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December, 2007 |
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About OnSite WebReviews® |
Our mission is to help make your job easier, with constructive evaluations and ratings about industrial and manufacturing-related
websites presenting the best places to find Internet-based content and tools. We also hope that through our objective* reviews
suppliers will respond over time to appropriately enhance their sites to better meet your informational needs.
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*Expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings,
prejudices, or interpretation (Webster). There is no connection between site selection, site ratings,
and a company's advertising status in any Thomas Publishing Company LLC product.
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| Lenze AG
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Controls, industrial PCs, drives, I/O systems
OVERALL RATING:
This consistently-designed site is not only easy on the eyes, but a worthy example of how efficient navigation can be, with the right elements. One click on Products on the upper nav opens a categorical subset in the left nav while simultaneously leading to general info, images and, in some case, PDFs. If downloads are your thing, you can access sales documentation, software downloads, certifications/declarations, and international training, among other options. Information regarding upcoming events, 24-hour Helpline, and sales contact data for more than 30 countries is easily available. The eCatalog and CAD configuration are pluses, though both should be better integrated into the main site.
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Look/Feel
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Ease of Use/Navigation
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General_Information |
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Registration
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Technical Content
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Support/Convenience
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Engineering Content
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Downloads/Knowledge |
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Market Data
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Acquisition Tools |
www.lenze.com
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Review Date: December 2007 |
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| Visual Marking Systems, Inc.
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Marking, signage, and graphics products
OVERALL RATING:
This website makes its marks in the graphic design and printing industries. The well-organized homepage leads to multiple links for markets, products, capabilities, materials, services, and more. From the homepage, news and updates are available, and can be accessed according to the date of their release. Products can be researched by industry, application, or specific material needed. And users can easily take advantage of such links as Cost-Saving Programs, Case Studies, and the ability to Request a Quote. If you've hit a creative wall, don't despair. The Innovation Center can be accessed directly from the homepage, and will help you brainstorm for the appropriate products and/or solutions.
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| Spirax Sarco, Inc.
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Controls, flowmeters, valves, strainers
OVERALL RATING:
Visitors browsing this site are offered the option of searcing for literature—via keywords, document numbers, or product groupings—as well as by listed product types further segmented into specific offerings. Each broad product category has an identifying picture with corresponding brief descriptions of stand-out features and functionality. On each product-specific page, links are available to particular models as well as applicable CAD drawings, maintenance instructions, and technical information. Some also provide links to online calculators. Other features of note include Unit Converter, downloadable software, and well-organized Applications, with Case Studies and list of industries served.
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| Precision Screw & Bolt
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Bolts, setscrews, studs, custom fasteners
OVERALL RATING:
Although this site centers around parts built and formed to end-user requirements, the information it provides cannot be called vague. Given its nature, this website could have taken the easy route and just supplied some fill-in-the-blank forms and that would be the end of that. However, these electronic pages not only feature product type descriptions, but also offer available sizes and materials as well as prolific charts pertaining to specific engineering capabilities broken down by size and type. There are, of course, several means for procuring specific product pricing, as well as the products themselves and, if a customer needs to Expedite an Order, well, there's a button for that too.
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| Misumi USA, Inc.
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Linear, rotary, locating, framing components
OVERALL RATING:
Here, such a copious variety of products is organized and readily accessible through keyword-, part number-, and application-based search capabilities displaying results in user-selectable schematics, pictures, or text. Visitors may also take advantage of roll-over, horizontally scaling drop-down menus, but some items may take a moment to paint on-screen. In addition to links for application examples, product pages offer Configure and Buy buttons; Order Now functionality lets registered visitors bypass the quotation process, or use an interesting feature through which an Excel BOM can be pasted right into the site. Additional information is provided via 2D CAD data library and case studies.
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About Our Ratings ...
More Details
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 SystemLook/Feel
Overall appearance and organization of home page elements and site structure;
buttons, frames, menus
General Information (Breadth)
Overviews of products and services; general information such as basic product
functions, features and benefits
Technical Content (Depth)
Expanding the previous to available configurations, customization, detailed
specifications, technical whitepapers, etc.
Engineering Content
Detailed engineering drawings, multiple product perspectives/photos, schematics,
and CAD elements available for use in designs
Market Data
Information available about the company's markets, specific products in a
marketwide perspective, market trends, whitepapers, etc.
Ease of Use/Navigation
Ease/difficulty of finding information, number of layers down it may take to get
from basic to detailed information, minimal use of pop-ups
Registration
Registration not required for most types of information (e.g., basic to detailed
product specs) but may be required for higher-value items such as whitepapers;
length of forms/number of fields to register
Support/Convenience Tools
Customer support information, contact names/phone numbers/email addresses;
Email-to-Friend, Print this Page, RSS Feeds, and other convenience features
Downloads/Knowledge
Software/firmware updates, diagnostic tools; searchable/browsable knowledgebase
of installation, configuration, troubleshooting information
Aquistion Tools
Easy-to-use contact info/paths to acquire products through distributor-only
operations; online/transactional availability of products/services
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