WEBSITE TRENDS 2023
“ I wish we could do more e-commerce ,” said Jeff Short of Ingenium Power and Sport in Orlando . “ Lots of online guys are doing this and only this . But our goal is to get someone to call us , then we ’ re pretty good at building a relationship and closing deals .” On the other hand …
“ Our website is for informational purposes , not for online shopping ,” said Greg Paul of Paul ’ s Lawn and Garden in Massillon , Ohio . ( See pics above .) “ In-person is our focus . The interaction we have with people in person helps them buy the right mower . And for parts , online shopping seems to be a race to the bottom , so we don ’ t do it . We ’ ve upped our instore inventory . If we have it , people will buy it from us . Plus , people tend to order the wrong parts online .”
Both of these statements are business decisions as well as philosophies on retailing . Meanwhile , the trend continues , and both product manufacturers and website service providers are working to enable online shopping .
Manufacturers are increasingly giving customers this option . ARI ’ s Zane points to Exmark which allows customers to buy parts online ( see sample below ), with a “ select your dealer ” option . A notice appears on the website saying , “ Selling parts online is an optional Dealer Program . As a result , your local Dealer may not be showing as an online seller . Please check back frequently to see if your local Dealer has completed enrollment .”
Some dealers , in both the OPE and powersports markets , have launched websites specifically for selling online . I found “ TractorParts4Less . com ” which is owned by a multilocation dealer in Missouri that sells a range of equipment from John Deere to Polaris to New Holland and more . The online store is focused on parts for Kioti vehicles . ( I plan on a future article about this particular trend .)
Polaris recently launched its Xchange online marketplace ( see News ), creating a hub for e-commerce of new and used vehicles . For now , OPE dealers need to choose their sales service model , and decide to test online sales or not , because customers are interested .
Even if you choose not to sell online , your website should give viewers as much information as possible , including prices . “ I have customers tell me all the time ,” said Alan Carroll of BT South , “ that they appreciate the pricing information on my website .”
Customer Communication When given pricing information , website visitors seem more likely to inquire about in-store inventory and financing options . “ With companies like Sheffield creating portals to help customers get pre-qualified ,” said Brett Morris , “ buyers can move more quickly , especially into equipment with higher price points .”
ARI added products last year that help customers determine monthly payments . “ Our Payment Genie is a payment calculator ,” said Tony Zane , “ and we work with the banks and finance companies . This is big right now with inflation and rates . Website visitors can find a machine , plug in their credit
18 OPE Business April 2023 www . OPEBusiness . com