press releases

driving customers to your website – full speed ahead!

by Tessa Denison, Creative Director, Denison Design Ltd

With the massive choice of manufacturers and models consumers are turning to the internet as a search tool because facilities allow them to enter specific requirements and quickly be presented with a list of appropriate models. For the many car dealerships, this indicates that a company website is required that attracts and retains customers, and is up to date and simple to use. Tessa Denison, creative director of web designers, Denison Design, explains how to achieve this.

The first impression of a company’s website comes from the home page and once landed there is around three seconds to capture the audience before interest is lost and the visitor has clicked off to another site, taking a potential purchase away from the organisation.

One effective way to retain visitors is by including a selection of new car offers on the home page which will generate enquiries and encourage visitors to explore the website further.

When encouraging exploration it is important that navigation is simple and this means having the most important information, such as a search facility, on the home page or just one click away.

It is unlikely that customers of car dealerships will want to make a transaction online. However, a main objective of the website is to generate enquiries so make contact details easily accessible. This includes a contact name, telephone number, address and e-mail.

If a customer has accessed the organisation’s details then it is likely contact will be made. Therefore provide a phone number that is always answered. Similarly, ensure e-mail enquiries are prioritised as customers will usually trade with the dealer who gets in contact first.

The next consideration for retaining customers is stock and pricing and the key here is consistency so don’t disappoint customers by featuring a car on the website which was in fact sold 3 days ago from the forecourt. Similarly, if a car is reduced on the forecourt then it should also be reduced on the website.

With pricing and stock correct the next consideration is the use of quality pictures/photography. When assessing different vehicles, consumers want to see images. Usually, it is effective to include multiple shots of the car which are clear and professional. It is advisable to include pictures of the inside and outside of the car and any special features so customers can see exactly what they could be buying.

However, the problem with large numbers of images is that they increase download time, a major factor contributing negatively to retaining site visitors. Therefore, always compress images as opposed to ‘resizing’ them. Resizing an image and simply making it smaller means the larger image it is associated with takes just as long to download. Another option is to download a lower resolution version of the car shots first, with the quality gradually improving.

Just as important as photography is branding, which needs to be consistent with offline branding as this strengthens recognition and awareness amongst consumers. Individuals are familiar with the majority of car brands so make it clear who the website belongs to.

If stock, pricing, photography and branding are correct then the last consideration is ensuring that the website is kept up to date and the ability to do this initially comes from constructing it according to “web standards” guidelines and using valid HTML and cascading style sheets (CSS). CSS enables the web developer to separate the appearance or style of a web page from its structure and content. Producing websites in such a way makes them much easier and more cost effective to update. CSS also significantly improves the download time.

Regularly updating a website also has the positive effect of enhanced search engine optimisation (SEO). Search engines are the main method of directing traffic to your website and if content is changed regularly, web listings - those near the top of a search results list - can be improved. Ensuring key words are carefully integrated into the body copy of the text can also enhance SEO.

However, it is not just driving customers to the website that is important, but driving relevant customers. To achieve this, advertise stock on sites such as Car Source, www.carsource.co.uk, which is postcode driven, ensuring you are only dealing with customers who are likely to purchase from the organisation as vehicles are in the relevant area.

Just like buying a car, designing a dealership website is not easy and the right choices need to be made otherwise sales will be lost and the website will not be effective. Therefore to drive visitors towards the company site, follow the guidelines above and then watch customers drive away from the forecourt – in a nice new car!