LED lighting is an energy-efficient solution for anyone using artificial indoor or outdoor lighting. However, the benefits beyond energy-efficiency of LED lighting are not always understood by consumers globally, which can make selling LED lighting for new construction and retrofit renovations a challenge.
Buyers who would potentially need or benefit from LED lighting must be made aware of LED benefits and who needs LED lighting most. Manufacturing and procurement options for LEDs have changed quite a bit over the past decade, which means that there are many potential chances for misunderstanding and lingering misperceptions.
Understanding LED Buyers
Whether your LED buyers are distributors, dealers, builders, contractors, facilities managers or homeowners, LED buyers often have misconceptions about what LED lighting is, what it does, and how much it costs.
Often, lighting buyers do not understand that Internet of Things (IoT) based controls and platforms work well with LED lighting. Homes and buildings that are networked with smart products sync up with LED lighting much better than traditional forms of lighting.
In addition, the price of LED lighting has declined significantly in recent years. Today, the price of LEDs is about one fifth what it was just seven years ago.
If you're an LED lighting manufacturer, here's what you need to know about your potential customers:
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Distributors, Dealers and Big Box Stores: Big box stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, and Menards are fiercely competitive with one another and online merchants. These companies want to have LED lights as a part of their inventory, but only if they will move well off the shelves.
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Builders/Contractors. Builders and contractors must be made aware of the ways that LED lighting integrates with IoT technology. These professionals are always looking for new ways to ensure that their designs and home upgrades meet the needs of their clients. They need to be educated about the benefits of LED technology for end users such that they can pitch the product during product selection.
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DIYers. DIYers often have old ideas about how expensive LED lighting can be, and at the same time don't know about the many benefits of LEDs. Newer homeowners are more inclined to purchase LED bulbs
- Facilities Managers. Facilities managers are similar to DIYers in that they must be properly educated about the benefits of LEDs. These professionals look for deals by purchasing in bulk.
Selling LED Lights Online
Are you selling LEDs online, through your website directly and/or through third-party marketplaces like Zoro and Amazon? You have the perfect opportunity to educate your customers before they make their purchase and streamline their buyer's journey.
With a dedicated website aimed at educating each target segment described above, you can address specific customer concerns and capture their attention by answering questions about the 99.9% of other daily problems they encounter beyond thinking about light bulbs.
Points about your product to address include:
- Cost-Benefit Analysis. Show your customers three things: how much the price of LEDs has been reduced by advances in manufacturing over the past decade; how much money they'll save in energy costs when they buy LED lighting; how much they could earn from
- IoT Capability. LEDs make excellent smart products that can be controlled with the push of a button. This offers convenience and efficiency for homeowners as well as commercial customers and is especially important alongside the blossoming of Smart Home technologies being adopted.
- Answer questions with search engine optimized articles and videos about lighting retrofitting such as:
- What is a LED retrofit lamp?
- How do you retrofit LED tube lights?
- Can LED bulbs be used in recessed lighting?
- What is an LED Troffer?
- How do you calculate payback period for LED?
- How do you calculate energy saving for lighting?
- How much money do you save with LED lights?
LED Light Business Opportunities
The LED Light Sector is still a growing market, with a projected 30 billion dollar increase projected over the next decade. Some areas for expansion include- LED Lighting Retrofit Kits [Example]
- The Rise in Home Automation and IoT Appliances Throughout Single Family Homes and Master Planned Communities
- The Rise of "Smart Cities" Using LED Lights in Infrastructure
In order to capitalize on these business opportunities, lighting manufacturers need to continue investing in educational campaigns, improving online visibility, and streamlining their purchasing and order fulfillment processes.
Next Steps
ManoByte helps manufacturers manage customer and partner relationships, generate product demand through search engine optimized content and strategic promotion, and enable distribution partners to sell more.
