Having an online presence is not just a luxury for a small independent business; it’s a necessity. A well-designed website is a cornerstone for establishing the credibility of your business, driving the growth of your business. Our guide will tell you not only why a website is essential for a small dealership but also what it should include.
4 Reasons Why a Website is Essential for a Small Business
24/7 Accessibility
Unlike a forecourt or a phone number, a website is available 24/7, allowing potential customers to access information about your stock or services at any time. Being constantly available in this way allows your customers to browse your stock in the evenings and on days you are closed, significantly increasing your chances of getting leads.
Credibility and Professionalism
Consumers are more likely to trust a company that has a professional online presence. It demonstrates that your business is legitimate, and that you are an authority on what you sell. You could consider adding a blog to support this even more. Find out why a blog might be useful by reading this.
Cost-Effective Marketing
A website is essential for digital marketing. The destination for all marketing campaigns and organic search, without one you could be losing out on a vast number of leads. Through SEO, PPC, content marketing, and social media integration, you can attract and engage customers without the high costs associated with traditional advertising methods. We can help with your digital marketing needs. Take a look at the services we offer here.
Customer Insights
All of our websites are integrated with analytics tools, giving you valuable insights into customer behaviour on your site. This data will help you understand what customers are looking for, enabling you to tailor your website, and making it more likely you will retain customers on your site.
What should you include on your website?
Clear Branding
Your website should reflect your business’s identity through consistent use of your logo, colours, and tone of voice. This helps in building brand recognition and loyalty. If you don’t have a logo, or would like a refresh to your current branding, check out our logo creation service. Choose from bespoke logo design, or use our logo builder.
User-Friendly Design
An intuitive and easy-to-navigate design is crucial. All of our websites make use of clear layouts and menus, as well as carefully curated content that is accessible to all types of users. As so much of website traffic comes from mobile, we also make sure every design is responsive as standard, meaning it will look just as good on mobile as it does on a large screen.
Compelling Content
High-quality content that speaks to the needs and interests of your target audience is critical to success. This includes engaging text, images, videos, and possibly a blog that offers valuable information and showcases your expertise. If you find creating videos and images difficult or time consuming, read our blog here on vehicle stock photography tips and tricks.
Customer Reviews
Given that 98% of consumers say that reviews are crucial to their decision making process when making a large purchase, featuring positive customer reviews on your site are essential for building trust in your business. If you want to know more about reviews, how to manage them and what to do with them, read our blog here.
Virtual Showroom
Your website is like your virtual showroom. It is the first port of call for many of your customers, and so should show off your stock in the best possible way. All our websites include search filters as standard, with clear vehicle details page layouts. There are also enormous benefits to including the right imagery of your stock – something you can read more about here.
Don’t forget about your services!
Not only is your site your virtual showroom, it is the source of all information about your business. If you offer garage services, after sales care or anything else, make sure your site includes it!
Our guide to what you should include in your site is by no means exhaustive, but instead we hope it has given you a flavour of some of the key things to consider. Get in touch with a friendly member of our team today to talk about what you want from your site!