Okay, so all the e-commerce news you read in the press is bad news. And yours is a small business that until two years ago didn't even have a Web site. You're definitely not ready to have your customers order online—at least not yet. Can you still hope to generate some interest, and maybe a few sales leads, from that Web site?

You can if it's an open, friendly, and informative site like those we've profiled here. These converter sites aren't particularly high-tech or flashy. But they're generating sales leads by the dozens, opening up new markets, and serving the needs of small customers that converters can't economically sell to in the traditional way.

"Within the next six months our customers will be able to order both our stock and custom items in a touchless transaction," says Brian Malloy, director of marketing for Marfred Industries, Sun Valley, CA. "But for now, this site is generating six to 10 inquiries per day, 200 inquiries per month, and 8-10 percent of them turn into sales." (Editor's note: Marfred's corrugated and folding-carton converting operations were extensively profiled in our May 2001 issue, pp. 52-56.)

Colorful and well-organized, the home page lists the dizzying number of product categories customers can order from, plus links to their catalog items, ordering information, order-tracking inquiry fields, and even current "Closeout Specials." The company's 800 number is prominently displayed on all pages in case a phone call is needed. A "College of Knowledge" contains basic information on ordering and using Marfred's various products, by category. There's even a Virtual Bubble Wrap area where visitors can click on a bubble-wrap cell and hear that satisfying little "pop."

"These Web site inquiries represent new business for us," Malloy says. "They come either from companies in Northern California, where it's still economical for us to ship to, or from geographical locations where we don't have reps."

Okay, so it's not a converter site—the company buys and sells used converting equipment. But, according to sales manager Chuck Lincoln, the Web site is a powerful tool for Margot Machinery, Inc., Scotia, NY. His company faces cutthroat competition from other used-equipment companies, and the converting market is ready for Internet buying, according to Lincoln.

"In 1998, we polled our customers and prospects and found that less than 10 percent had access to the Internet at work," said Lincoln. "Now, it's over half."

Margot's site, while hardly fancy, would be a valuable first stop for anyone looking for used equipment. And obviously the listing of used equipment available is more up-to-date online. Visitors can fill out a form asking for specific pieces, browse the inventory, or request an appraisal of pieces they're looking to sell. The site generates "many leads," Lincoln says.

From the cheerful bucking shopping cart on the home page, to the frequent reminders to pick up the phone and talk to an "experienced and courteous HUMAN" if that's your preference, this is a site that aims to be friendly while hoping to serve customers as a "single source."

It's not fancy, but the Web home of Plus Packaging, Morristown, NJ, is well-laid-out, simple to navigate and promotes a simple message: here's what we make, here's why ours is better, and here's how much it costs and how long it will take to ship. It describes several ways of placing an order, and includes an e-order form for existing customers with established credit.

"To market our specialized packaging products beyond our home area, we needed to maximize the use of technology," explains Plus Packaging president Lee Dornfeld of his site, which went live in early 2000. "We expected to increase our business base, but could never have anticipated the response we got. We now have accounts from Alaska to Puerto Rico—before, we rarely landed business beyond a 100-mile radius. Our closing rate has dramatically improved, and our profits are increasing."

Plus Packaging sales staff are religious about analyzing leads. Where do they come from? How much do customers spend? Dornfeld has also established several other URLs he calls "doorway" pages, such as www.tradeshowbags.com, that drive more traffic to the main site.

Another project is a possible link back to the site from that of United Parcel Service, since Plus Packaging also sells mailing supplies. His overall aim is for Plus Packaging products to pop up in more Internet searches and links. "We're a real-world example of how the Internet can be used by small businesses to stand up to the big guys," Dornfeld concludes.

If you found this article helpful, ENTER 240 or Inquire Online.