Industrial Web Search Technology:
Representing a Paradigm Shift in Industrial Search
Category Search versus Content Tagging
Industrial Web Search's technology is based on a methodology that breaks from traditional industrial sourcing tools. Before Industrial Web Search, it took buyers and industrial sourcing professionals several steps to arrive at the supplier information they needed. Based on category search, traditional industrial directories and search engines require suppliers and service providers to fit into pre-determined product and service categories and sub-categories that best represent what they have to offer. These categories become the basis of the search results. If only one category is found to apply, the tool will deliver listing results for that category, which will include all types of businesses represented there and not just the type the buyer is seeking. If more than one category applies, the results include a list of all the applicable categories along with the total number of companies represented within each category listed. Now the buyer is required to have some foreknowledge about how the type of company he seeks may be categorized. If he successfully figures that out, he then clicks on that category and goes through the list of companies relevant to the category in order to discover those that are in fact relevant to what he needs.
Category search models require a lot of the buyer, in particular the need to figure out the sourcing tool's classification system and how it delivers what he is looking for. Industrial Web Search has done away with categories altogether. In fact, it is the first industrial sourcing tool to use Content Tagging to match sellers to potential buyers, offering sellers 100% control 24/7 to manage how they target specific buyer groups as well as offering buyers 100% accurate results based on what they type. Sellers identify their products and services with keywords and phrases, known as tags. The engine is designed to make an exact match between the terms typed by the buyer to search and the tags sellers have associated with their products and services.
How the Engine Provides Search Assistance
There are several ways the system provides buyers with assistance as they search. First of all, as they are typing in the search box, the engine reveals tags in the system used by sellers that match all or part of what's being typed. They have the option to click on a tag listed to place it in the search box. Secondly, if what is typed does not result in an exact match, the engine will inform the buyer and present him with a list of hyperlinked tags that contain at least some of the words the buyer used in his search. Once again, he clicks on the tag he believes matches what he is looking for and the engine will provide a list of companies that are tagging their content with that tag.
How Ranking is Achieved
In the spirit of fairness to companies of all sizes, sellers are not permitted to buy their way to the top of the listing results, regardless of the level of membership for which they have signed up. Ranking is based primarily on the number of tags shared among the companies returned for a given result. The objective is to identify companies that specialize in the product or service that was searched versus those who offer it but not necessarily as a core competency.
How Listing Information is Presented
Seller listing information is presented in the search results according to the marketing features made available for the particular membership level for which the seller signed up. In all cases, regardless of membership level, the seller's company name is hyperlinked to the company profile page where the detailed company and contact information is found. The principle city and state of the company's place of business and the telephone number are also presented directly below the hyperlink. Premium level seller members have the option to present listing information at the tag level, including a summary of the tag or service offered and an attached web page that links the buyer directly to the product page on the seller website for the product or service searched. The profile summary for Premium and Expanded memberships is open and immediately visible to the buyer on the search results page. A green arrow pointing downwards is presented to the right of the company name hyperlink for Basic membership. The buyer would have to click on the arrow to reveal the company profile summary.
How Company Profile Information is Presented
The level of detail and features found on a company's profile page is determined by the seller's membership level. In all cases, hyperlinked contact information is available, allowing the buyer to use third-party VoIP and email services to place calls and send emails directly from within the application. Industrial Web Search is the first industrial search engine to integrate Telnic's .tel technology, which allows for these quick connect features. Buyers can also send RFQs from the profile page. Premium and Expanded level membership profiles are much more detailed and may include integrated video and/or photo galleries. Premium members display a customized HTML web page along with hyperlinked company tags they can elect to link directly to the corresponding product/service pages of their website.
How Buyers Manage Companies of Interest
There are a number of tools made available to buyers who elect to sign up as a Registered User that help them to manage listings that interest them as well as RFQs they send through the system. Provided with a secure login and a My Home Page dashboard, registered buyers can add/delete/view/order Favorites; edit/delete/view Company Notes; view/download company profile and contact information vCards directly to their desktop or mobile device (iPhone, laptop, Smartphone, Blackberry, etc.) contact manager; view company name/date of RFQs Sent; review to/from/page/comments/date of company profile or listing results Pages Sent to colleagues; add home zip code to Set Your Location; and Set Your Time Zone feature so the integrated clock accurately displays 'Their Time' and 'Your Time'.
How Seller Members Manage Their Company Profile Tags and Details
Seller members at all membership levels are provided with a secure login and their own Industrial Web Search Home Page dashboard from where they will manage all aspects of their account. Members may login at any time 24/7 to perform administrative tasks such as adding/editing/archiving tags. The Manage My Tags section indicates the member's Tag Eligibility and the corresponding features that are available for his particular membership level. Whereas all membership levels can add/edit/archive tags, only Premium members can compose a profile for each tag and associate a hyperlink to the corresponding product or service page on the seller's website. Premium members are also able to use the built-in copy editor to make live edits to the content on their HTML company profile page. All edits and additions, including contact information, company profile, company attributes, locations, area serviced, photo galleries (Premium and Enhanced only), video galleries (Premium only), and the creation or editing of custom RFQs (Premium only), are made within the secure member area.
