How to Analyze Your Current Auto Dealer Site

This is the fourth article in our special series for Canadian automotive dealers.

Is your dealership Web site accomplishing all you want it to? Objectively considering the following questions can help you see where you might best focus your attention.

Ask yourself and your team

• Is my current Web site drawing the amount of customers that I had hoped for, or that I initially received when the site was first published?
• Has the purpose of the site changed since its initial creation? How well is it serving the present needs of my customers, my staff and my region’s automotive market?
• Do I hear positive feedback on the site, and understand the purpose of a user’s visit? Are users’ needs and aspirations being met?
• Once a potential customer arrives, how likely is he to buy a vehicle based on his visit to the site? Am I providing him with all the necessary information and tools needed to make an educated purchase? What might be holding him back from taking the next step in the purchasing process, and how might this be improved?
• Are users aware of and making use of all the features on the site?
• Does the site show I am interested in providing post-purchase support for my existing customers, for example, by offering Parts and Service information and specials?
• Does the Web site look professionally designed, in harmony with my current image, and on par with or exceeding my competitors’ sites?
• Are my current dealership logos, manufacturers’ logos and ad programs being displayed?
• Are all photographs and textual information accurate and up-to-date?
• Is there a consistent and easy-to-use navigation system that appears on all the necessary pages? Or are users frustrated while trying to find the information they need?
• How appealing is the site’s styling, layout and functionality to a variety of users, in terms of age and computer literacy levels? Is it especially appealing to my target audience?
• Does the Web site display and function properly in all current versions of Web browsers (for example, Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari)? Do the pages load with reasonable speed on a cross-section of different Internet connections and computers?

In which of the above areas could your Web site be producing better results? Contact E Media Architects to learn how our custom approach can increase the effectiveness of your online presence.

What does the public expect from a dealership Web site? Tomorrow’s article will alert you to three primary needs and how to meet them.