Before looking at how Gorilla Gasket used technology, it is also important to understand how they run their business successful company.
When the internet first started to appear in people’s homes and businesses, ecommerce was a distant thought. Many companies were unsure of how to embrace this new technology and how to fully utilize it as part of their business and marketing strategy.
Today ecommerce is huge and more than 1.9 billion people purchased goods online in 2019 meaning there is a vast amount of people willing to shop online. This doesn’t have to just mean retail and it can translate into other industries such as manufacturing, and in this case, gasket manufacturing.
Unlike some small manufacturing businesses, Gorilla Gasket wasn’t content with providing local companies with their products but realized the potential for selling online through their website and embracing ecommerce. They have also used modern manufacturing technology to stay ahead of the competition.
This is a great example for any other small business looking to expand its business by using modern tech.
Who are Gorilla Gasket exactly?
Based in New Mexico, they are a small, family-owned business that specializes in supplying custom-made gaskets for a variety of industries. They take their orders online and by telephone and they can often turn around an order and ship it on the same day.
Part of the key to their success is the way they produce their products, the relationships they have with customers but also their use of technology over the years. How can you use their strategy to help your business?
Customer service is key
Before looking at how Gorilla Gasket used technology, it is also important to understand how they run their business. Having the best gaskets is only half the battle and Gorilla Gasket realized very early on that customer relationships were the key to running a long-term, successful company.
They have striven to develop enduring relationships with suppliers and customers alike. If you embrace communication and listen to your customers, then you can develop loyalty that can last a lifetime and often this turns into free marketing as they will recommend you to friends and even competitors in some situations.
Custom-made products and fast turnaround
Obviously, not every company is in the position or even needs to make custom items. They may not even need to be particularly quick with their turnaround times either but, in the case of Gorilla Gasket – Gasket Supply, these two areas are key to part of their success.
They deal with companies that work in the mining sector, gas, power, and oil industries, and also refining. If one company in these industries requires a gasket suddenly, it is vital that they get a replacement as fast as possible. When a gasket fails, it can stop or hinder production which could potentially cost a small fortune
Gorilla Gasket’s owners had a vision that they would be leaders in their field, and this meant the ability to produce a custom gasket of any size or shape and then ship this to the client on the same day. This has helped create bonds and trust between the manufacturer and the customer.
What type of technology did they embrace?
When looking at the technology used by Gorilla Gasket, it is important to remember that it isn’t just in the manufacturing area that they have utilized tech, it is in the retail and distribution sides of the business too.
All industries evolve as time goes on and this means techniques and methods change too. What was once made by hand becomes machine-made by a person, and then possibly, fully automated. Companies either adapt or die except a few that stay in niche areas using traditional methods. The way gaskets are used is largely the same in that they perform a purpose, that is to create a seal and separate different fluids or gases. However, the technology has changed and along with it the types of materials.
Materials
In the past, it was common for many industries to use dangerous products and materials. Some of these have been found to cause serious and even deadly illnesses. It wasn’t uncommon to find asbestos gaskets that can cause life-threatening illnesses. Now though there are a variety of materials to choose from and depending on the use of the gasket you could choose from cork, PTFE, neoprene, and polyurethane to name just a few.
Polyurethane is a more eco-friendly material than rubber and neoprene is particularly resistant to chemicals, oxygen, ozone, heat, and other damaging substances, and elements. By keeping up with the latest material technology, Gorilla Gasket has kept up with and ahead of the competition.
Manufacturing techniques
When it comes to making gaskets, there are a variety of techniques and methods, and because Gorilla Gasket makes custom sizes and shapes, they need to employ all of these.
Traditional ways of making rubber gaskets were by punching and this method dates back to the 1800s. Nowadays, several alternatives are available, depending on the materials being used, including water jet cutting, laser cutting, strip cutting, and hand cutting. Hand cutting is a very old technique but for rubber sheet material in particular, it is maybe the most reliable. It uses experienced and skilled finishers to trim and finish the gasket after the cutting.
Website marketing
When you are looking to improve your website’s presence, you need to think about your target audience and make sure your content is relevant to those people. To improve your website’s marketing you will need to add keywords to help show up on search engine results pages. This means thinking about how someone might search and find you. For instance, if someone typed in ‘online custom gasket manufacturer’ then they might find Gorilla Gasket.
This company realized the importance of the internet and other relevant technologies and used it to improve their ecommerce business. A good digital marketing strategy is key to promoting your business. Gorilla Gasket built a small but very functional website and then concentrated on other ways to drive traffic to it.
Email marketing
Another way to help your business create more interest is to run an email marketing campaign. It is unclear whether Gorilla Gasket took this route, but it can be a very effective way of communication. There are ways to ensure success with email marketing and these include newsletters, updates on promotions, and by adding ‘calls to action’, these are generally buttons or links leading you straight to a particular product or a sales landing page.
They used social media
Gorilla Gasket only made a simple website compared to some other competitors, but they made sure that everything that a customer might need was included. What they also did was to open accounts across a range of social media. Gorilla gasket has a presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, as well as lines of communication through email and by telephone.
Summary
To become successful in any area of ecommerce, you need to have a product that is needed but you also need to know how to supply that. By copying Gorilla Gasket’s use of technology, you could improve your own business. This means keeping up with new manufacturing methods and changes, looking at environmentally-friendly materials – Gorilla Gasket and other companies are using eco-friendly options – and embracing modern forms of marketing such as advertising on Facebook and other social media.
Originally published at Daily Host news