one. Be wise and try and find a sweet spot that will garner the MOST QUALIFIED PROSPECTS as opposed to raw numbers.

Bottom Line

As with any Internet Marketing venture, you need to set goals and the ability to track those results. ThomasNet can be very expensive but if it brings a high dollar sales return, then it may be worth the risk. Remember these points  in either a new or established program.

-Follow the money (and the points.) now exactly what is being spend at each position on any category you are investing in. DON’T OVERSPEND

-Make sure the Categories are Relevant and generate significant traffic.

-Set up tracking so you know exactly how many online Inquiries are being generated.

-Compare the cost of Adwords vs the Category you are advertising in. For example, look to see what it would cost to buy the term “Metal Stamping” on Google vs the pay-per-click cost fro Thomas Net. While the conversion rate from these two channels may be different, it is a metric worth knowing.

Conclusion

We help our clients analyze their Thomas Net programs on a regular basis. In many cases we can save significant money while improving the performance of the program and instituting tracking to insure results. If you do not have the time to perform these steps yourself, give us a call to see how we may be able to help.

Call us to discuss your ThomasNet program and your Internet marketing objectives at 508-320-2625

In 0ur next Installment we look at GlobalSpec

Does Thomasnet work?

Is GlobalSpec worth the money?

Are directories still relevant in the age of Google and Social media?

How do I measure effectiveness of my marketing dollars with Industrial sites?

Is Pay per click better than ThomasNet?

With so many choices out there today, how do I determine what will work?

All of these are valid  questions and not easily answered in the ever changing landscape.

With the advent of the Internet, traditional print directories and Yellow Pages have gone through dramatic changes. Sourcing industrial products and suppliers, is radically different today than it was 10 years ago.

Much like the Yellow Pages, Industrial directories have also changed from their traditional print position and new online only directories have sprung up in the last 10 years. Today, industrial marketers are faced with a myriad of possibilities and options. How does today’s marketing department decide which directory or  niche B2B site is right for them?  With so many options available, it is very costly and difficult locating and securing position in multiple directories.

This is why we have prepared the  “Insiders Guide to Industrial Directories.”  This guide will illuminate and illustrate the strength and weakness of all of the major industrial directories on the Internet today. The guide highlights:

Cost for Average Marketing Program

Estimated Site Traffic

Source of Traffic

Site Demographics

Value of Inbound Links

History of Directory

Insiders View

We are unique having either worked directly for or with, each of these industrial sourcing sites. We have direct experience in how  the directories work from the inside, as well as measuring the effectiveness of the programs of our clients who advertise in each of these directories. The guide will assist sales and marketing professionals in choosing the right vehicle for them, and avoiding the pitfalls and wasted marketing dollars of choosing the wrong directory or program.

This week we will start out first installment as we look at the big gandaddy of all Industrial Directories….. Does ThomasNet Work? Is ThomasNet worth the money?

For the most part, the “old” sales cycle was about prospecting, cold calling, trade shows, manufacturers’ reps and good old fashioned “feet on the street”. The world doesn’t work that way anymore.

Just look at your won life never mind the convoluted sales cycle. PEOPLE DO NOT TALK TO EACH OTHER ANYMORE. Not if they can help it. We email, we text, we direct message and at all costs we avoid talking in the phone.

Parents and their kids text more than talk. Grandparents are now on Facebook and keep up that way. Workers in offices next to each other send emails instead of shouting over. We insulate today more than communicate. It just is the way it is.

And it is beyond me to reason why that is, but this I know. Prospects and web visitors are just as reluctant to talk to you. They don’t want to call your company and fear being connected to a pushy salesman or an inept customer service rep. If you provide them all the RIGHT information in the CORRECT format and make it EASY to contact you via a simple form or email, THEN they may contact you. Or if they are in a great rush, they MAY pick up the phone and call you. But only after you have answered all their questions online via your site.

SO don’t pretend you can feed prospects a hint of information and they will jump on the phone to find out more. Satisfy their needs ONLINE…after all….that is how they are searching. Feed them the answers and the qualified prospects will reach out. Otherwise, the y will reach out to your competitors sites.

1 Navigate to Business Listing

If you do not have the link to the business do a Google search for the Company name. You will see something similar to below. Make sure you click on the Reviews link to navigate directly to the Google Places listing as opposed to the company website (see arrow).

2- Write a Review Button

Next, click on the “Write a Review” button

3- Log in Prompt

You will be prompted to log in to your Gmail account. If you do not have a Gmail account you need to click on the Sign Up button in the top right hand corner.

-4 Create Account

Fill in the required information….less than 10 fields and a Captcha form.

-5 Completed Registration

After confirming you will receive a confirmation page and be ready to go.

-6 Continue to Review

After hitting continue, you will be brought back to Google Places Page or to Review Box.

-7 Write Review – Publish

Your review box may appear differently for different businesses. Restaurant will have additional areas to rate suck as Food, Service etc. Whatever the fields are, put down your two cents and publish away.