By Bridget McCrea
Ever wonder what your electrical contractors are looking for when they visit your company’s website, and whether they’re really finding what they’re searching for during those visits? In this series of short articles we’ll hear straight from the contractors themselves about what they want, whether they’re finding it (or not), and how the online experience impacts their buying decisions.
This is the third installment in this series of articles. Click on the names below to read other contractors’ comments on distributor websites:
Ray Nebiker
Terry Cool
Richard Hall
Electrical Contractor: Jimmy Baltodano, purchasing, RK Electric, Inc., Fremont, Calif.
What are you looking for when you visit an electrical distributor’s website?
Most of the time I start my research process on search engines like Google, using detailed descriptions of the items that I’m looking for. Then I drill down to the electrical distributors’ sites to see which of them carry those items, view the product specifications and photos, and check stock.
Do you generally find what you’re looking for on the websites…or not?
Distributor sites have improved a lot over the last few years, but in many cases product availability does not match what’s actually in stock. So basically what I’m seeing on the web doesn’t necessarily reflect what the distributor has on hand. I usually have to take that extra step and pick up the phone to verify availability.
How does the online experience impact the way you shop for electrical products and services?
I do a great deal of research and shopping online for the various jobs that we’re working on at any given time, so it’s a pretty important part of our purchasing process.
What could distributors be doing better when it comes to their websites?
I’d like to see more PDFs or cut-sheets for specific products and better inventory accuracy.
—
McCrea is a Florida-based writer who covers business, industrial, and educational topics for a variety of magazines and journals. You can reach her at bridgetmc@earthlink.net or visit her website at www.expertghostwriter.net.
Tagged with tED