A manufacturer directory is a wonderful tool that allows businesses to link with similar businesses, as well as exporters, importers, and customers who can benefit from their services. It used to be that businesses needed to participate in trade shows in order to find their target audience. The inherent problem with this was that the trade shows occurred only a few times each year, they were quite expensive to participate in, and there was no guarantee that a business would be able to make the many needed connections that they sought. Other methods of linking a prospective business and/or customers with businesses included direct mail, cold calling, and branding.

With each passing year, technology becomes better and better, and the Internet becomes a more utilized resource. More business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) websites are being created each day. Because of this there are more manufacturer directories available for use and are they just a few keystrokes away.