Does Your Online Presence Deliver the Information Your Website Visitors Expect During the Holidays?
When shoppers come to your store in person, they expect a certain level of customer service. They expect to be greeted by a friendly salesperson. They expect to receive answers to all their questions. They expect to see signs and find helpful information about your store hours, product pricing, promotions and more.
The same is true for your digital storefront. When shoppers visit your website, they expect a certain level of service and customer convenience. They expect to see the same information and receive the same helpful guidance they would get when they visit you in person. If they don’t, it’s easy to exit your digital store and search for something else.
Does your online presence live up to these high expectations? Does it deliver all the information your customers expect? This article will outline some necessities that customers expect to see on your website, especially during the holiday season:
Digital Storefront Must-Haves
- Store hours
- Comprehensive product listings
- Customer reviews and ratings
- Contact information and support
- Online financing tools
Holiday Support Services
- Holiday promotions and discounts
- Gift guides
- Service and maintenance information
- Safety information
- Shipping and delivery
- Returns and exchange policies
- Weather-related and other alerts
Additional Online Outlets
- Social media integration
Digital Storefront Must-Haves
Store Hours
Even though your digital storefront can offer customers just about everything they can find at your physical store, including a seamless online buying experience, many customers will still want to visit you in person.
They may might want to see a unit before purchasing or meet a sales rep to ask questions, or just experience the thrill of browsing a showroom and being around likeminded, similarly passionate people. Whatever their reasons, your website should display easy-to-find store hours that tell customers when and how they can come see you.
Display store hours in an easy-to-find place on your website. If your dealership has adjusted hours or holiday closures, these changes should be displayed prominently. You may even consider including adjusted hours and holiday closures on your homepage banner.
If you're a Dealer Spike customer, you can use the hours editor tool to update your store hours on your website quickly and easily. Click here to learn how.
Comprehensive Product Listings
Shoppers want to see features that empower them to continue down the path to purchase. Among the most important of these features are your product listings. Shoppers want to actually see your available inventory, not just the brands you sell or a vague description of the items you have in stock.
They want to see detailed listings of all available units with accompanying pricing, availability and high-quality images. Include details about technical specifications, especially if a unit has some uncommon or highly desirable feature.
Let shoppers know what’s in stock and what’s coming soon. Tell them about limited-time promotions or special offers on the product pages. Include information about recommended service and maintenance, so they can take care of their new purchase.
You should also provide tools that allow shoppers to compare products side by side to better evaluate their options. Give customers the ability to see 360-degree views, videos and interactive tours of your inventory. This information can help shoppers get excited about the shopping experience and better help them to see themselves with your inventory.
Customer Reviews & Ratings
Reputation management for online businesses is all the rage these days, and it’s easy to see why. Customers can say just about anything about your business and your products online—good or bad. You can either offer your customers a platform for speaking their mind and leverage those reviews to generate more customer interest, or you can leave your business and your reputation to the whims of online discussion boards and review sites.
Specifically, when it comes to retail, customers want to learn more about what you offer and what other people think about the products themselves. In fact, they expect to see this. According to Global Newswire, 95% of consumers read online reviews before they shop and 58% say they would pay more for the products of a brand with good reviews.
Adding reviews and ratings for both units and accessories might be one of the best things you can do for your business. That’s because 90% of customers say that what they decide to buy is influenced by positive online reviews, and 94% will use a business with at least four stars.
Contact & Customer Support
When customers come to your website, they have questions. They should be able to answer a lot of those questions just by browsing your website. But in addition to doing their own research, many shoppers will want to reach out to you, and most of them will want answers immediately, especially in cases of support.
Give your website visitors clear contact information (perhaps included in a dropdown menu on your site) and customer support options such as dynamic texting, email and phone support. Texting, email and phone support can give shoppers quick answers to their questions and help direct them to the department or person they need to speak with in a timely manner.
Online Financing Tools
Shoppers want to see every last detail of your inventory. When they find a unit they’re interested in, they’ll naturally want to know what it takes to buy it and whether or not they can afford it.
The more information you can give your customers about your pricing and financing plans the better. Not only does this act as a natural filter to separate the browsers from the buyers, it gives shoppers a chance to take the next step toward purchase, right on your website.
Give your customers online payment calculators and information about available financing plans, interest rates, and monthly payments. This information can push interested buyers closer to making a purchase.
Holiday Support Services
Holiday Promotions & Discounts
As the holiday shopping season quickly approaches, more people will be looking online for deals and discounts. This is a great opportunity for you to attract potential buyers and give them exactly what they want (a great deal on a unit, part or accessory), prominently displayed on your website.
Give shoppers information about the limited-time nature of your special offers or discounts to spark interest and create a sense of urgency. Include information about special financing options and promotions, and give shoppers the tools to calculate monthly payments based on the discounted prices and interest rates of your special offers.
While you’re promoting your special offers, give shoppers an easy way to purchase gift cards and e-gift certificates. Many shoppers are looking to purchase gift cards during the holidays. Displaying gift card availability prominently on your website is a great way to give shoppers what they want while also generating revenue for your business.
When it comes to generating interest (and revenue) for the holiday shopping season, the importance of putting promotional and gift card information in a prominent place on your website, even in your homepage banner, cannot be overstated.
Gift Guides
For shoppers that have a real passion for your products, holiday shopping is half the fun. Even more than giving and receiving, the hunt for the perfect holiday gift can be an adventure all its own.
Consider giving your customers a gift guide, prominently displayed on your homepage, with detailed information about your products to generate interest and act as a helpful shopping tool for industry enthusiasts.
Include information, not just about your listings, but also about accessories, apparel and gear. Include detailed specifications about your products and special offers that your customers can take advantage of during the holidays.
Service & Maintenance Information
Upkeep is inherent to your business. When your customers buy a unit from you, they want to know exactly what they will need to do to get the very most out of their investment. Giving your customers detailed information about maintenance, repairs and upkeep of their new purchase is a great way to promote your business as an authority in the industry. It also gives customers the peace of mind to make a purchase, knowing that they’re equipped with the knowledge and resources they need to make the product last longer.
Whether or not you offer the services, be sure to display information about how customers can service, maintain and winterize their vehicles, along with the ability to schedule service appointments online, if applicable. If you don’t offer the services, your customers will appreciate the information. If you do offer the services, you can parlay each purchase into more business for your dealership, while also giving customers what they want.
Safety Information
During the holiday season, shoppers may be concerned about safety, especially if they're purchasing gifts for loved ones. Providing safety tips related to your retail business engenders goodwill between you and your shoppers, as they know that you have their best interests in mind. It also gives customers what they want—the knowledge and tools to have fun and pursue their hobbies while staying safe.
Consider writing a blog post or including a guide, displayed prominently on your website, with practical and commonsense safety tips for operating each of the units you sell. Your website visitors will appreciate the information, and it may mean the difference between choosing your business or a competitor this holiday season.
Shipping & Delivery Information
If your dealership delivers or offers buy online, pickup in-store (BOPIS) options, your customers want to know about it. Basically, if shoppers are interested in buying, they want to know how and how soon they’ll be able to take home their new purchase. This is especially true if your dealership offers some unique pickup or delivery option that’s not available at all dealerships.
Put information about shipping and delivery options in a prominent place on your website, including any information about holiday-related delays, cutoff dates for guaranteed delivery before the holidays and tracking information. For BOPIS, be sure to include how soon the product will be available, as well as any details about pickup location and instructions.
Returns & Exchange Policies
Especially for big purchases, customers like to know about returns and exchange policies. If nothing else, these kinds of policies provide comfort to buyers, knowing that they can always return or exchange their major purchase if they change their mind (within the parameters of the policy). In fact, more than 66% of customers read return policies before making a purchase.
Provide clear and easy-to-find return and exchange policies on your website so shoppers can see that you have their best interest in mind. These policies, clearly displayed, build trust with potential buyers and can prompt them to continue down the purchase path with your dealership.
Weather-Related & Other Alerts
For dealerships in regions with the potential for inclement winter weather, provide weather-related alerts or advisories that may affect store hours or transportation of purchased vehicles. If the products you sell will take your customers outdoors, they may appreciate a weather alert and consider it a convenience that promotes their passions, in addition to an advisory for your business hours.
Similarly, if your dealership sponsors or promotes local industry events or rides during the holiday season, share information and encourage participation on your website. Include alerts and/or calendars on your website to keep customers interested and involved.
Additional Online Outlets
Social Media Integration
The secret’s out. Modern shoppers don’t just go directly to dealers’ websites and call it a shopping experience. Their path to purchase is much more nuanced and exploratory, and almost always makes its way through one or more social media sites.
In fact, 80% of consumers make buying decisions based on a contact’s social media post, according to Forbes. According to Search Engine Watch, social media has some influence over 71% of all consumer buying decisions.
These numbers are too remarkable to ignore, and your dealership should be directing people to your social media sites where they can find interesting posts, reviews, and information about your products, your team, and your dealership.
As the holiday shopping season approaches, make sure that your website includes links to your dealership's social media profiles, so you can showcase holiday-related content, promotions and customer interactions to get people excited about your posts and products.
Deliver the Online Presence Your Customers Expect
Modern shoppers expect a lot from modern dealers, but the good news is that you can deliver on their high expectations with a few smart inclusions to your website. Review this article and pay attention to what your customers want as you meet and interact with them. With a few smart inclusions to your website, your business will deliver the ultimate online shopping experience to attract more customers and close more sales this holiday season.