Internet marketing a big success for subcontractor

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 11, 2001

At a time of great anxiety for the engineering sector, Charles Sanders of Apperley Honing is urging fellow subcontractors and engineers to make sure they market themselves properly on the internet

At a time of great anxiety for the engineering sector Charles Sanders, Managing Director of Apperley Honing, is urging fellow subcontractors and engineers to make sure that they market themselves properly on the internet.

Expecting a lean period at the end of 2001, the company has in fact filled its order books.

Sanders puts much of this success down to a decision at the start of the year to actively promote his company on the internet.

Sanders stated: "We were expecting the autumn and winter months to be quiet, as one of our main contracts earlier this year was to design and build a honing facility for one of our biggest European subcontract customers, Bruno Dockweiler GmbH.

This obviously had implications on our subcontract work once their plant was operational." Anticipating the impact this would have, Apperley upgraded its marketing at the beginning of the year - with the internet playing a pivotal role.

With another major client moving its manufacturing operations from the UK to mainland Europe and the ramifications of the US terrorist attacks and their consequent impact on the aerospace sector, the last quarter of the year should indeed have been very bleak.

However, Sanders continued: "We're receiving, on average, 3 enquiries directly from the website each day - which is no mean feat in itself.

Obviously these and other enquiries take a while to convert, but the net result has been that we've brought in more new business than ever before and have been able to "ride out the storm" of a potentially disastrous period for our sector." With many companies, not just in engineering, finding that their websites have proved ineffective as sales lead generators Sanders has highlighted the need to actively generate interest in the company to drive potential customers to visit the website.

He added: "With more and more websites appearing on the internet each day it's increasingly difficult to be found by your potential customers even though they may be searching specifically for a service that your company provides.

That's why we got to work on our advertising and especially our PR." With a great deal to tell the industry this year, the company sent out regular news stories to the relevant engineering media.

With many of these having on-line engineering sites themselves, or stating the company's web address in print, the end result was that the right people have been directed to its site and ultimately become valuable sales enquiries.

Sanders added: "You don't need to have an all singing and dancing site.

You can have the best site in the world - but if your target audience can't find it then it's a waste of money.

Importantly it needs to provide your potential clients with the information that they are looking for such as plant and capacity lists and an overview of your company's activities.

Our site is simple and straightforward and by driving traffic to it we have been able to capitalise on its potential as a sales tool." However he warned: "If you promote your company's web address on your stationery, literature or advertisements and it looks as if it has been designed by "a friend who knows how to use a computer" the end result is that a hot sales lead channelled to the site will suddenly become stone cold, as the company suddenly takes on an amateur face.

In such cases you're better off taking it down or not publicising it, rather than conveying a negative impression of your business." Sanders concluded: "Whilst it's true that we've managed to get by without the internet in the past, it would be extremely shortsighted to ignore its impact on our future.

After all, especially if you're a small company, once someone's looking at your website, you're suddenly competing on a level playing field with larger companies - i.e the monitor screen that your customer is viewing the internet through.

So you ought to make the most of it!".