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/726432
www.outdoorpowerequipment.com OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT OCTOBER 2016 29 With today's digital path to purchase, many of your customers' purchasing decisions are made before they've even set foot in your store. Be sure you're providing the resources they need both online and at your brick-and-mortar dealership to ensure they're choosing you for their OPE needs. FOOTNOTES: 1 http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7756-online-shopping-preferences.html 2 http://marketingland.com/facebook-makes-pages-organic-reach-even- dependent-shares-182769 3 http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/pages/5-digital- purchasing-habits-to-know.aspx 4 https://think.storage.googleapis.com/docs/digital-impact-on-in-store-shopping_ research-studies.pdf Colleen Malloy is the director of marketing at ARI Network Services. Prior to joining ARI in November 2013, Malloy served as the editor of Motorcycle and Powersports News. She is dedicated to the mission of helping dealers improve their operations through the implementation of ever- evolving best practices paired with ARI's suite of award- winning data-driven software tools and marketing services that help dealers "Sell More Stuff!" — online and in-store. ARI removes the complexity of selling and servicing new and used inventory, parts, garments and accessories for customers in the outdoor power equipment, powersports, marine, RV, automotive tire and wheel, and white goods industries. More than 22,000 equipment dealers, 195 distributors and 140 manufacturers worldwide leverage ARI's website (www. arinet.com) and eCatalog platforms to "Sell More Stuff!" easy-to-use ad tool that can be tailored to any budget and can help counteract Facebook's declining organic reach. 2 Visit a retailer's website After shoppers are done with their initial research, they will check out your website to see if you have what they need. There's a lot of information shoppers look for on your website, including prices, promotions, hours, location, product descriptions and inventory related to their search. So what can you do to meet their needs? ■ Bring in accurate, consistent product information directly from your manufacturers. Incorrect product data can hurt you — 87 percent of consumers are unlikely to ever buy from a retailer again if they purchase an item that didn't have a correct product description. 3 ■ If your dealership's information changes or a product is updated, be sure to make those changes on your website to always refl ect the most up-to-date information available. ■ Enable website features like related inventory feeds and suggested products to help customers fi nd the best fi t for their needs. Visit in-store Finally, shoppers will visit you in-store and hopefully leave with a brand-new lawn mower or chain saw. But just because they've made it to your brick-and-mortar location doesn't mean they're done researching! According to Google, 79 percent of shoppers will conduct research online while browsing in-store using search engines, a retailer's website or app, a different retailer's website or app or another type of site. 4 This in-store research might include comparing prices with your big-box and local competitors, researching products, or looking into service options, but there are a few things you can do to keep shoppers off their smartphones and get them engaged in-store. ■ If you're able, provide a price-matching program. This incentive will help ensure that you always have the best deal in town and keep customers coming back. ■ Pack your store full of information. Include printed product descriptions next to inventory throughout your store, show product demos on TV screens, and arm your sales team with tablets so any information that a customer might need is just a few clicks away. ■ Make your service department a featured part of your dealership. Highlight your service department with signs, and include content or videos throughout your store detailing what you offer. OPE With today's digital path to purchase, many of your customers' purchasing decisions are made before they've even set foot in your store. Be sure you're providing the resources they need both easy-to-use ad tool that can be tailored to any budget and can help counteract Facebook's declining organic reach. 2 Visit a retailer's website After shoppers are done with their initial research, they will check out your website to see if you have what they need. There's a lot of information shoppers look for on your website, including prices, promotions, hours, location, product descriptions and inventory related to their search. So what can you do to meet Bring in accurate, consistent product information directly from your manufacturers. Incorrect product data can hurt you — 87 percent of consumers are unlikely to ever buy from a retailer again if they purchase an item that didn't have a correct IMAGE ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/URFINGUSS