If you’ve worked in distribution, you know the calls.
“I have this part.”
“I’m trying to do this. What do I need?”
There were always calls like that. Some of them need a real person. A lot of them don’t. They need a website that already answered the question.
Here’s what buyers are looking for before they ever pick up the phone.
1. Price
Buyers want to know what it costs, or at least a range. If the price isn’t there, they either call or leave, and plenty of them leave.
If you can’t show pricing, say why and give them a next step that’s faster than a phone call. More on that in [4 Reasons “Call for Pricing” Is Costing You Sales].
2. Stock
Is it on the shelf right now? That’s usually the first question after price.
“In stock” is a start. A quantity, or which location has it, is better. And it has to be right. Showing something as available that isn’t is worse than showing nothing.
3. Lead Time
For custom or made-to-order items, buyers need to know how long. Not a promise down to the hour, just a realistic range.
A buyer can plan around two weeks. They can’t plan around a blank.
And a buyer’s emergency isn’t your problem. Your job is to be clear about lead times and fix it the best you can when something goes wrong.
4. Specs And Compatibility
Sizes, ratings, materials, fittings. Whatever a buyer needs to know it’s the right part.
This is where the “I’m trying to do this, what do I need?” calls come from. The more your product pages explain what a part works with and what it’s used for, the fewer of those calls you get.
Having your catalogs online is a big help too. It may not work for every business in every industry, but buyers use them. Just don’t make a PDF the only place the specs live. Put them on the page as text too. Buyers skim, and search engines can’t read what’s locked in a file.
5. Part Number Cross-Reference
“I have this part” usually means “I have someone else’s part number.” Buyers are matching what’s in their hand to what’s in your catalog.
Old data helps here more than you’d think. I remember conversations with coworkers who had been in the industry a long time. They had old but relevant information that covered exactly this. That kind of knowledge belongs on the website, not just in someone’s head.
If your site lists the manufacturer and competitor numbers your part replaces, and your site search can find them, a lot of those calls turn into orders instead.
6. Freight And Shipping Cost
Amazon ruined this for us. Buyers expect fast, cheap shipping on everything.
Some things just have to ship by freight, at a cost. There’s no way around it. Heavy, long, or bulky items cost real money to move.
You can’t control what Amazon taught buyers to expect. You can control when the buyer finds out. An estimate up front beats a surprise at checkout. More in [Freight Shipping Is Killing Your Checkout].
7. Pickup And Counter Info
Plenty of buyers would rather grab it today. They need your hours, your address, and whether they can order online and pick it up.
It sounds basic. It’s also one of the most common questions a counter gets.
Make sure that info is updated and the same everywhere a buyer might look: your contact page, about page, social media, Google Business Profile, and Bing Places profile. If one says you close at 5 and another says 4:30, buyers won’t know which to trust.
8. Custom Order Details
Custom orders stall when the buyer doesn’t know what information you need. Then it turns into back-and-forth on the phone, at the counter, or over email.
Tell them up front. That’s exactly why I made the S.T.A.M.P.E.D. flyer: one place that showed customers what we needed before they placed the order. The full story is in [Build It Once, Use It Forever: How I Created 1 Flyer That Solved 4 Problems].
9. Returns
What can come back, what can’t, and how long they have. Put it in writing where buyers can find it.
If custom or made-to-order items aren’t returnable, say so clearly on those product pages. A buyer who knows before they order won’t be surprised later.
10. Account Options
Tax exempt, net terms, ordering on a PO. Business buyers need to know whether they can buy the way their company buys.
If you offer accounts, say how to set one up. If they can’t order online with a PO, tell them how they can.
This one matters behind the scenes too. The most annoying thing for accounting is fixing mistakes that could have been prevented with net terms and tax exempt forms on file before the order.
Some Calls Should Still Happen
Not every call is a sign the website failed. Some buyers have a tricky job, an odd part, or just want to talk it through with someone who knows the products.
The goal isn’t zero calls. It’s that when a buyer does call, the basics are already handled and the conversation is about the part that actually needs a person. More on that in [Your Website Should Support the Phone Call, Not Replace It].
And when the website and the people answering the phone say the same thing, buyers trust both. That’s the whole idea behind Sales, Customer Service, and the Website: Working From the Same Playbook.
☕