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What Website Can Help Me to Find Manufacturers?

Jul 4, 2020

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When I was looking to sell some products online. I looked around for a good website that could help me find manufacturers. So, I did some research on what the best websites are and put together this helpful article explaining them.

So, what websites can help me to find manufacturers? The best websites we have found to find manufacturers are ThomasNet, MFG.com, and Marker’s Row. These are all US-based websites. International manufacturer websites are Alibaba, Amazon, and Tradewheel. You can also look for more niched manufacturers from a certain country or city.

Now, what makes a good manufacturer is a combination of a range of factors. There are also unique products that require specialist manufacturing. So, below I will explain what makes a good manufacturer, where to find one, and the easiest products to manufacture, and how to get your idea manufactured.

If you want to learn where to sell your manufactured products with zero selling fees click here.

What are the best websites for finding manufacturers?

Below is a list of the top manufacturers, with a brief description of who they are and why they made the list.

US Based

ThomasNet

This website has over 500,000 suppliers listed on their directory and has been in business for more than 120 years.

You can compare different suppliers using their platform, as well as filter the results by company type, certifications, and many other helpful features.

Because of its sheer size, it is a good first look into what manufacturers are out there. They also provide a wide range of marketing services to assist you.

MFG.com

MFG allows manufacturers to list their services and what they manufacture and connect them with buyers. It is primarily used for products that are CNC machining, injection molding, metal stamping, assembly, and metal fabrication.

Buyers can also look through their company information and request a quote. A quote can be made directly through the platform for your specialist manufacturing needs. Their website is very simple and easy to use.

They also have a rating system that lets you know who the most trusted manufacturers are and is a one-stop-shop to get some quality manufacturing done.

Marker’s Row

This website lists more than 1,400 manufacturers. It was launched in 2012. They include a community where you can ask questions and get help.

They provide excellent resources to help with starting a manufacturing business and give full factory profiles to find an ideal manufacturing partner.

Alibaba

Alibaba is a Chinese based supplier. They are at the top of the list of e-commerce websites in the World, if not number one. Thus, have millions of businesses and merchants. They are a group of three websites Taotao, Tmall, and Alibaba.com itself.

They offer products for very cheap because the cost of labor in China is low, the cost of electricity is low, they sell in bulk because of their many users, and the sellers don’t have to spend as much on marketing.

Amazon

Amazon is a household name. Many people were consumed when people began talking about buying other products on Amazon other than books. They started off very small and slow but in the last, five to ten years have experienced exponential growth.

This was as a result of increasing innovation by the company. The company purchased its own Airline and began providing warehouse space and online servers. They, together with Alibaba are the biggest platforms that connect buyers and sellers.

You should definitely check them out and see if they have manufacturers you could use.

They have plans to use drones to make deliveries and continue to push the innovation envelope.

Tradewheel

Tradewheel hosts millions and millions of suppliers and buyers. They have over 44 million product listings. Its users are located in 240 million countries. They have two offices one located in the USA, and the other in China. They offer almost any product.

How do you buy products directly from a manufacturer?

To buy products directly from a manufacturer you need to get in contact with them through a manufacturing website. Manufacturing websites bring together many manufacturers into one place to make it easy to find them.

Once you have done some research and found the best manufacturer for your needs you should get in touch with them. They will normally meet with you over a video call, phone call, or in-person to discuss your needs. Once, they have assessed your needs they will give you a quote, and from there you will have your products manufactured.

Depending on your product they will give you an estimate as to how long it will take. Some websites sell unbranded items for very cheap such as Alibaba.com. Which you can import and rebrand as your own product. This is a common strategy, and people will market using social media, youtube, and using other methods.

For example, a person might have many followers on Instagram. They will then find a product on Alibaba that they think their customers will like. They purchase them and rebrand them using stickers or a label maker, and sell them to their audience with a markup.

How do you select the best manufacturer?

There was an excellent article done by Businessnewsdaily.com. In it they showed research from interviewing keep people in the manufacturing industry. They said to select manufacturers on:

Being able to show their knowledge and experience. You want to select a manufacturer that knows the answers to the hard questions. Such as, for a toymaker, what plastic should I use? For a tool manufacturer, what materials should I use?
Working in your niche. We all know the advice niche niche niche. The manufacturer you decide on should already be making products in your niche. For example, a thermos manufacturer should already be producing thermoses. This way you know they produce for you.
Testimonials. You want to know if they worked or are they currently working for big brands. Then, you can get a gauge on their reputation in manufacturing and their commitment to excellence.

How do I get my idea manufactured?

You will need to find a manufacturer. Depending on what sort of product you have chosen, will tell you what type of manufacturer to go to. There are many specialist manufacturer websites that list them on their website.

For example, if your idea is to make hiking supplies, then you should look for a hiking manufacturer’s website, that shows many different manufacturers in one place, examples are Google. Specialist websites for manufacturing also include ratings from other users who have worked with them.

This can help you decide. Once you make contact with them they will normally ask you a bunch of questions and work with you as a partner on your project.

You should do your research and find those with strong reviews and who have made products similar or the same as your before.

This website sheepbuy.com is an online marketplace where you can list items for free. You don’t have to pay any fees. It is an easy to use platform, you should give it a try by clicking here to go to the registration page.

Conclusion

The best websites to find manufacturers are Alibaba, Amazon, Tradewheel, ThomasNet, MFG.com, and Marker’s Row. They all have a large user base, an easy to use platform, and many manufacturers, and suppliers.

When working directly with the factory you should do your research to find the best partner for your product line.

They should have solid testimonials and make the same product like yours or very similar. Good luck on your manufacturing journey.

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