Many times, you've probably heard the following statements: You should be online; people are searching for your company online; if you are not online, you are missing out on opportunities.

These statements are not incorrect, but they are lacking in information. Being online is one thing, but having a strong online presence should be the ultimate goal — this is what will get you the results you seek. A strong online presence can supplement your traditional growth methods and help you get one step closer to your goal of acquiring new customers by increasing your visibility online.

The first place you should appear on search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and BING is if you want to expand your customer base. What is the reason? According to research, 4 out of 5 CNC machine buyers conduct product research online before speaking with a sales representative. When it comes to finding exactly what they're looking for quickly, industrial buyers know how to use long-tail (3-4 keyword) search terms on the internet.53% of industrial buyers make their decision in less than one month, according to the survey.

The majority of today's B2B buyers are tech-savvy millennials — 20% of millennial buyers begin their search with vendor websites, and 17% begin their search with peer recommendations. Simply put, your customers are looking for you on the internet, but they are unable to contact you if you are not present. Industrial buyers use specific services, industries, certifications, tolerances, capabilities, and types of finish keywords, among other things, in their searches — which is why having an up-to-date website that follows basic SEO practices is critical to being found on the internet. Long-tail search terms that an industrial buyer might use include: automotive stamping Cincinnati Ohio, for example. If the search phrase is vague, irrelevant results may appear; for example, if the search term was metal stamping, irrelevant results may appear.

When it comes to vetting new suppliers, having more online information such as specifications, pricing, lead time, and stock levels is critical, according to a purchasing supervisor who responded to the survey. Instead, if your website doesn't contain these keywords, your competitors may be able to get in front of those potential customers first. And, if you don't even have a website, they will be unable to find you anywhere online at all.

It is critical to keep your web pages up to date by continually refreshing or adding new content. The more relevant and up-to-date the content on your website, the greater the likelihood that it will be discovered by search engines and gain exposure.

Create compelling and useful content, according to Google's SEO Starter Guide, will most likely have the greatest impact on your website's overall ranking than any other factor. The takeaway from this is to create content that is both relevant and valuable to your audience. The purpose of your content should be to inform; it should provide answers to the questions that buyers frequently ask about your products or servicesThe most common questions buyers have are about how they found you in the first place. And by responding to these questions, you increase your chances of appearing on search engines for relevant search terms in the future. Placing forms throughout your website and providing other means for visitors to contact you — such as a phone number and email address — will help to ensure that you are collecting the information you need and that RFQs are being generated effectively. Buyers today expect a response time of at least 24 hours after submitting an RFQ, so make sure you respond in a timely manner. If a prospective customer has to wait too long before hearing back from you, they may decide to go with a competitor rather than you.44% of industrial buyers said they expect a response in less than 24 hours, with 7% expecting a response in as little as a few hours, according to a recent buying survey.

If you're just getting started in digital marketing and content creation, it can be difficult to come up with ideas, but if you're CNC machining company, you already have a lot of material to work with. Following the rest of this post, here are some additional resources to assist you on your journey:

Some job shops believe that they have included everything that they need to include on their website and that nothing significant has changed since they created it. However, this is most likely not the case, as your industry is awash in new information that you should share with your customers and prospects. Concentrate on your own personal strengths. Inquire of your current customers about why they enjoy doing business with you, and inquire of your employees about what they enjoy most about being a part of your team.