Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/605091
Twelve months ago, when I made my predic- tions for the marketing trends to watch in 2015, I issued you a challenge: Draft a written marketing plan of action for the year ahead. Did you write that plan? More importantly, were you able to execute upon it? If so, congratulations! I'd love to hear the results you were able to achieve, and I challenge you to pull that plan back out as a starting point for your written action plan for the year ahead. If you didn't create an actionable mar - keting plan for 2015, I encourage you to hit the OPE archives and read my Decem- ber 2014 article (http://outdoorpowerequip ment.com/2014/12/28/online-marketing- trends/6868/). In it, you'll find a basic outline of what you need to consider to draft a mar- keting plan. As you start sketching out your plans for the year ahead, I first want you to consider the following list of trends to watch. While some of the more cutting-edge trends might not have a major impact on your store in the year ahead, if left totally unconsidered over the long term, they have the power to sig - nificantly hurt your ability to connect with today's on-the-go mobile consumer. TREND #1: MOBILE DOMINATION Mobile's momentum is still picking up speed at a breakneck pace, with smartphone and tablet usage continuing to leave desktop computers in the dust, as more and more searchers opt for the convenience of their mobile devices, both at home and on the go. The first thing you must do is ensure your website passes Google's mobile-friendly test: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ mobile-friendly/. Taking the test is as simple as typing your URL. The results will let you know if your site meets not only the search engine's requirements, which greatly affect your search ranking results, but will also tell you if your site is delivering an experience that is optimized for mobile usage. If you get a negative result, immediately contact your website provider and tell them you absolute - ly need a mobile-friendly site. If you only take one piece of advice from this article, this is the action item you MUST follow. Why? You'll note that each and every trend on this list touches on mobile in at least some fashion. The key takeaway here is that you need to think mobile first, not only for your website but across all of your digital marketing initiatives. TREND #2: WEBROOMERS CONTINUE TO BUY IN-STORE The idea of showrooming may cause you to cringe when shoppers pull out their smart - phones in your dealership. While show- rooming is still a legitimate consideration, webrooming is actually a far more common practice. Also known as ROBO Shopping — Research Online, Buy Offline — webroom - ers are shoppers who turn to the Internet throughout their shopping journey and ulti- mately complete their purchase in-store. These shoppers are hungry for informa- tion. From consumer product reviews to spec sheets, they've done their homework before deciding to visit you, and they'll con- tinue to augment their shopping experience in-store with their mobile device. Make a plan to embrace webroomers by leveraging these three tactics: 1) Ensure each and every product you sell is fully represented on your website — if a shopper can't find what they're looking for on your website, they'll visit a retailer that does showcase it online. 2) Offer free WiFi and promote it via in- store signage. Be sure that your website is the first site that pops up in their browser after users agree to your terms of service. 3) Arm your sales team with tablets pre- loaded with applicable sales materials and FEATURE STORY | Website Solutions 30 DECEMBER 2015 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com 2016 Digital Marketing Trend Watch IMAGE ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MICHAIL_PETROV-96. ■ BY COLLEEN MALLOY