Distributor News

One of the most common goals for a B2B website is lead generation. Yet B2B marketers consistently identify lead quality as their #1 challenge. Here are four proven techniques to improve the quality of your search-generated leads.

First, track and evaluate raw inquiries and accepted leads.

• Raw inquiries include every contact record generated by your marketing program
• Accepted leads are a subset of these inquires and are typically those that contain legitimate and desirable contact information.

For example, before loading inquiries into a lead tracking system, many companies eliminate records with bogus email addresses, or inquiries associated with competitors, current customers, students or consultants.

The following is an editorial by U.S. Small Business Administration Region 2 Administrator Jorge Silva-Puras.

Made in America is hot again.

In New York, K.Y. Chow has seen his business, GM Printing, create nearly 30 jobs over the past several years. Amidst the recession, Chow took advantage of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Certified Development Company Program, also known as the 504 Loan Program, to purchase larger facilities where he could accommodate new equipment and production areas, in order to meet the growing demand for his offset printing products.

U.S. stocks were solidly higher Thursday as investors cheered the release of two stronger-than-anticipated reports on the jobs market.

The Dow Jones industrial average gained 96 points, or 0.8 percent; the S&P 500 was up 13 points, or 1 percent; and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 38 points, or 1.4 percent.

Retail stocks were the top performers Thursday after several retailers reported better-than-expected June sales. Urban Outfitters was the best performer on the S&P 500, up more than 6 percent, followed closely by Target, Kohl's and Limited Brands.

Finally techdom is talking about something other than Apple, and probably it's more important.

When dinosaurs ruled the earth, what creature then could have imagined that someday mammals, which were smaller and eventually smarter, would replace them? Fast-forward to the present. For all the talk about the handsome or the beautiful, it's the geeks, not the athletes, that people listen to. Right now techdom is incessantly chattering about Google+. There's simply no way to turn down the volume.

Benchmark Capital Partners LLC announced today, the signing of an exclusive agreement with Inventive Media Inc. for the, production, marketing and distribution of the patented and marketing innovative, EZIPOP brochure and point of purchase display systems.

For counter display or as a product dispenser, EZIPOP is the visually high-impact and budget-conscious alternative to plastic Point of Purchase or Point of Sale counter-display and dispenser units. EZIPOP can be supplied ready to "pop up," to display brochures; can be pre-filled and shrink-wrapped, or supplied flat for cost-effective shipping and convenient storage.

On Friday, July 1, the PPAI announced that the association had reached a new membership record. R-n-R Promotions Inc., Alexandria, Va., became the 9,000th promotional products company to join the trade association.

Cybercrime has become big business and cyber criminals are looking for new targets. Bubbling up to the top of the list are small- and mid-size businesses.

In a recent article, I shared a personal story about what appeared to be uncaring customer service from VIZIO TV. I'd like to update you on the positive way this ended and add to the discussion on the importance of quality customer service.

PPAI announced Wendy Franklin, MAS, a promotional marketing consultant with Geiger and an avid volunteer for Promotional Products Association of the Midwest (PPAM), as the 2011 PPAI Regional Association Council (RAC) Volunteer of the Year.

(Reuters) - The global manufacturing sector grew at its slowest pace in June in nearly two years, when the latest upturn began, as factories in Europe and Asia saw a drop off in new orders, a survey showed on Friday.

The Global Manufacturing PMI, compiled by JP Morgan with research and supply organisations, fell in June to 52.3 from 53.0 in May, its lowest reading since July 2009.