G3: Industry insiders talk glass

Commercial

Mic Patterson, director of strategic development, Enclos Corp., Eagan, Minn.

"Enclos has built its business largely on the basis of word-of-mouth promotion and a high percentage of repeat clients, with only minimal utilization of the Web--not a prescription for well developed Internet muscle. While recognizing the power of the Web as a communications medium, we have done little to tap this power beyond the development of an 'online brochure.'

"We have recently launched a major research and development initiative aimed at what we have identified as emerging requirements for the building skin. The initiative includes major development of our Web assets as a means of getting the yield from this research to the marketplace. We do not regard this primarily as a matter of promotion, but as a strategy of using the Web as a medium for getting closer to our clients, using what we learn to develop products and services more finely tuned to our clients' needs, and providing online resources that can be of significant value to our clients regarding the technology of glass and the building skin."

Retail

Gary Dean, CEO, Bohle America Inc., Charlotte, N.C.

"Bohle has extensively used the Internet since 2001 as a core pillar of its marketing strategy. The Bohle Group in Europe was the first company in the industry to create an interactive online shop for its customers where they could get full product information, order and track deliveries.

"Since the launch of Bohle America in 2008, we have focused on our standalone U.S. Web site [www.bohleamerica.com] as the core driver of product information. The key advantage for us in the early stages of the U.S. entity was--and still is--that we were able to add product daily as we learned more about the market's requirements and price points. Our U.S. Web site, from its inception, was designed to reflect our unique North American product offerings. It continues to be a central component of our marketing strategy.

"By allowing customers, through a short pre-qualification, to register online and make purchases by credit and debit card, or charge to a pre-approved credit account, we are able to ensure a smooth and easy order process. The instant nature of the Web site allows us to tailor special offers and make promotions come alive in a way never possible through a catalog or indeed a static 'brochure-ware' Web presence. The Internet is truly a pivotal marketing tool for Bohle."

Fabrication

Kris Vockler, vice president, operations, ICD High Performance Coatings, Vancouver, Wash.

"We use several Web solutions and tools, the most important of which is our main Web site [www.icdcoatings.com]. It’s important to monitor your Web site so as to always keep it dynamic and moving. Not only will new potential customers come more often, but new ideas for marketing and promotion will spur from this. Many of our new product ideas come from inquiries on our Web site. [We also use the Web to ensure] all industry-specific Web sites have the most up-to-date information about us. Often they will populate Web site information based on other’s Web sites, [so] ensuring they have correct info is key. Lastly, we try to use industry Web sites by creating technical and informative articles that our potential or current customer base would get information from. The Web is second nature now; our information is on it and spreading across it. It’s a huge tool for communicating."