Web strategy, done right, is the highest return on investment (ROI) marketing activity you can make. Developing a quality web strategy, however, is much more than the website itself. We have a unique approach to web development in that we focus on results, not any specific set of tasks.
Developing and executing an effective B2C web strategy is a necessity for tire dealers and auto repair shops today for several reasons:
- 78% of consumers in the United States and Canada have access to the internet
- research shows that 50% or more of all consumers consult the internet before purchasing tires and auto repair services
- recent statistics show that consumers performed over 100 million searches for tires, auto parts and automotive repair services each month.
The bottom line is that customers (yours, your competitors' and new potential customers) are online and looking for the products and services that you sell.
These customers are shopping in two very different ways:
- E‐Commerce, which is defined by people making purchases online for delivery or local installation.
- Research Online, Buy Offline (ROBO) on the other hand, refers to tires researched online, but purchased at a local dealer.
The main difference is where the financial transaction occurs – online versus in‐store. Currently, it is estimated that approximately 95% of all tire purchases initiated online are purchased at a local dealer (in‐store).
This is a large and growing piece of the industry and to stay competitive and participate in this growth it is necessary to not only have a website, but have a full web strategy. Changes in the way people find local businesses (today for every one person that looks up a business in a yellow page directory, nine people look up a business online) require changes in your marketing strategy. A recent study by Nielson found that the internet is the best way to deliver promotions and coupons to consumers, generate new business leads, drive traffic to a store and build relationships with customers as compared to directories, TV, radio and newspapers. In years past, tire and repair shops cited that their #1 advertising expense was yellow page directories, today the answer to that question should be "the internet".
To tap into this large and growing segment of consumers that start their shopping process on the web you'll need an effective web strategy. The three main features of our internet strategy are internet marketing, websites and maintenance/ analysis.
Internet Marketing
The average consumer starts their online process by visiting a search engine and entering a set of keywords. To be found on this search engine you'll need internet marketing to make your website easy to find online.
Website
If your tire or automotive website is easy to find and one that the consumer chooses to consult in their research, you'll need to have a website that meets four key criteria to convert that potential customer into a lead. The key areas of a successful website include appearance, usability, content and interactivity.
Consulting, Training and Support
Finally, if you can develop a winning formula, you'll need to keep it fresh and effective. This requires work and can be done through a combination of analysis and maintenance.
One of these three aspects without the others is a recipe for failure, while all three working together can be your highest ROI marketing activity. In summary, to be successful online you must drive traffic to your site (internet marketing), have a web presence that will convert that traffic into leads (website) and you must have a mechanism to review results and make adjustments to stay competitive (maintenance and analysis). Fortunately, Net Driven® is here to make being successful online easy and affordable.
Get started with Net Driven® today!