The Digital Playbookfor Manufacturers

How to Capture Digital Opportunity

Digital is changing everything. It’s changing how we shop, how we buy – and how you sell. Digital has upended everything. For manufacturers, the traditional model of brick-and-mortar is giving way to an increasingly digital world. But you already knew this.

Five Guideposts for On-Point Digital Strategy1. Transform your brand from behind-the-scenes to front-and-center.2. Get to know your consumers. 3. Make sure it all lines up. 4. Keep your channel partners happy. (Hint: make sure everybody wins.)5. Don’t underestimate the power of back-end systems.

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Ntara has helped manufacturers as diverse as Coleman, Hunter Fan, Lexmark and Simmons Beautyrest capture digital opportunity. E-commerce from scratch. Interactive sales enablement. Global website overhauls. Mobile apps for customers. You name it, we’ve very likely done it.

We’ve been in the trenches with these clients, and we’ve learned a few lessons along the way (some the hard way). All that experience, and all those lessons, are distilled right here in this playbook. So, give it a read. And when you’re ready to act, call us in. We’ll be there, shirt sleeves rolled up, ready to dig in.

Enough talk.

Digital has changed the way people shop. In a digital world, customers expect to research, shop and purchase – on demand, on any device. For manufacturers who have relied on distribution all these years, it’s time to get front-and-center in a digital way. We’ve helped many B2B stalwarts forge a connection with consumers. We overhauled Lexmark’s corporate website and e-commerce program to capture a huge increase in consumer revenue. We’re right now helping major brands launch direct-to-consumer e-commerce for the first time. And one of our all-time favorite case studies – we helped longtime client Hunter Fan connect with consumers to the tune of millions of dollars in new revenue. Hunter Fan invented the ceiling fan over a century ago, and for decades, the sales model was distribution and channel sales. As a brand, Hunter Fan operated largely behind the scenes, relying on partners to sell. But digital changed all

that. Consumers started researching online before, during and after a visit to the store. They started seeking out fan manufacturers for in-depth product information. And they wanted the option to buy online, with all the ease and convenience they’ve come to expect of online shopping. Hunter Fan needed to get into the game, and fast. We helped them do it.

Our first assignment was to overhaul Hunter Fan’s primary website to better support consumer sales and integrate a robust e-commerce engine. An effective e-commerce experience is built to support the stages and nuances of the customer’s shopping journey. Based on Ntara’s data-driven customer segmentation model and rigorous user research, we crafted a complete view of the customer journey through the stages of research-buy-support and designed the site to these exact specifications.

1. Transform your brand from behind-the-scenes to front-and-center.

increase in overall traffic

increase in international reach

increase in year- over-year revenue43% 62% 151%

*Forrester Research: The Who, When, And Why Of Visits To Manufacturer Web Sites

#1 reasonconsumers seek out

manufacturer sites is for detailed product information like specs,

benefits and accessories.

Here’s what the research tells us: consumers seek out manufacturers specifically for product specs, pricing, options and replacement parts after purchase.* There’s a trust factor here. Consumers trust manufacturers for the hard-and-fast facts about a product. Ntara helps manufacturers bolster in-store sales and increase direct-purchase revenue through digital channels.

Consumers shopping online don’t have a salesperson guiding them through the process, so they want and need help filtering options. Our job is to make it simple and intuitive – while leading consumers into a purchase. For HunterFan.com, this inspired a matchmaking approach. At HunterFan.com, consumers can search for

fans based on style, space and even personality. This is all based on a sophisticated set of algorithms that Ntara built from scratch to serve up the right options to shoppers.

We took the same shopper-centered approach when we tackled Hunter Fan’s high-end brand, Casablanca. On the back-end, CustomCasablanca.com integrates with a product information management system that contains 8 million different combinations of custom fans. But on the front-end, our interactive “fan builder” tool (and companion mobile app) enables shoppers to select all types of customizations with the click of a button – and brings them one step closer to making the purchase.

2. Get to know your consumers.

24% of surveyed shoppers used manufacturer sites as a resource to research a recent purchase.

50+% of manufacturer site

visitors have high purchase intent.

Potential user interfaces: LAPTOPSMARTPHONETABLETIN-STORE KIOSK

CustomCasablanca.com

A perfect fit for the customer from the 8+ million options

PERSONALIZED for a single person

Complexity made simple (GUIDED SELLING)

EASY-TO-USE + TRANSPARENT interface

3. Make sure it all lines up.

Alignment is more than a buzzword. Done right, it means operational efficiency, systems integration and connection with customers. We’re champions of alignment, from overhauling unwieldly corporate websites to integrating complex back-end systems. Our specialty is developing a comprehensive digital strategy that aligns with business goals, including e-commerce, sales-enablement, customer service, talent recruiting, brand alignment and operational improvements. When it comes to implementation, we’ve done it all, from campaign microsites for clients like Vidal Sassoon and AT&T to full-scale web deployments for Coleman and Lexmark.

To support a new push into D2C markets, we revamped Lexmark’s global website to put a consumer-friendly spin on it, while taking the opportunity to get their unwieldly global web presence under control. We developed a new look and feel that reflected Lexmark’s core brand and also made the site more engaging and user-friendly. To ensure standardization across their global site, we implemented a style guide that defined color, tone and style across the organization and around the world. The site totaled over 1.4 million pages of content and is accessible in over 40 languages and 172 countries.

1.4 million website pages

172 40Customized offerings for Localized into

countries languages

Creating cohesion & achieving digital alignment.

BRAND ALIGNMENTBUSINESS GOALSE-COMMERCECUSTOMER SERVICEHUMAN CAPITAL MANAGMENTOPERATIONAL EFFICIENCYCUSTOMER INTERFACES

USER DEVICESMULTIPLE LANGUAGES & CURRENCIES

...and, a seamless customer journey.

4. Keep your channel partners happy.

The best way to keep your channel partners happy is to make sure everybody wins. How do you do that? Start by carving out a clear role for your digital channels in the shopping journey, with a focus on the areas where manufacturers have the most credibility. Then, make sure you’re promoting partners all the way through and providing multiple pathways to purchase. The e-commerce sites we’ve created for Coleman, Hunter Fan, Simmons Beautyrest and Lexmark all support channel sales. From positioning the brand story to providing detailed specs,

these sites support distribution channels in a tangible way. For example, interactive customization tools and detailed product tours give shoppers an experience that just isn’t possible in a showroom.

For each of these sites, distribution partners are touted throughout – from a “where to buy” link in product pages to a location finder that connects shoppers to both brick- and-mortar and online stores.

* Forrester Research, US B2B eCommerce, May 5, 2015

27%increase in

customer retention

38% increase in AOV (Average Order Value)

B2B e-commerce is 2x

B2C commerce*

Channel conflictDuplicated advertising spending

Customer churnConsumer confusion

MarginsValidated MAP pricingTraffic to channel partners’ websitesChannel partner revenueClarified value propositionCoordinated payment gatewaysUnified fulfillmentChannel partner satisfactionVisibility throughout your online ecosystem

We take the mindset that a rising tide floats all boats, and we develop digital strategies that ensure everybody really does win.

INCREASES IN

DECREASES IN

5. Never underestimate the power of back-end systems.

We get it. The technology and back-end solutions aren’t nearly as exciting as the glitz and shine of a stunning design. But you’ve probably experienced firsthand the pain of back-end systems that went overlooked – and all the times a stunning design doesn’t work or keeps breaking. That’s why we’re serious about technology. Our team has legit technical chops, and we’re masters of integration. We take an ecosystem view to create new connection points between your systems. Not only does this ensure integration and efficiency, it also provides a multi-lens view into all your data. That aggregated data provides a rich, insightful view into customer activity.

We’re helping branded manufacturers launch D2C e-commerce for the first time. And the back-end of an e-commerce program is just as important as the front-end. Our team conducted a deep technical analysis of Simmons’ systems to pinpoint strengths, gaps and needs. Ultimately, we recommended building on the strengths of an existing CRM, with certain modifications and customizations. Not only did this provide operational efficiencies, it also meant we were able to launch e-commerce sooner. Almost a dozen different systems make up the back-end, but the customer’s experience is seamless. For the Simmons team, this level of systems integration enables maximum visibility into customer activity, plus centralized control.

*Forrester Research, The new & Emerging World of B2B Commerce

20%increase in

online traffic*

19% average annual sales growth*

52% lower order costs*

CUSTOMER

SERVICE SYSTEM

ORDER

FULFILLMENT

CRM

ERP

SECURITY

PAYMENT

GATEWAY

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OMNI-

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PIM

CDN

CMS

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CRM

ERP

SECURITY

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OMNI-

CHANNEL

ECOMMERCE

SYSTEM

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CDN

CMS

CUSTOMER

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SECURITY

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About Ntara

Learn more at ntara.com/brand

One last thing you should know about us: there’s no pretense here. We have small-town roots. Our address is at the center of a thriving (and revitalizing) corridor of Tennessee, and we like it that way. It keeps us honest. It keeps us down-to-earth. No-nonsense, no ego – we think that’s an excellent combination. Our clients tend to agree.

We started out building enterprise software from scratch over fifteen years ago. Our story begins deep in the complexities of data, engineering and technology – building business-critical platforms. And that mindset stays with us still. So, if you have an idea, but you need it built, we’re the ones who can do it.

Let’s do this.We’re ready to talk when you are.

Connect at Ntara.com/brand or call us at 423.926.8272.