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Stink? I'm not
talking about look or navigation or
design, I am talking about what your web site does for
your business. There are two main functions that a good
website should perform for a dealer:
The first thing your
site should do is get people into the showroom. Despite all of
the promises and hoopla surrounding buying online, people still want
to kick the tires.
With more and more
people doing their preliminary research online before they go out to
buy, it is important to have your dealership online. You don't
want them to click on a shopping page and buy the car (well OK you
do, but dream on...), what you really want to do is entice them to
visit you.
How do you do that?
Many dealers are incorporating online coupons into their sites.
Others offer "Internet Specials". Others go glitzy, with
Flash, 3D demos, sounds and other attention-grabbing effects.
Let's face it.
Web-savvy customers can quickly source prices, models, options, etc.
What they are looking for is the right car, at the right price, with
a dealer that they feel comfortable with.
Repeat: A dealer
they feel comfortable with. They want to see a snappy
presentation, easy access to information, and an opportunity to
learn who they will be dealing with. Your website has a much
greater ability to show them this than any other medium.
The second thing your
site should do is request their information and the permission to
reach out and knock on their door from time to time. With
telephone access becoming more limited by do not call laws, getting
a person's email address and permission to send them updates is
crucial to today's auto dealer.
There should be frequent
and repeated attempts to get this information. A simple "sign
up for our newsletter" area on your main web page will work wonders
in converting surfing traffic into meaningful data.
Offers for unadvertised
specials, new model information, special finance incentives and more
will persuade a shopper that they need to get your updates. If
you are seeing hundreds or thousands of people accessing your site
every month, don't you wish you could reach out to them regularly?
So, when reviewing your
site to evaluate the stink quotient, ask yourself the following:
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Is the site
attractive?
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Does it load quickly
on a slow dial-up?
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Is it easy to
navigate?
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Does your dealership
personality show?
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Does it entice people
to visit your showroom?
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Does it ask them for
their email address and permission to contact them?
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