So on Tuesday, I posted a prediction that the next challenge for B2B marketing is integration and tools. Here’s an example:
George Fischer Signet has built a Flash web app System Selection Tool that lets engineers select sensors and instrumentation for their application.
This is simply an automated ‘selection wizard’ that helps confirm you’ve selected the right sensor, then lets you configure it with the correct connectors and outputs. As you select choices in the wizard, the application grays-out those sensors that don’t meet your requirement. Then you add the parts to a virtual order sheet.
It’s Flash, it’s not perfect, but it gets the job done the way a static web page or shopping cart can’t. They also have a nice B2B 1.0 application library that I’ll bet most B2B sites don’t have (mine is pretty lame compared to theirs).
I’ll restate myself from the other day: The bar is being raised!
I think one of the bigger problems with B2B 2.0 is usage. I don’t think people are readily using all this new technology even though it’s there.For example, I started my Broadgate Business Financial LLC on the premise that I could use all this cool new web tools like voice chat, secured instant messaging, client ftp folders, etc. to make sales. What I’m finding is that email with attachments (definitely not web 2.0) and a good telephone are what I use 98% of the time for my communications.
I think one of the bigger problems with B2B 2.0 is usage. I don’t think people are readily using all this new technology even though it’s there.For example, I started my Broadgate Business Financial LLC on the premise that I could use all this cool new web tools like voice chat, secured instant messaging, client ftp folders, etc. to make sales. What I’m finding is that email with attachments (definitely not web 2.0) and a good telephone are what I use 98% of the time for my communications.