Why Manufacturers Need to “Stop Being the Best Kept Secret” with Curt Anderson

Curt Anderson, author of the fantastic book “Stop Being the Best-Kept Secret: Manufacturing eCommerce Strategies,” and eCommerce Evangelist for Manufacturers at Ecommerce MGMT, is an eCommerce whizz with some great tips to share.

In this episode of Manufacturing Happy Hour, Curt shares how he first dived into the world of eCommerce. He explains why he wants to help manufacturers get on that path too. He discusses the common mistakes that custom manufacturers make and why they should “niche down” and focus on their “soulmate” customers for the best chance of success.

He shares his thoughts on the wider industry, why the big marketplaces are so successful, and why you should always aim to make a great first “webpression.”

In this episode, find out:

• How when Curt discovered eCommerce, it was like “a dream come true”
• Why Curt wants to help custom manufacturers have a digital transformation
• What the entrepreneurial curse is
• Why manufacturers need to niche down
• How finding your “soulmate” customer can transform your growth
• Why online marketplaces are the place to be
• Why you should treat your website like a five-star resort

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “Who is that ideal dream customer? In the book, I call them “soulmates” …basically, your website is a matchmaker, so who can we really connect with?”
• “There's a lot of different marketplaces that you can take advantage of. And what are they doing? They make that great first impression because they have multimillion if not billion-dollar budgets. So put your products on the marketplaces.”
• “Stop being the best-kept secret. So say you're rocking it, you've got the best website on the planet, you've got to dominate search.”

Links & mentions:

• Ecommerce MGMT, a place for digital and eCommerce resources for manufacturers.
• Stop Being the Best Kept Secret: Manufacturing eCommerce Strategies, Curt’s fantastic book on building an effective eCommerce strategy.

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.