While it is true that a lot of people still prefer to transact business while sitting in front of the person they’re buying from, there are lots more out there who think otherwise. A lot of people now look to the Internet to make their purchases or enquire about certain products.
But how does it all work? Is it really that different from “actual contact”? Just like a regular exhibit, companies who wish to participate in the online exhibition simply have to sign up and pay an “exhibitors fee” Once this is done, all they have to do is design their “stand”. They can choose from a wide selection of templates or come up with their own. Then they can upload pictures of the products they wish to put on display. They can even include video footage of product demonstrations, complete with audio.
Customers who attend the online exhibitions can even “walk through” the virtual halls just as though they were at an actual event, as the events use 3-D imaging. Once they see an interesting booth, they can simply approach it. Here, they will be greeted by a “virtual sales attendant”. To inquire, they simply click on a link to a product and check it out. Then they can fill out a form and submit it. This is then instantly passed on to the customer service department. From here, a sales representative would call up those customers who enquired. Quite simply, it is just as if you had attended the “real” event.
There are some events that allow exhibitors to “attend to their customers” in real-time. They can chat and answer any questions the customer might have. Or they can listen to what people have to say.
Visitors usually make a “one-time” registration upon entering the online exhibition. This saves them time as they don’t need to fill out forms every time they enquire. This also makes it easier for exhibitors to get information about potential clients, especially those who made enquiries.
Remember though that an online exhibition isn't meant to replace the actual event. It's there to complement it. This can draw more people as the online exhibition is usually online around two months before the event itself. And of course, it generates more revenues for everyone - exhibitors, advertisers and the organisers. This is because they reach a lot more people, are on longer and stay on all the time.
So why not go online and let the world know about your company and products. An online exhibition is “virtually” the real thing. If you'd like to find out more about online exhibitions click on WebEvents Online Exhibitions or call 01423 529300.