So far in our blog series, we have built your online presence to show the world who you are, what you sell, and why people should do business with you.
Now, we are going to celebrate the success of having customers by building a Customer Corner section on your website. The content should be fun and friendly, and you have a lot of diverse options. But don’t worry—I’ll help you focus on what’s important. I hope you’re excited to begin!
Getting Started
We have been building your website by departments, and the Customer Corner area is no exception. So as always:
- First, create a Customer Corner section.
Before you start creating content, you should keep a few essential things in mind. Customers access the Customer Corner to specifically engage with you; this is what makes this website section unique. So, this means you should refrain from advertising products or using “sales” language here. I suggest you gather sufficient input from the person who handles your marketing, events, and customer relations to make sure you’re on the right track.
Your Customer Corner section is truly about customers connecting with you! Now, let’s look at some of the features which will help your customers stay part of your dealership.
Customer Corner Essentials
While building your Customer Corner section, think about things customers will want to participate in after the sale has been made. Although, don’t be afraid to show potential customers glimpses into your community and how much fun they could be having. Remember, customers are not just buying a vehicle from you, they are buying a lifestyle.
There are a lot of options, but these are the “top six” Customer Corner pages you’ll want to build:
- Events –These are great for creating a community and driving traffic to your store. Events can be held for many reasons beyond major sales including open houses, concerts, “customer appreciation” days, “double point reward” days, cook-offs, winterizing, races, auctions, swamp meets, contests, etc. Remember to check with your website provider on what automated calendar options are available to you so you can publicize what’s happening. (More Than Rewards customers can use the convenient “calendar widget” on their Events page, as well.)
- Rewards/Loyalty Program – Customers love earning and spending points, so don’t forget to promote your rewards program and explain how it works—you might even post your loyalty program “terms and conditions.” If you’re a More Than Rewards customer and you’re using the Rider Rewards loyalty program, place your special website widget on this page so customers can log into their rewards account.
- E-Newsletters –Place a sign-up widget on this page so customers can choose to receive your monthly email newsletters. I recommend displaying one of your most recent newsletters so customers can see what they’re missing.
- Riding Clubs - Do your customers have any clubs or groups they participate in, or do you officially sponsor a H.O.G., GWRRA, snowmobile, or ATV chapter? Make sure to display basic riding club information along with any logos, website links, and who to contact to join.
- Survey / Testimonials – Are your customers having good or bad experiences? If so, who would they tell? Displaying survey questions enhances your credibility as it shows you’re interested in a customer’s experience after the sale. If you get some great stories mentioning specific people who helped them make a purchase or solve an issue, post those powerful testimonials in this section.
- Text Club Sign-Up – Texting is NOW…RIGHT NOW! Did you know people are 10 times more likely to read a text message over an email? Make sure you remember to promote how people can receive your dealer’s text messages so they don’t miss anything! Write about how customers can be informed instantly of any special events, outstanding sales, or major dealership news/changes.
Those six basic pages should help build and keep your customer community strong. And as I always say, ask your website provider if you need help configuring any of the content.
Next, let’s look at some more ideas.
Other Page Possibilities
- Blogs – Do you write a regular monthly blog? Create a “dealer blog” page and post it here for the world to read.
- Charities – If your dealership is involved with any charities, post what organizations you support and how customers can get involved.
- Customer Stories – Invite customers to share their riding stories and photos with you via email; post the best customer-created content here.
- Photo Gallery – This is a great place to show off the efforts of your events, or even photos of new, happy customers with their vehicles!
- Videos – If you have fun videos of your events, post them to your YouTube channel. Then use the “embed video” codes to easily post your YouTube videos directly on your website.
I’m sure you might think of even more ideas! By now you should see that your Customer Corner section is a great place for customers to keep up-to-date with your dealership’s activities and continue their lifestyle. Just remember to keep your content fun, fresh, and engaging, and your customers will keep enjoying all your dealership’s services and events.
This is also the last blog edition in the “Organizing Your Web Pages” series. If you’ve read them all, you should have a clear path on how to build a professional, content-rich dealer website. It’s been fun, and I hope you’ve learned a lot!