Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/795141
24 Sales & Marketing selling products online is that it makes it available to the customer 24/7, they can order them anytime," Nevins says. The instant access to products is an important part of any business in today's market. No distributor or supplier wants to lose a customer's business simply because it's easier to order the product somewhere else. Websites can be designed to incorpo- rate technology, branding and design, product data and to hit the right market- ing channels. Nevins says that many successful e-commerce websites demonstrate a specialty or an "expertise" in a certain product. He also says that using prod- uct catalogs and tech articles to attract customers to a site are helpful. "Having product data even without a catalog is a good fi rst step in building a successful e-commerce site," Nevins says. He even encouraged small distributors to test the waters by using sites such as eBay to gain familiarity with the process. For some, e-commerce expansions have been an ongoing concept for quite some time. For example, Consolidated Metco (ConMet) recently rolled out a new web- site platform that includes the use of vid- eos to help provide end users with even more useful information on the product needed. On its site, one of the videos de- picts the benefi ts of replacing wheel ends with preset aftermarket hub assemblies as opposed to rebuilding them. "We have found that the use of videos is an ideal way of helping explain a mes- sage to the customers in a clear, hands- on way," says ConMet's Senior Marketing Manager Mark Jorgensen. The company's website shows where distributors are located throughout North America so end users can more easily access the locations where their products may be purchased. ConMet even took its technological branding to a new level and released a free app that can be used on several digital platforms, including tablets and smart phones. "The app is benefi cial because some- one can look up the part number they need and where the nearest distributor is located even if they are stranded roadside somewhere," Jorgensen says. Companies also can build websites as informational platform tools. That's what drive-line maker Neapco did in January, releasing a new website that tells more about its product line than previous platforms did. "This website shows our products and describes them in a better way," says Cal Settle, Neapco market research and publications manager for the driveline aftermarket group. Still, others take their digital efforts in an altogether different direction. For example, Tectran and Gray Manufactur- ing place a catalog inventory of their products online. Whether a site allows full functional- ity in purchasing items or is best used for informational purposes, most all agree that technology and e-commerce are vital parts of the industry. "You have to stay up to speed or you'll get left behind," Nevins says. VIPAR's Paul agrees. "Business as we know it has changed. E-commerce will continue to play a vital role in our distributors' way of doing business as we move forward." T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | M a r c h 2 0 1 7 Dana Nevins, CEO of Web Shop Manager, spoke to aftermarket distributors about the importance of online marketing during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW). Aftermarket e-commerce websites can be used in a variety of ways, ranging from basic informational sites to including full online shopping capabilities.