As technology continues to be an important asset to the business world, one distributor revamps its website

May 2012 - Staying on top of technology is becoming more important in the modern business world. As younger generations enter the workforce, they will look to the Web to find information on companies, products and services. If companies don’t have a website or have websites with limited information, younger consumers will take their business elsewhere.

Metal Resources Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., which sells to customer specifications, provides coil, plate, sheet and bar in carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum alloys and is a purchaser of excess and obsolete inventory, is making technology upgrades a company initiative.

“About a year ago I began working on our website,” says Michael Persky, owner. “In addition to explaining about our company and what we do, I also wanted to share with others some of the fantastic things I’ve been exposed to from being in this business for over 30 years.”

The revamp highlighted the addition of YouTube videos categorized by select industries the company serves. The videos show the many and sometimes unusual applications of fabricated metal products. Included are videos showing an open-top steel-coil train, architectural-steel building panels that change colors, and a robotic automotive-production line.

Perks
According to Persky, the website has increased sales, website traffic and overall interest in the company.

“These interesting and exciting videos have drawn more traffic to our website. It has allowed us to engage our potential customers and show them that we are experts in our field by providing them with valuable information about the products we buy and sell and the wide variety of services we provide,” says Persky.

Additionally, the website has allowed the company, whose customers consist of metal distributors, service centers and manufacturers in the United States and Canada, to share information about itself. It also provides a positive company image.

When consumers already have knowledge of the company’s capacity, phone calls become more productive and are more likely to turn into business transactions than if potential customers call without previous understanding of the company, according to Persky. For this reason, having informative ‘About Us’ and ‘Products and Services’ sections on the website is important.

“This array of information explains in an entertaining fashion what we do, why people should choose Metal Resources Inc., the markets we serve and the products we deal in. By providing this information in advance, people can have an understanding of our company beforehand. It sort of anticipates any questions and answers they might have before they even call us,” he says.

The company’s website not only is serving as a resource for customers and potential customers, it is strengthening customer relationships by providing easily accessible and engaging information. Companies that choose not to implement websites often are at risk of falling behind.

Technology is changing at a growing rate. If companies have neglected the Web, they might find themselves behind the times, making websites and interactive media a daunting task to undertake. But, according to Persky, it’s never too late.

“I have not seen any other companies that have made the same technological changes to their websites,” says Persky. But, because of the success he has seen with his own company, he encourages other companies to start posting interesting and informative videos that are pertinent to their industries. He also plans to continue adding videos as they become available. MM