Let’s take a trip back in time. The year is 1984, the internet is in its advent, and e-commerce is a mere figment of the imagination. In the manufacturing world, like a lot of other industries, most sales and distribution occur via “door-to-door” tactics—manufacturers travel around with their actual product or examples of it, going from one construction or job site to the next. They model their products directly for their end customers, and those customers choose to purchase or not. Next is the introduction of wholesalers and resellers, big box players like Grainger and Home Depot, which offer physical brick and mortar stores, geographical expansion opportunities, and more customer “reach” than ever before—together, all of these combined provide more revenue for the manufacturer than ever before. These are the glory days!
Fast forward 35 years to present moment. It’s 2019, the age of the empowered buyer, and oh, how times have changed. The old ways of manufacturing sales have been completely disrupted by digital experiences & technology. Fewer and fewer sales are happening in stores or over the phone, let alone at job sites. The only sites that matter now are web sites, which are no longer just a nice-to-have, but a necessity. If you aren’t getting in front of your buyer through online channels, you’re at a severe disadvantage, and if you don’t make a change, you could easily lose your business. Especially with behemoths like Amazon on your tail.
If these current times have you thinking “holy sh*t!,” you’re not alone. In fact, a lot of manufacturers are feeling the pressure. And that’s why we at SHIFT7 Digital work solely with manufacturers, helping them to ‘fast forward’ out of the past and into the future that is happening right now.
In an all-new, totally original video series, we will educate manufacturers on the digital tools they need to know and use every day to better this part of their business. I’m talking online experiences, digital marketing, product information management, and how to master e-commerce.
Welcome to the path forward, or as we like to call it, the Holy Shift moment.
Stay tuned for next week’s episode, “The Future was Yesterday.”
Future Proof series, our team of experts will walk you through how you can take control of your digital experiences, start to finish. From creating a roadmap to understanding your customers and everything in between, this series will take you from “holy $#*!t” to “holy shift.” Welcome to the path forward.