Online and on target with the Internet
By John J Keough -- Industrial Distribution, 5/1/1998
The growth of the Internet continues to soar at an incredible rate. One report says that nearly 85 percent of manufacturers now have their own home page and that more than 1,600 home pages are added to the World Wide Web daily.At Industrial Distribution magazine, we've seen an explosive rate of visitors to our own home page. We were one of the first magazines to establish such a page more than three years ago and today thousands of readers click on to it every month and are staying longer. In addition, we've presented live reports directly from some of distribution's major events, the most recent being Industrial Distribution Day at National Manufacturing Week.
To keep up with the changes taking place in the technology area, ID has redesigned its home page to make it more user friendly. We've made it easier to click to the various sections on the site. Today's breaking headline news and our Web exclusive discussion forums can be viewed simply by clicking on the listing included in the left button bar. Also, our home page is where you can see the latest in new products with the click of a button.
Distributors tell us that they're constantly searching for new products to complement their existing lines. That is why during the past few years we have increased the number of products offered each month in the pages of ID as well as introducing a product tabloid three times a year. Distributors seeing advertisements for new products have traditionally used the "bingo'' card in the magazine to get information on these new products. However, that can be a time consuming process and it could be many weeks before a distributor gets a response.
But that is changing. Beginning next month, we're pleased to announce a new instant fulfillment program. Manufacturers advertising in the magazine will now have the opportunity to put a unique URL on the advertisement. Distributors, using the Internet, can go to that site and obtain detailed product information through electronic brochure pages. That means that a distributor can get information on a new product in less than 60 seconds. This can be an important way for you to gain instant information.
More and more distributors are using the Internet, according to ID's 51st Annual Survey of Distributor Operations. A total of 64 percent of respondents indicated they had access to the Internet while another 11 percent said they would have access this year. Those figures are certain to grow. And how's this for an interesting statistic: Last year there were more computers sold in this country than televisions. The Internet isn't going to go away. You can't afford to ignore it.
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