users worldwide. In 2008, the United States alone was expected to account for over $1 trillion of B2B e-commerce.
Before the Internet , customers had to call dow Chemical and request a specification sheet for the product they were considering. The information would arrive a few days later by mail.After choosing a product , the customer could then place an order by calling Dow (during business hours, of course). Now,such information is available through MyAccount@Dow, which provides information tailored to the customer’s requirements.For example, MyAccount@Dow offer secure internal monitoring of customer’s chemical tank level. When tanks reach a predetermined level, reordering can be automatically triggered.
Companies. Selling to business buyers face the same challenges as all marketers including determining who,exactly, the market is and how best to reach them. This is particularly difficult in business marketing because business has rapidly moved online and overseas.
Each year, BtoB Magazine identifies 10 business marketing web sites that are particularly good examples of how companies can use the web to Communicate with customer.
Exhibit 7.1 identifies the 10 great Web sites for 2008. Many of these companies have been recognized in past year for effectively communicating with their target markets.
In addition to Web sites what Web 2.0 technologies are companies using? According to a poll taken during a wwebcast regarding online marketing 64 percent