You've made the decision. It's time to get onto the Internet. You've bought the hardware, connected to the online world through an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and established several email accounts for the dealership. These initial steps have laid the foundation for your dealership's home in cyberspace. Now it's time to build your web site.
There's growing evidence that the majority of auto shoppers in the next five years will use the Web when they shop for a new or used car. It's crucial to begin thinking of your web site as an extension of your dealership showroom.
That doesn't mean you have to start big. One of the most attractive features of the Web is its flexibility. You can enhance and upgrade your web site from the most basic information to a full-fledged retail division, at your own pace.
How to get started?
Begin with the construction and operation of a custom web site that encourages customer interaction. At its most basic, the site should have an attractive overall design that reflects your brand identity with an intuitive navigation system. A site that is poorly designed and hard to navigate is a sure-fire way to lose potential customers before they get past your home page. If you are not "net savvy" yourself, you may have an advantage. Use your lack of knowledge to judge how navigable your site is (if you have difficulty, other people probably will, too).
Provide content that's useful. Searchable new and pre-owned inventory means your new and used cars are accessible to car buyers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Special deals for Internet customers show them they are special to you and will keep them coming back to your site.
Be sure to provide the means to communicate with customers by including email functionality for parts, service, and financing. For today's Internet shoppers, using email to schedule a service appointment or inquire about a specific car for sale is easier and more intuitive than picking up the phone. And make sure you have a system in place for answering email messages in a timely manner. A year ago, answering email once a day was the norm. Today, every two to three hours is a good timeframe to maintain.
Make your site flexible so that it can grow as your comfort level grows, adding features such as interactive mapping to guide shoppers to your door or coupons and specials that reward customers for returning to the site.
Sites like these are still the exception, not the norm. Many dealers have built shell templates that resemble online brochures. They have not yet moved to the next step-designing and building fully interactive, retail web sites.
Just as you keep your inventory current and your showroom fresh, the same should be true for your web site. It's important to regularly update your searchable inventory, Internet specials, and time-sensitive references. Reliable, current information will keep car buyers coming back. If they come back and see the same thing as last time, they may not come back again.
Finally, find an experienced vendor who can help you build your web site. The Web is a quickly changing, ever-expanding field of expertise. You'll benefit from a team who knows how to make the most of the medium. Invest in someone who understands the needs of an online dealer and can build you a home that will make you proud.
John Holt, co-CEO of the Cobalt Group is the nation's largest provider of Internet marketing solutions to automotive dealerships, currently serving more than 6,500 dealers nationwide. If you have specific questions or require more information about this subject, please check the appropriate box on the reader response form on page 3. jholt@dealeronline.com