It’s been a busy summer here at Industry Market Trends (formerly Industrial Market Trends). You may have noticed our biweekly and daily e-newsletters have new features and a new look.

IMT’s new makeover is more than simply aesthetic. While in past Reader Satisfaction surveys we received an overwhelmingly positive response to the topics IMT covered, many of you offered your constructive criticism to help us improve. We’ve taken your advice to heart.

The chief request for improvement was in the way IMT topics were represented. As one respondent, Paul, made clear: “I have a very good memory and I cannot remember what IMT looks like. That is not a good sign for your content/presentation.”

Paul’s comment was echoed by others, including Andrew, who said, “A catchier first page might entice me to read more!”

We listened. We tackled our layout first. We hope our cleaner look is easier to navigate and enables you to quickly find the articles that interest you most. Several new and improved layout features include:

• Article introductions that feature a wider and deeper well for the article text, letting you quickly gauge which articles you’d like to read;
• New visual features, including a Dose of Fun section, which will include cartoons, brainteasers and other lighthearted items; and
• A newly prominent ThomasNet News box, where we highlight more IMT-wide content you may not have heard about, including our Weekly Industry Crib Sheet and Light Friday roundups.

The ThomasNet Newsroom also includes news about new products, associations and government, companies and, the newest addition to the newsroom, Green and Clean. The ThomasNet forums also have higher visibility as part of the redesign; there, posters can share their expertise with a wide audience or ask advice from other professionals.

Along with making our layout more appealing, we sought to answer reader demands for new features. Nearly 2,000 respondents wanted articles written by those at the top of their industrial field. We responded with our Expert’s Corner — a featured Q&A with a chosen industry expert that complements each issue’s central topic. Who better to learn from and relate to than others dealing with the same day-to-day issues you confront?

(If you wish to share your own expertise, experience or insights into your area of interest, become an IMT contributor. Through IMT, you have the chance to address others in your field, whether as an expert contributor or as a commenting reader. Voice your excitement or vent your disapproval about almost anything in industry and business.)

However, it is important to remember that this is a makeover, not reconstructive surgery. While the new IMT provides new features, more key industry information and easier navigation, our core objective remains the same: to provide the latest business and industry developments, trends and best practices to keep businesses and employees moving.

Our actual editorial content — our articles — will remain concise with resources and links that allow our readers to go as deep as they wish, directing them to more comprehensive commentary or resources. This is what you asked for in our last few Reader Satisfaction surveys, and we’re giving it to you.

Our redesign is also a starting point: we’ll be making ongoing improvements in the coming months. Here at IMT, we are very grateful to our dedicated and passionate community of readers. We hope this revamped version of our publication keeps you actively engaged with us.

Thanks for giving the new e-newsletter a shot. We hope you like it, and we’re eager to hear what you think.