In this article, the third of a seven-part series, I will explain what backlinks are and why they play an essential role in developing web traffic to office product resellers' websites. Put in the simplest terms, backlinks are hyperlinks installed on a website that links back to a page on an independent third-party site and, due to their influence on search results, are often described as the "Holy Grail" component of search engine optimization.
There are three levels of the supply chain in the office products and supplies industry. Firstly, the manufacturer; secondly, the distributor; and then, the final link in the chain, the dealer or reseller, from whom the customer buys its desired product.
B2B e-commerce is set to grow 45%, eclipsing $1.1 trillion by 2020, and is too big a deal to ignore. The annual market in the United States for ink and toner is $25 billion and, although declining at a modest 1% or so per year, is primed for change.
I've just concluded a mini-marathon series of blogs that attempted to provide a detailed overview of the workings of the office supplies component of the office products industry. It's a big, complex industry, and nothing simple about a Twenty-Five Billion Dollar ink and toner market that keeps twelve OEMs, with combined global sales of $170 billion, afloat!
During this series of blogs, I've explained the aftermarket tipping point, explored scenarios for the OEM and aftermarket manufacturer merger endgames, the reseller merger endgame, the consumer product adoption curve as it relates to aftermarket ink and toner, and the possibilities for aftermarket share development.
With the emergence of the Chinese aftermarket ink and toner manufacturing superpowers, I anticipate new market share battles between the OEM and aftermarket brands. In this, the seventh part of the current series of blogs, I will explore where these battles will most likely occur.
The market shares between OEM and aftermarket have been unchanged for many years. In this blog, the sixth in a multi-part series, I will explain the ink and toner product life cycle and the consumer adoption curve related to aftermarket alternatives.
Most industries experience consolidation - there are few exceptions, and the office products and supplies industry is certainly not one of them. In this blog, the fifth in a multi-part series, I will summarize the office products and supplies mergers endgame that we've been examining in some detail in Parts II, III, & IV of this series.
Most industries experience consolidation - there are few exceptions, and the office products and supplies industry is certainly not one of them. In this blog, the fourth in a multi-part series, I will explore some scenarios for the reseller's merger endgame and the impact this may have on the future of the aftermarket for office products and supplies and the independent resellers.
Most industries experience consolidation - there are few exceptions, and the office products and supplies industry is certainly not one of them. In Part I of this series, I explained my rationale for believing the aftermarket had passed a significant tipping point and that it was no longer possible for the OEMs to litigate it out of existence.
