Some Easy & Cheap Ways To Improve Your Web Site

Charley Pompey · #1 (**permalink**) 12-19-2009, 11:45 PM

It does not have to cost a fortune to improve your web site and it's results. Here's a few ways to start.

Goal...Be sure to know exactly what your web site is trying to accomplish. Once you define the goal, concentrate your site on accomplishing it. For example, if you have a special finance or buy here pay here web site, concentrate on having your site visitors submit credit applications.

Keep It Simple...your web site visitors only scan the copy you write, so keep it short, and to the point. The site construction should be the least number of pages and the fewest levels of navigation as possible.

Keep Flash & Video To A Minimum...it look good to you, but it slows down the loading of your site on your customers computers which may cause them to leave before they see or do anything on your site.

This is a start, any thoughts or comments.
Charley Pompey, www.digapsblog.com, free info on websites

Charley Pompey · #2 (**permalink**) 12-26-2009, 11:17 AM

If you hire a salesperson or sales manager you expect them to sell cars for you. You monitor them and gauge their performance based on results. If they do not sell cars for you, you start out by "counseling" them to improve. If they do not improve, you have no choice. They have to go...because they are costing you money in 2 ways...what you are paying them, and what you are losing in the sales that a qualified, experienced sales person would get you.

Your website is no different.
If your website is not selling you cars today...you are losing the money you are paying for it, but also the sales that a productive website would get you. So what are you going to do about it?

Try the same thing you do with a sales person. If your web provider will not, or can not help you make your website more productive...then fire them and get yourself a web provider that can sell cars for you.
You'd fire a salesperson wouldn't you?

Charley Pompey · #3 (**permalink**) 01-02-2010, 09:45 AM

Most dealers that have web sites do not really know how the sites are performing. The way to find out is to have access to your web site statistics program. You can get access to your stats from your web site provider and it usually requires a password and log in.

The stats provide you with "unique visitors" info (forget about "hits" it's about worthless) for each page and level of the site. I strongly recommend Google Analytics as your web site statistics program.

Analytics is easy for your provider to install on your site (about 5 mins), gives a wealth of info, easy to use, and it's free. I use it on all my websites.

Got questions or comments, let me know.

Charley Pompey · #4 (**permalink**) 02-02-2010, 11:09 PM

How about some easy, cheap and effective ways to build traffic to your web site.

* Put your URL (web address) on your building in letters 12-18 inches high. They do not have to be lit, just very visible. Your building is probably on a busy street with very high drive by traffic. This will let you take advantage of this.

* Put your URL on everything you print, advertise, and wear. Your letterhead, envelopes, all advertising, business cards and your uniforms.

Simple they are, but cheap and effective.

Charley Pompey · #5 (**permalink**) 02-12-2010, 09:55 AM

I was researching for something else and came across these statistics on some of the used car buying publics' attitude to the internet and search engines. If ever there were reasons to develop your website and internet strategy here they are...

* Online search now trumps all traditional media as the #1 most-used resource that consumers use to locate and research dealers.
(Yahoo!/Cobalt Study, cited 2008)

· * 79% (4 in 5) of consumers use search engines to locate/research auto dealerships, and 72% rely on search engines to help them choose the dealer they will visit. (Yahoo!/Cobalt Study, cited 2008)
· * More vehicle buyers report that search created awareness of local dealers—as well as helped locate the dealer--than any other online or traditional media.
(Yahoo!/Cobalt Study 2008)
· * 61% of all used-vehicle buyers who used the Internet while shopping found the vehicle they ultimately purchased online in 2008. That's up from 48%--a notable jump of 13 percentage points—from 2007. (J.D. Power Used Vehicle Market Report, 2008)
· * The sheer amount of time that used buyers spend researching online has increased 18% in 2008, from an average of 7.3 hours in '07 to 8.6 hours today. (J.D. Power Used Vehicle Market Report, 2008)
· * 91.4 percent of consumers say they will search online prior to coming into an actual dealership to purchase a vehicle. (Outsell Study, cited 2008)
· Stats were posted on the website… http://www.exteresauto.com/
I'm sold on the web already...are you?
DIGA?