How to Develop a Standout Website Top 11 things to take your dealership website to 11
1 Repeat after me: It s not a website; it s a Digital Showroom. Over 96% of all brick-and-mortar purchases are first researched online. That means your customers almost always see your Digital Showroom before they see your real showroom. Translation: Your Digital Showroom is actually more important.
2 Obey the 0.5-second rule. People trust (or don t trust) websites in about a half a second. That means it s critical to keep your web design current, clean and modern. Your Digital Showroom is selling a lifestyle. That means images, images and more images.
3 Also obey the 3-second rule. If you survive the 0.5-second rule from a design standpoint, you next have to pass the 3-second test. This relates to navigation, user experience and content. If your site appears cluttered, hard to navigate and lacking a clear brand message, your audience is lost. Period.
4 Use Google Analytics. There s no easier (or cheaper) way to track if and how people are using your site. Specifically, Google can tell you bounce rate (how many people leave from the homepage), visits to brand pages (see which boat models get the most traffic), and conversion rates from Google Adwords or other banner ad campaigns.
5 Geotarget. Just because you built it doesn t mean they ll come. Thanks mostly to Google, we now live in a fully geotargeted world. That means you need to do three things right away: 1) Claim your dealerships on Google Places; 2) Run a geotargeted Google Adwords campaign; and 3) Do a complete geotargeted organic search program. In general, just make sure that everything you do is geotargeted so you don t waste money on ads for people in different states or countries.
6 Get Social As in social media. Today, there s no excuse for not getting engaged with your customers, as well as with manufacturers brand pages. Social media also provides a way to easily manage promotions and events within your social community.
7 Keep online inventory current. Whether you update manually through a CMS (Content Management System) or integrate with 3rd-party platforms, current inventory keeps customers in your Digital Showroom and keeps them coming back.
8 Develop a simple lead contact form. GENERATE FOLLOW UP COLLECT SELL SOLD QUALITY TRACK DISTRIBUTE INCUBATE Lead generation doesn t have to be overly complicated. Within your Digital Showroom, consider a value exchange to entice your potential buyer to share their contact information. Many buyers (especially high-end consumers) still like to receive printed catalogs and brochures, so offering a free catalog in exchange for a phone number or email address is a nice trade.
9 Use email for follow-up. LEADS PROSPECTS BUYERS Contact with potential customers should never end when they leave your Digital Showroom. Use customer data compiled from your lead management system and social outlets to continue to follow up until that buyer buys a boat, opts out or dies.
10 Utilize manufacturer tools. If your manufacturer has a build-a-boat widget, request iframing it into your site. Also look at embedding current videos, photos and logos.
11 Think mobile. 1024+ 1023-768 479 Ever had a web firm try to charge you an arm, leg and torso for mobile and tablet versions of your site? No need for that. Yes, mobile is the fastest-growing segment of online marketing, but if your site is built using responsive design, your site will automatically adjust for the desktop, tablets or smartphones.
11.5 Questions? Feel free to contact us: Mike Menne mike@takeittoeleven.com mobile: 651-226-7318 Troy Brandt troy@takeittoeleven.com mobile: 612-747-1837 Scott Sand scott@takeittoeleven.com mobile: 952-239-4844