Over the past few years, I’ve watched boat dealer websites become more and more like websites that would sell clothing, DVD’s and other smaller ticket items. Boat dealers and marine industry firms have been convinced that throwing up a website with the details of every boat they have in inventory and the price with increase boat sales. These same sites are cluttered with boat brand logos, engine logos, and what seems to be an endless array of services and products. They’re nothing more than a boating flea market. Many dealers have either been persuaded or allowed by their website developers to believe that the more information means the more sales. NOT SO!!! These same dealers are depending on the prospect to come them already sold, based on the massive information on the website. Some will, but most won’t. Instead the prospect simply moves from dealer website to dealer website looking for the cheapest boat purchase option.
Improve your sales by improving the way you communicate with your prospects. First, develop your website to be welcoming and enticing, not fashioned like a barker at the circus. Promote your dealership’s focus on the customer experience and service. Make the prospect feel at easy about contacting your dealership and give them a reason to. Limit the amount of information. This will entice them to contact you. This will give your sales team an opportunity to start the relationship process and gather detailed contact information and qualify the customer. All the things needed to make the sale. Most of all, don’t promote the lowest price. Leave this to the dealers that have no sales skills or place little importance on the customer experience. Remember that people buy from people they like and trust unless their sole goal is the cheapest product. Selling boats is far more complicated than selling shoes or DVD’s on line. It requires a high level of personal interaction that a cluttered website will not provide.
Your website is an important sales tool. It’s NOT a salesperson. It’s a vehicle that carries a message of what your dealership and brokerage is all about. It should offer a compelling reason for the prospect to consider your dealership as a purchase option. Thinking that your website, that requires them to fill out the “more Information” page or forces them to read through the pages of offers, services, departments and deals is a cutting edge site……think again. It’s just the digital version of screaming. Trying to minimize your sales team’s participation by having a screaming website to cover for your team’s lack of sales skills is only kidding yourself.
Many of you may be saying, “but my current website sells”. It probably does. But does it work to the potential of your dealership. I can fish without bait and sooner or later a fish will strike at the flashing hook. But if I had the right bait and trolling at the right speed and focused on all the other important factors, I’ll catch far more fish and probably the kind of fish I wanted to catch. Sales is the same approach.
Think about it….it’s your website’s job to attract leads by enticing people to wanting to learn more about what your dealership, brokerage or other marine industry business has to offer. Then it’s your sales team’s job to quickly follow up on those leads, qualify them and move them through the “sales pipeline” to a sale. Don’t skip steps in the sales process or swap responsibilities. It will only cost you the sales you’ve been looking for.