Marketing Directions 2013

July 17th, 2013 • BY

E-commerce will grow significantly in the professional cleaning industry and will evolve into “m-commerce,” (mobile-commerce) allowing end users to view and buy janitorial tools and equipment on smart phones, tablets, and other mobile devices, according to Robert Kravitz, president of AlturaSolutions Communications, a marketing and public relations firm for the jansan and building industries.

 

“End customers using their smart phones for purchasing will evolve into a primary conduit for doing business in 2013, and this will benefit both the customer and the manufacturer/distributor merchant,” says Kravitz.

 

“It will allow merchants to better track purchases, understand who their customers are, what they are looking for, and [monitor what type of customer] is purchasing what, when.”

EMERGING TRENDS

Other marketing directions Kravitz foresees emerging in 2013 include:

• NEW APPS. Manufacturers, distributors as well as cleaning contractors and carpet cleaners will develop “apps” for their businesses for both marketing and purchasing.

 

• SOLID FOOTING. Social media will get bigger. “While social media has struggled in the B2B market in general and the jansan industry specifically, it is not going away and will start finding its marketing footing in 2013.”

 

• MORE CONTENT. Online content will grow in importance. “Online content is simply much more versatile. It can be shared with others, placed on social media, added to blogs, etc.”

 

• STRONGER VOICE. End customers will be more outspoken. “Marketing opportunities and perils will grow in 2013 because end customers will no longer be afraid to express their thoughts [(good or bad)] on jansan product and equipment on social media sites.”

According to Kravitz, studies indicate as many as 92 percent of people trust the recommendations of friends, families, peers, and others posted online.”

“Starting in 2013, jansan manufacturers, distributors as well as cleaning contractors will have no choice but to pay very close attention to what end customers say about them and their products online.”