Make your Web marketing dollars work harder for you
Want to generate more leads and sales from your website? Use a simple yet highly effective best practice: Promote your Web address! The most common approach prospects use to find a dealership is still simply typing in the dealer’s URL. It is a key element of your corporate identity and the address of your store all day, every day, so make sure your Web address is everywhere, consistently and frequently promoted on- and off-line.
The rule of thumb is that it should be present everywhere your address and/or phone number appear, including all marketing and advertising materials, stationery, business cards, customer communications, on your display at shows, on your after-hours voicemail message, etc. But don’t stop at the obvious – take this effort a step further and think of more places, big and small, where it would make sense to include your Web address. For instance, is it in the email signature of every person on staff? Speaking of emails, make sure that all members of your team have the same, consistent signature in terms of format, font type, color and content. Be sure to include your Web address.
How about your storefront? Have you taken a look at it lately, from a customer’s perspective, and thought about how it could help your dealership generate more traffic? For example, you could include your Web address below your posted hours of operation. Another recommendation is to display a sign at the entrance that says “Sorry we missed you. … We are always open at (DealerWebsite.com)” so visitors who come to your dealership after business hours are clearly called to visit your 24/7 online store. Did you notice how I deliberately chose to spell the URL with the inclusion of capital letters to start each word of the dealership’s name? It’s known as CamelCase, CamelBack and many other names: It makes your Web address easier to read and remember. And don’t worry: The link will work regardless of the case visitors use when typing in your URL.
The many ways you promote your Web presence enables you to consistently raise your dealership’s profile and drive more traffic to your site to increase leads and ultimately, sales and service. This simple effort seems basic, yet the importance of its impact on a dealership’s awareness is often overlooked. Take a few minutes to sit down and make a list of all the avenues you could use to publicize your Web address, compare it to your current visibility and add your URL to places and materials you have yet to leverage.
Bob McCann is Director of Education at ARI, a leading provider of technology-enabled business solutions for dealers, distributors and manufacturers in the powersports, marine, RV and outdoor power equipment industries. Products and services include eCommerce-enabled websites, lead generation, lead management, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing and eCatalogs (parts, garments and accessories).
Contact: mccann@arinet.com
Website: www.arinet.com
