Spinning A Web Mentality

Now that Cyrel has the infrastructure in place and the experience under its belt to sell on-line, it can be proactive in marketing and selling other products in a similar manner instead of waiting until customers ask to buy their products on-line.

At Elkhart, IN-based Atlas Die, the U.S.'s second largest diemaker, the Web site strategy implemented two years ago is simple but effective. In Atlas' efforts to communicate with customers and potential customers, "We see the Internet as a viable sales tool to supplement current sales methods," says Jean Osborne, coordinator, human resources/marketing. The site's home page (www.atlasdie.com) has an immediate and obvious E-mail link for novice Web surfers to get additional information and a "Data Drop" E-mail link where die specifications are sent for processing into a quote or order. Osborne believes the Web cannot supplant the one-to-one communication needed to close a deal. The exception to that rule, Osborne explains, is when the customer has the correct specifications and total understanding of the product's applications.