The U.S. economy continues to change, resulting in more consumers keeping their vehicles longer. Consumers are also becoming more proactive in the care and maintenance of their vehicles, which translates into more opportunities for you to sell parts, accessories and full services
Here are three ways you can use your website to sell more service:
Service-specific Pages
You know the services your dealership provides inside and out – but customers visiting your site are seeking specifics on your offerings. Simply having one or two pages on your website that only list the services you offer could leave your customers wanting more information and lead them to your competition.
Best practice is to provide a page for every service; the more detail the better. This may seem like information overload, but it’s not. Customers expect, and demand, to see what’s included with the oil change you offer, so be sure to include:
• Number of quarts of oil included
• List of the services also included such as inspection of belts, wiper blades and exterior lights
• What else does the service include such as checking power steering fluid, windshield washer fluid and tire pressure
These details are vital to turning a shopper into a buyer. This is also a great way to educate your customers and show the value of the services you provide.
This content also serves to improve your organic search engine rankings in your particular area, since Google seeks out websites with relevant information.
Online Appointment Scheduling
One of the best ways to drive more service to your dealership is to make it easy for consumers to do business with you. An online appointment scheduling tool is becoming more common and, for many consumers, mandatory. If a customer is too busy to call during your normal business hours, having an online, 24/7 appointment scheduler will help drive more service business to your dealership and increase customer loyalty.
When setting up an appointment scheduler on your website, make sure you include, at a minimum:
• Type of service needed, displayed as a drop down menu for customers to select the service desired
• Pre-populated service date and time availability
• For multiple location dealerships, a drop down menu with each location listed
As a bonus, offer a special discount for any service scheduled online. And, don’t forget to send an appointment confirmation to the customer by email.
Service Packages and Promotions
Who doesn’t love a good deal? Identify the key types of service you regularly provide, and promote them like you promote tires and wheels. Include a “coupons” page on your website that has weekly or monthly services specials, including:
• Free oil change with the purchase of four tires
• Free car wash with a tire rotation
• VIP Customer Rewards card to save on repeat oil changes
Rather than your customers thinking about all the things they have to do to keep their vehicle in top condition, they’ll remember one thing: the convenience and cost-savings provided by your dealership.
When it comes to selling more stuff to your customers — like service — you need to think about your business differently. Consumer demand for vehicle service is rising and is not expected to slow down. The tire dealership that finds smart ways to package and sell services will do well. This means that you must package, price and market your service department with the same zeal that you market tires and wheels.
Article Courtesy of Tire Review – Nate Lehmann is ARI’s sales manager. ARI creates award-winning software solutions.
