Smarter online marketing

Over the years of writing this column, readers have asked me about ways to generate sales for a machine shop. In 2014, advertising and marketing any business to generate sales almost always includes an online presence. That means not only developing a Web site, but also participating in social media.

Most importantly, however, is being found on the Internet when prospects are searching. In other words, if a legitimate prospect is seeking a parts supplier in your area, he typically conducts a search for “machine shop,” “machining supplier” or a similar term. The question becomes, how do you ensure your machine shop appears at or near the top in those searches?

Online search technology has opened up tremendous opportunities for shops of every niche and size to expand their reach by being found on search engines, but accomplishing that requires time and money. That’s because getting found in searches is an evolving process and awareness of certain strategies is important. I recommend hiring an outside consultant or Web site developer to help, unless you have a technology guru on staff who understands this world. Most machine shops don’t have that luxury.

If you don’t already have a decent Web site, get a professional to develop one or update what you’ve got. You’ll likely need your Web developer to optimize it for search effectiveness by working with a search-engine-optimization consultant. A good SEO consultant will set up relevant categories with the search company to ensure your Web site and listings are found in the first few pages of results.

Of course, SEO consultants are going to recommend robust online marketing as an integral part of a company’s promotional efforts. Many will claim they have the magic formula and can take your company to the top of search lists, but know that getting there doesn’t come cheap. Also, understand that no one company indefinitely stays at the top of all general search results.

When choosing Web developers and SEO consultants to bolster your shop’s online exposure, another factor to consider is that marketing a machine shop is a different animal than marketing a retail store or other consumer business. That’s not to say there aren’t common traits, but in my experience, most marketing “experts” have little or no experience with industrial, business-to-business marketing. When they give the big sales pitch, request specific references for manufacturers they have worked with and see if they provide any. If they can’t, be patient and evaluate others.

I meet search-engine/internet marketing gurus at business functions who salivate at the thought of a big industrial client and they’ll sell hard to get it. Understand the expense of hiring an SEO consultant who guarantees you’ll appear on top of Google’s search page: Even if you are initially found on the first page, it’s a never-ending game to stay there because every other consultant is guaranteeing their clients the same thing. Or you can try paid listings that guarantee placement on the first page. If that’s out of your budget, that’s OK because even showing up on the second or third page of free results will expand your reach and generate new inquiries.

Getting prominently displayed in the free, organic search results is really the ultimate goal anyway, and the right experts can make this part of your sales program a cost-effective reality, even for a small machine shop. CTE