Short answer: because the search for a supplier almost always begins online, and because your competitor is already there.
Anyone who needs something types a question into Google or, these days, asks ChatGPT. What appears there determines which three or four parties someone requests a quote from. If you are not among them, you are not being rejected — you are not even being considered.
Three things that make it worthwhile:
- It reaches people at the moment they are searching. Unlike an advertisement that interrupts someone, you appear exactly when the need arises.
- It is measurable. You can see which page generated which inquiry. The same cannot be said for an advertisement in a trade journal.
- It builds momentum. A page that ranks well today will usually continue to do so tomorrow. If you turn off your advertisements, the traffic stops that same day.
An honest side note: it only works if the foundation is right. Investing in marketing on a site that cannot keep up technically is a waste of money. We will tell you that beforehand, not afterwards.