A Practical Guide to Selling Building Materials Online
Online sales of construction products such as timber, tiles, fixings and insulation.
Marcus Adeyemi
What is at stake
Trade buyers order by specification and quantity, and delivery logistics differ entirely from parcel retail.
The playbook
- Provide quantity calculators with waste allowances
- Warn about batch variation and advise ordering together
- Explain freight delivery clearly
- Publish certification documents
- Support trade account ordering
Where it goes wrong
Avoid:
- Unit-based ordering for area products
- Batch variation discovered on site
- Parcel delivery assumptions for heavy goods
- Missing certification documents
The numbers behind it
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Quantity calculation | buyers order by area or volume, not units |
| Batch variation | tiles and timber vary between batches |
| Freight | pallet delivery differs from parcel shipping |
| Certification | products carry performance certifications |
Getting outside help
When to hand it over: Bring in help when trade buyers order online.
Where this comes from
- Federal Trade Commission — Advertising FAQs: A guide for small business
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — Business guidance
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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