Do engineers like online directories?

Posted on October 24, 2005 by Dave J.

I am preparing my talk for the InfoCommerce Conference coming up in a couple weeks. At the same time I am working on renewing my ThomasNet contract. I think you will see much of my posts leading up to the program centering around online directories.

Here’s a fun one to start…Googling “thomas register globalspec” lead to this forum discussion: Where do you find info online?, posted by someone considering GS advertising. A couple responses from the engineers:

“The company lists don’t seem to help me too much (GlobalSpec, TR, etc.) The categories are too broad, and clicking on 20 of them to find the one product I need is is a lot more difficult than letting Google do the searching.”

“It seems like TR or GlobalSpec just want to give you to an unorganized list of the paying advertisers that generally might match your search string regardless of what you are looking for, oh well.”

What these two comments imply is that using these directories requires more effort than Google. They are still left with the need to filter and/or flip thru each vendor’s site. Depending on the sophistication of the search, this can quickly kill the directories’ chance to help.

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  • Evad

    Hi Dave,One thing most overlook is the need to be including in these directories in order for the organic Google search to pull content. In order for Google to reference something of quality, it must be listed inside a quality content framework. It’s hard for one to exist without the other.Fortino

  • Evad

    Hi Dave,One thing most overlook is the need to be including in these directories in order for the organic Google search to pull content. In order for Google to reference something of quality, it must be listed inside a quality content framework. It’s hard for one to exist without the other.Fortino

  • Anonymous

    There is a primary difference with GlobalSpec and Thomas though. GlobalSpec has an advanced search box that allows searchers to input specs, update results and only see products and suppliers that can meet their spec-based search.

  • Anonymous

    There is a primary difference with GlobalSpec and Thomas though. GlobalSpec has an advanced search box that allows searchers to input specs, update results and only see products and suppliers that can meet their spec-based search.

  • Anonymous

    How often do engineers fill out the RFQ for the companies they find in Globalspec, only to find that the company cant manufacture the product. Many times the request if for a custom product, and this is why Global spec some times fails.

  • Anonymous

    How often do engineers fill out the RFQ for the companies they find in Globalspec, only to find that the company cant manufacture the product. Many times the request if for a custom product, and this is why Global spec some times fails.

  • Anonymous

    When I want to zero in on a specfic item on thomasnet I use the industrial web feature. I recently noticed this tab. Apparently Thomas spiders all of the sites in their database so that you can search beyond their heading structure. It works pretty well when you want to find a specific item.

  • Anonymous

    When I want to zero in on a specfic item on thomasnet I use the industrial web feature. I recently noticed this tab. Apparently Thomas spiders all of the sites in their database so that you can search beyond their heading structure. It works pretty well when you want to find a specific item.

  • John

    Industrial Web is anew feature on ThomasNet I just found as well. It seems the info is very specific and I am using it about 30% to get the results I need. I also don’t have to wade through pdf’s or white pages to get to the info or company I need.

  • John

    Industrial Web is anew feature on ThomasNet I just found as well. It seems the info is very specific and I am using it about 30% to get the results I need. I also don’t have to wade through pdf’s or white pages to get to the info or company I need.