Back in 1993, Jakob Nielsen published an article entitled, “Response Times: The 3 Important Limits.” His research was groundbreaking and impacted computer software design for years to come. In ’93, there were 623 websites on the entire internet, primarily used by scientists and scholars. Most Americans were blissfully unaware of the Internet, or the “information super highway” as we called it for a spell. 1993 seems like a long time ago. For those that track time by movies, ’93 debuted Jurassic Park (the original film), Schindler’s List and Sandlot. Do you feel old yet? I do, especially when you rewatch those classics today.

You don’t have to be an ecomm guru to witness digital commerce gobbling up the retail marketplace. Just about every transaction in consumers’ lives—from grocery to insurance to personal dealings—are transitioning to the digital commerce.

Almost all foodservice manufacturers have some kind of web presence. But how do you know if yours truly meets the needs of operators? To find out what they’re looking for, our team at the Marlin Network has interviewed a diverse panel of operators and taken a look at what’s happening in the larger digital universe to compile some must-have features.

There are some long-held beliefs about the loyalty leg of buyer journey that need correcting. Let’s get into it:

You need an online presence to better serve your customers and operators, but do not fall into the temptation to go with anyone other than an experienced digital marketing agency.

Knowing that 81% of people do research online before making purchase decisions, websites are an important part of your marketing strategy and can help facilitate a shopper's research. A website should be considered an extension of your sales team. When it is done right, the site is informative, useful and is a positive reflection of your brand. It must amount to more than a series of superficial interactions and fancy animations

What do today’s foodservice buyers expect? The short answer: personal, valuable experiences. Delivering on heightened expectations means taking into account where operators are in the buying journey, and finding opportunities to meaningfully engage every step of the way. It also means keeping track of those interactions, and using those records to guide future interactions.