The Ultimate Car Dealer Website
Excerpt from "Mastering the Art of Selling Cars Online" |
Welcome to the chapter that I believe will turn a lot of people in the automotive web development arena into outright narcoleptics. It may especially have this effect on the ones who are smarter than average and who truly want to be in exchange with their dealer public. This bunch would be divided into three primary categories: the ones that turn completely antagonistic as an attempt to justify being emotionally out-ethics with their customers, the ones that dismiss the concept as a result of a lack of understanding, and the ones that pop off with the faithful “Oh we do that too!” line. The last one's my favorite. I wanted to throw that out there just to prepare you for what may be inevitable.
You will find that the gloves come off in this chapter. Beyond that, I truly believe that a greater understanding of this subject is what is needed most for some, and just the smack in the mouth that has been long overdue for others. On a lighter note, I truly believe the people who participate in this industry want to provide the best products and solutions possible. I also believe that there are a number of missed product targets and wrong purposes for being in the e-automotive industry in the first place. My hope is that this chapter will serve as an inspiration for designing and building e-dealer websites and marketing campaigns that rise to next level of effectiveness.
Make no mistake about it; there are an endless number of factors that contribute to a truly successful Internet department. As with any successful sales organization, the motor needs to be firing on all cylinders. Of all the dealerships that I've had the opportunity to interview with and consult for over the years, the number one outpoint with the Internet department has consistently been the dealership's website. Many dealerships have excellent staff and internal systems but lack a website that can effectively rake in the sales leads and credit applications. As a result, hundreds of thousands of dollars get unintentionally left on the table month in and month out. Without sufficient inflow it is difficult for any dealership to take the necessary measures to expand. When it comes to your Internet department, the inflow I am referring to consists of e-sales leads plain and simple.
If there is one thing I was absolutely determined to make perfectly clear in this book it was how absolutely mission critical an effective website is to a dealership's Internet efforts. I have found in my travels that dealerships that are the effect of a poorly performing websites simply lack a little insight on the subject. Very rarely have I spent a couple of hours with a dealership, drawing out the difference between an effective and ineffective websites and the ties they have to overall organizational performance, without getting some sort of eye-opening response.
Most of the information you will read about in this book is not something you are likely to learn about via the mainstream channels available in the e-dealer industry, which was my primary motivation for writing it in the first place. The main reason for this chapter was so that dealers would no longer be the effect of their websites as a result of a lack of insight. I have found that this industry is still at the level where some people hold the belief that a stock Nissan Altima can get around the track as fast as a Ferrari F360. I believe this state of existence is the direct result of not having the right stopwatch and measuring stick for website performance. If after reading this chapter, a dealership is the effect of rather than the cause over their website, my intent is that it will be by choice not lack of understanding.
Designing with passion
Most of us realize that doing anything truly great in life requires passion. In the workplace, it requires a passion that is greater for the work than the paycheck. I have found this to be especially true in the creative services field. In the automotive web development field, the question remains, “passion for what”? In the e-dealer web design industry, your passion must be tied in to your overall purpose. In other words, what are you are trying to accomplish? What will make up the framework of your ultimate dealer client's website?
Since most web development teams consist largely of technical people and creative people, you have a natural two-way street in terms of overall purpose. Much of the industry measures success in terms of efficiency, while other industry players focus more on general design based on basic principles. Both of these focuses are integral parts of a website's success but neither make up an overall purpose worthy of the cause.
When it comes to the technical aspect of web development, one must consider the vendor's business plan. Many web development companies that serve the automotive industry choose to place a high importance on streamlined operations. The more websites a company can turn out for the buck, the greater their chances of survival. As difficult as it is to maintain a healthy bottom line in the web development industry, who can blame anyone for being sensitive to the issue of cost control.
Then of course you have the creative team, who just want to give the technical department a way to show up well dressed to the party in the same way an automotive design team looks for creative ways to hide wires behind a dashboard.
In the end, most companies consider their passion to be based on a blend of technical streamlining, scalable architecture and sound creative in an effort to grow a profitable company that can provide acceptable e-dealer products to the masses. In addition, I believe that most technical advancements in the e-dealer industry have been achieved for technology's sake over anything else. As a result, streamlining, interactivity, and architecture seem to be the primary motivating factors for technological advancements witnessed in the automotive web development arena.
My final position on the subject is that, while these passions and purposes are more than acceptable in today's market place, they will fail to result in the creation of e-dealer websites that are truly revolutionary in terms of sales success. This brings us to our next topic.
Psychology based technology
Anyone who knows me well knows that I would rather be a complete extremist at the things I believe are important to be proficient at than a jack-of-all-trades. I place a great value on balance, but I also believe it is important to pick a rope and climb it. When it comes to the purpose for being in a business that designs, builds and maintains websites for retail automotive dealerships, I believe that there is one that is a reflection of the ultimate e-dealer website.
Continue to Part Two
Eddie Coleman ,C.E.O. Hyperdrive Technologies Inc.
Park Plaza Tower 715 SW Morrison Ave Portland, OR. 97205
503.227.3515 ext107 503.227.6437 fax
eddie@hyperdrivetech.com
www.MasteringTheArt.com
www.HyperDrivetech.com |
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