You’ve invested time and money into creating and maintaining your website. Here are a few suggestions to make it work harder for you – driving traffic, increasing visibility and helping you sell more tires and wheels in-store and online.
Merchandising
Merchandising your products and services on your website is just as critical as the merchandising you do inside your brick-and-mortar store. Updating featured products, services and promotions on a monthly basis will dramatically increase your website’s effectiveness:
• You can move excess inventory and showcase your highest-margin products or an in-store event.
• You will entice consumers to come back regularly to see what new products, services and promotions you are offering.
• You will consistently improve your website’s rankings on the search engines, making it easier for buyers to find your website. Remember to include call-to-action messaging and click-throughs to make it easy for consumers to get more information and buy online or in-store.
Branding
Your website should have the same branding as your store. Your dealership sign and advertising most likely include a logo, a particular color scheme and perhaps a tagline that makes up the visual identity of your brand. Be sure that these brand symbols are visible throughout your website to help visitors recognize immediately that they are on the right website.
Customer Awareness
Some consumers still like to shop the “old school” way, strictly in store. They may not even realize that you have a website. If you want to capture their business, it’s your job to make sure they know you have a website that is available 24/7. If your customers are looking for tires after hours, and they aren’t aware of your website, they’re more likely to go elsewhere to make their purchase. You need to make it as simple to buy tires and wheels from you as it is from the big-box stores. Get the word out by promoting your website address everywhere – print ads, signs and business cards, as well as places that may not be obvious to you, such as on your email signature, on-hold music, front door, and customer receipts.
Social Media
Dealers who link and integrate their website with social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+, give customers another way to connect. It’s a way to capitalize on inbound marketing, strategically designed to provide content for customers to engage with your dealership when and where they want, and ultimately drive traffic to your website. For example, Facebook fans of your dealership page choose when they want to view your content on Facebook. All promotions and specials featured on your website should also reside on your Facebook page.
Associations and Community Involvement
Prominently displaying logos of associations you belong to, certifications you hold, and charities you support helps establish your brand and instill trust. Some examples include state tire associations, BBB, AAA, ASE certification, local fundraisers or sponsorships. Don’t shy away from bragging about your qualifications or your involvement in the community. Never underestimate the value goodwill holds for your customers. And don’t forget to include links from your site to theirs to gain more exposure and higher search engine rankings.
Think of the tips above this way: The more streets, roads and pathways leading to your website, the easier it will be to generate more traffic to your website and boost sales.
Nate Lehmann is sales manager for tire and automotive at 50 Below, an ARI company. ARI creates software solutions that help more than 2,100 independent tire and wheel dealers spanning over 3,400 locations “Sell More Stuff!” – online and in-store. Nate can be reached at [email protected] or 218-740-1407.
