Car Dealers And Garages Advised To Devote Energy To Updating Their Websites

Dragon2000 is encouraging car dealers and garages to take stock of their online presence, and look at updating their websites during the temporary lockdown period, in readiness for resuming normal trade when the restrictions are lifted.

One major advantage for car dealers having more time on their hands is the ability to reflect on their company’s website and experiment with any changes that may benefit them in the long term.

It can be difficult to find time to concentrate on your website when you are busy dealing with the day-to-day business. But before you know it, your website hasn’t been updated in years and can look old fashioned and uninspiring, compared with your competitors who have kept their sites fresh.

So where do you start?

Buying Online

Open your website and put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Think of the online journey – have you got an end to end process for those who want to buy completely online, as buying trends inevitably shift? Having an integrated checkout platform within your website gives dealers an advantage over their competitors who don’t cater for customers wanting to buy online.

Branding

Your branding is your identity, so keeping this consistent is vital to portraying a sense of trustworthiness and professionalism online. Using the same colours and fonts that are on display in your showroom will boost your familiarity with customers, especially if you have a site with high visibility and footfall. Small changes such as these can go a long way to building your brand to visually compete with the top dealerships online.

Search

Your search feature has to be easy to use for buyers to find their ideal next car. This should be positioned high up on the home page so that it’s instantly accessible. Easy and clear navigation is key here, as you guide website visitors through the options to identify their next vehicle purchase.

Vehicle Presentation

While the sun is shining, now is an ideal time to retake any stock photos, videos or 360 degree footage which was previously captured in dull and grey weather. Try and keep your process consistent too, by designating a specific area of your forecourt/showroom for all your stock to be recorded. Ideally, aim to feature your company’s signage in the background to form an instant association between your brand and the vehicle.

Offers

If you’re running promotions that make your business stand out from your competitors, how easy is it to find this information online? Hero images at the top of your homepage are the first eye-catching feature of your website, so consider making an instant impact here by showcasing any promotions to your customers and giving them a reason to stay on your website and, more importantly, browse your stock.

Finance

Offering live finance quotes and the ability to apply for finance online is a key feature to have on your website, along with the option for customers to leave a deposit and reserve their perfect vehicle. Today’s buyers want to check if they can afford a vehicle before contacting the dealership, so live finance quotes and part exchange valuations all help your online buyers along the sales process steps.

Integrated Leads

Having website enquiries land in your dealer management system is also a key time saver and helps sales staff follow them up, especially when they have been received out of hours. With Dragon2000 built websites, enquiries are automatically fed into the DragonDMS.

Live Chat

Live chat platforms can operate 24/7 to ensure nobody is leaving your website with unanswered questions. Dragon2000 offer an integration with live chat provider Visitor Chat, which captures out of office enquiries for you to begin processing first thing in the morning.

Customer Reviews

Your reputation is everything, so good reviews are always worth broadcasting on your website. Positive comments from other car buyers can build a sense of trust and confidence with your business, instantly laying good foundations for you to build upon when contact is made. Trustpilot reviews are integrated with websites built by Dragon2000, to ensure your reputation sits proudly on your website and attracts new business.

About Us / Meet the Team

Other pages on your website which may not immediately spring to mind is the ‘About’ and ‘Meet the Team’ pages. How much of this content is still relevant? Outdated information can harm your professionalism, such as expired seasonal offers and former staff introducing themselves on the ‘Meet the Team‘ page. Even just a facelift to these pages can make your website seem more interesting to explore.

All of these features can be incorporated into a Dragon2000 built website. Making changes now is time well spent and there really is no better time to evaluate your online presence. Here at Dragon2000 we are all working remotely and we are providing normal service to all our customers – so if you have a website provided by us, our team will be more than happy to discuss any changes you might want to make, just get in touch as usual by phone or email.

Dragon2000 have been helping dealers and garages drive their businesses forward since 1995. Talk to our team today on 01327 222 333 or email sales@dragon2000.co.uk to find out how our dealer management system, car dealer websites and mobile apps can help your business increase profits and reduce costs.