Make no mistake about it, the availability of pricing impacts consumer buying habits. Now more than ever, convenience, trust and security carry a lot of weight in the “where-to-buy” decision-making process. As more and more consumers adopt the “support local businesses” philosophy, it’s important that tire dealers recognize that the evolution toward buying local is real and start to capitalize on it by freely advertising pricing and availability. Here are some ways to get headed in the right direction.
Build trust and offer convenience
Today’s consumer wants to shop locally for a number of reasons, many of them relative to personal values. Let’s start with trust. Do you feel a sense of confidence when you visit a local shop and the person who takes care of your needs is the one you have grown to know over the years? You bet you do. And so do your customers.
This sense of trust provides customers with the security of knowing that if something goes wrong with their tires or service, they can bring their vehicle right back to the dealership down the street and quickly resolve the issue. The convenience of just stopping in and buying tires is another huge advantage on your side.
Many consumers believe it’s well worth the extra cost to be able to purchase and install tires or wheels immediately rather than wait for their tires to ship from an online provider, then either install them or schedule an appointment with a local retailer. Not to mention what happens if there is a problem when their tires or wheels are delivered.
Bundle tire and wheel sales with service
I’ve talked to a lot of tire dealers who compete with big online providers by supplementing the difference in their tire prices with service packages – discount on installation, oil change – offered with the purchase of tires. Not only does this approach offset the cost for the consumer, it also gives dealers a chance to showcase their service department and gain strong, loyal customers.
In addition, this turns your business into a one-stop shop; customers can purchase tires and have them serviced close to home and hassle free. Some dealers even go so far as to match prices that their local competition offers!
Share your pricing and availability
On a regular basis, I hear from dealers “I don’t want people seeing my pricing because they’re higher than the big boys.”
Studies have shown that customers who are able to view online prices and availability are more likely to take action, submit a request for a quote, buy online or walk into your store. If you want to drive more leads and convert more shoppers into buyers, whether online or in-store, it’s important to include pricing and tire availability. To take it a step further, ask your distributors or website provider how to integrate real-time pricing and tire availability with your website to deliver an exceptional shopping experience to your customers.
Make your website all about generating leads, quote requests and scheduling service appointments while driving foot traffic to your dealership. Online sales are the icing on the cake, but not the sole purpose of displaying pricing and availability. Millions of Americans surf the Web before actually walking into your dealership, and they really do expect you to be upfront about pricing and availability.
Nate Lehmann is sales manager, automotive tire and wheel, at 50 Below, an ARI company. ARI creates award-winning 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.
