RV Executive Today 12.08

2009 New Years Resolution-Give your Web site a quick check-up to improve results

As the New Year approaches, dealers should make strong efforts to stick with a solid resolution for their business. One of this year¿s resolutions should be to tune your Web site to start strong in 2009 and give it a quick check up. It is crucial that you treat your Web site as another brick-and-mortar location except that it is open 24/7. Over 80% of consumers research your site online before walking in (Source: eBusiness Dealer Study, Cobalt Group & Yahoo!, 2007) so you must keep your site fresh and updated. If a visitor came to your physical location looking for a RV you wouldn't send them to down the road to another dealer would you? Same thing applies to your Web site; your site should have ALL the information they need about the RV's you sell without having to send them anywhere else; and this includes manufacturers' sites. If your site does not give the visitor what they need in seconds they will click over to your competitors.


The check-up should be painless. Take a few moments to follow the tips below to create a powerful site that will generate return visitors, leads and in turn, sales. You never would have thought that your New Years resolution would be as easy as printing a few tips and getting maximum results.

Testimonials-The best way to prove how great your dealership is to let your customers brag for you. Insert a "testimonials" section as a tab under "About Us" so prospective buyers can read about the great experiences buyers have with your dealership. This will also create loyalty and strengthen the relationship you have with those current customers. Insert at least four and update them every couple of months. Inserting a photo of the buyer and/or the buyer's family will make the testimonial more genuine. The prospective buyer might already know your customer, which would create more buzz without spending additional dollars. Your current Web provider should allow you to add or update this and all of your Web pages easy.

Submit Your Stories-Take the testimonials section a step further and have your customers and employees submit stories about their personal experiences with their RVs right on your Web site. Including both your employees and current customers offers several opinions and makes everyone feel like they are part of the RV experience. Your Web provider should offer a tool where visitors can easily click a link such as "Submit your story online" and can quickly upload photos and stories in a matter of minutes. Make sure this section is not similar to a blog; your tool should give you the ability to review and approve each story before it posts on your site to make sure it is appropriate. Don't forget to order the stories from newest to oldest. Add this "Submit Your Stories" tab under "Industry News" or "About Us."

Industry News-Make your site the one place to find all RV News. If prospective buyers find current articles and press releases on your site they will most likely come back to keep up-to-date on industry news. Post articles, editorials and press releases on your Web site in a "News" tab. Make sure you post information from newest to oldest to keep those return visitors engaged. The easiest way to get information for the "News" section is to sign up to receive e-newsletters from several industry publications, association, and providers; don't forget to check your manufacturers' Web sites for information. At the bottom of each article or press release, mention where the information came from so you are legally using the information. Your goal is to get the customer or prospect to mark your site as a favorite.

Events Calendar -Give your site visitors an opportunity to know what RV events are occurring in your market area. Even if you aren¿t participating in every show or event your dealership will be a valuable resource to RV loyalists and prospective buyers. Remember to keep this calendar up-to-date. Fill in dates for the entire year and add to the calendar as you hear of new events. Tie your online calendar into your marketing strategies by posting signs outside of your dealership or on the door promoting each of your events. Include the information on the homepage of your Web site and print flyers to hand out at the dealership. Your Web provider should provide you with a simple tool to insert events, photos, descriptions, etc. into your calendar that will automatically upload to your site in real-time.

Specials -Again, your Web site should be a direct reflection of your brick-and-mortar. If you have specials posted throughout your dealership then you should also post them on your online store. Include specials and/or coupons on individual RV listings because that special price could be the factor that gets that prospect into the dealership. Also include a "Specials" tab, link, button or banner so prospective buyers can get directly to specials if their most important factor in buying a RV is getting a deal. Again, your Web provider should offer a tool that allows you to easily upload photos, descriptions, coupons, etc. for each RV in minutes. In fact, your provider should even be providing the specs for each RV automatically so you don't have to manually enter the information. Post specials in your "Parts and Service" section of your Web site so both current and new buyers can receive deals. If you get writer's block, check out your manufacturers' or industries sites for language on special pricing or check out other dealer sites and see how they are promoting specials.

In addition to giving a special for a specific type or model of RV, offer packaging deals to sell a multitude of your product suites. If you are including free valued-added deals such as free gas, service, or dealer installed options, be sure these are featured on your Web site. Don't forget to keep specials fresh and exciting. Get a list of all holidays by going to Google and send out an e-mail campaign every month that mentions a different holiday special.

Inventory -Do you post every RV on your Web site? How about keeping them up-to-date and removing them once they are sold? There is no point in having your inventory posted unless you post both new and use inventory correctly. You can mark a unit as "Sold" or "Coming Soon" if you are not ready to post a RV at a given time. Again, you should have complete specs with each piece of inventory, whether new or used. Also include a variety of high-quality pictures for each RV. Compelling listings will increase lead volume and ultimately sales. Your Web provider should offer quality photos, specs and information on your inventory so you don¿t have to manually enter the information. All you need to do is login to the tool and click on what goes where.

Include photos of special accessories and features and make sure each RV looks clean and is taken with a nice background. An image of a RV on a messy lot with other RV's interfering doesn't help generate more leads. A picture says a thousand words, so make sure none of those words could reflect on your dealership's RVs negatively.

Design-Even after completing this New Year resolution there is one last tip that cannot be overlooked. When is the last time you gave your site design a facelift? While keeping your branding consistent (logo, colors, etc) you need to give your site a fresh look. You can add some variations to your design without tampering with your branding. Many dealers refresh their Web site every 18 to 24 months to maintain consumer excitement, engagement and drive sales.

In order to keep up with your new year's resolution you might want to assign someone at your dealership the responsibility for maintaining and updating your site. Hold your Web site manager/associate as accountable as you would your sales and service managers. If you are looking for better results from your Web site (increased exposure, leads and sales) consider designating someone to manage the site so you can prosper in the new year.