New study exposes powersports industry’s online performance gap

Overfuel, a provider of dealer website solutions for powersports, automotive, recreational vehicle (RV), and marine, has unveiled a new study analyzing the digital readiness of North America’s powersports businesses. The report highlights alarming shortcomings in website performance, with most sites failing to meet Google’s basic standard.

The report finds that the inability of powersports dealer websites to meet fundamental digital standards erodes consumer trust and undermines sales potential and brand reputation. However, Overfuel says this gap represents a significant opportunity for dealers to differentiate themselves and capture untapped revenue through improved online performance.

Core Web Vitals

Introduced by Google in 2020, Core Web Vitals are key metrics for evaluating website performance, including load speed, interactivity, and visual stability. These elements are vital for ensuring a positive user experience and provide a direct correlation to increased visitor conversion rates. Overfuel employed real-world data from Google CrUX to assess 2,315 active powersports dealer and service provider websites, measuring their compliance with these standards.

Key Findings:

• 42.6% (986 websites) failed mobile and desktop performance tests.
• 80.3% (1,858 websites) failed mobile and desktop performance tests.
• 15.7% (363 websites) passed both mobile and desktop.

“These results are disappointing for an industry built on the promise of excitement and fun,” notes Alex Griffis, president and chief technology officer of Overfuel. “The inability of powersports dealer websites to meet fundamental digital standards erodes consumer trust and undermines sales potential and brand reputation. However, this gap represents a significant opportunity for dealers to differentiate themselves and capture untapped revenue through improved online performance.”

Digital Engagement

Digital touchpoints now dominate the powersports-buying journey, with potential customers researching extensively online before stepping into a dealership. A slow, unresponsive, or complicated website experience risks driving consumers toward competitors with more user-friendly platforms. The data underscores the urgent need for dealerships to address technical inefficiencies and embrace strategic improvements to stay competitive.

For an in-depth look at the methodology, detailed findings, and actionable insights, you can download the full Overfuel report: Powersports Industry Fails to Meet Google’s Basic Website Performance Standards at www.overfuel.com.