As businesses prepare for a post-pandemic future, many are expecting to make changes to their office print infrastructure. And when it comes to making these changes, online resources like Google may play a pivotal role.
Keypoint Intelligence research shows that more than half of US companies and nearly half of Western European companies plan to change the makeup of their printing environment when the pandemic draws to a close. In other words, they expect to switch up the balance of centralized, high-volume devices and decentralized, lower-volume machines.
| Post-pandemic, do you expect the makeup of your printing capacity/environment to change? |
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| Source: Keypoint Intelligence 2020 IT Decision Maker Office Survey – US and Western Europe |
New needs have arisen that may outlast the pandemic—including more cloud-based and physically safe ways of working—and businesses want to update their print infrastructures accordingly. While many will go right to their current provider for new equipment, our research shows that online-based purchases are growing in popularity, especially for small businesses.
Amazon is often a popular source for A4 products, but Google is increasingly a powerful tool for finding the full spectrum of print devices. A technology purchaser just needs to search for “copiers” or “printers” in his or her city, and a range of options are provided.
Office equipment dealerships with strong search engine optimization capabilities will place high in the Google search results, but we are also seeing more ads from national companies like BuyerZone, whose websites connect buyers with sellers in their areas for a wide range of office technology—including digital copiers as well as wide format printers and plotters.
The user answers a few short questions and then soon hears from nearby sellers with a price quote. The sellers (including office equipment dealers) have paid these companies for leads; when a qualified one comes in, it is sent their way. The cost for the leads is theoretically much less than if the dealerships were to advertise on Google themselves, especially to place first in the search results.
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| Screenshot from Google.com |
BuyerZone’s platform and national presence is just one example of how today’s technology purchasing landscape has shifted, especially for higher-priced items. The ability to actually order a product online, meet with a seller, and/or see spec-by-spec product comparisons takes online commerce a step further. Keypoint Intelligence is excited to soon be announcing a platform for office equipment dealerships to leverage in this space.
Subscribers to our office-based Advisory Services can log in to the InfoCenter to view the IT Decision Maker Survey as well as the “Developing an Online Sales Strategy: Why It Matters in 2020 and Beyond” Analysis. Not a subscriber? No problem. Just send us an email at sales@keypointintelligence.com for more info.
