Case Study: How a Manufacturer Increased Sales 30% by Using the Right Vertical Search Engine

Company: RUD Chain, Inc.
Contact: Greg Luerkens, President and Managing Director
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Industry: B2B
Annual revenue: $18,000,000
Number of employees: 30

Quick Read:

A Web site isn't much of a marketing tool if your target audience can't find it. Officials at RUD Chain, a manufacturer of high-end industrial chains, discovered that access to a quality vertical search engine was the missing link to getting its Web site in front of key customers.

Until a few years ago, RUD Chain advertised primarily on general commerce-oriented Web sites and in trade magazines. But those avenues produced few sales leads. Moreover, potential and existing customers told the company they had trouble finding its Web site.

Greg Luerkens, president and managing director of RUD, said he was looking for a new marketing strategy when he was approached by GlobalSpec, a specialized search engine for engineers. Because engineers were his key customers, and GlobalSpec offered a range of support services, Luerkens gave it a try.