Online Selling for Automotive Performance Parts Dealers

Feature   |   Posted: 01/27/2021
Posted by: Motorhead Digital

In 2018, online retail sales of auto parts & accessories pushed past the $10 billion mark for the first time, and more than half of this was purchased on cell phones.

Selling auto parts online has never been more lucrative! According to Search Auto Parts ( source ) online sales of auto parts is forecast to reach $16 billion in 2021.

Looking at the full automotive online sales figures for the last 5 years, 2019 is forecast ( source ) to bring in an impressive $57.4 billion.

So, this all sounds great, but what does it mean for you?

Now is the time to start prepping your sales funnels and online marketing efforts to supercharge your online selling capacity.

In this blog, we’re going to cover a few key areas:

• Simple Steps to Selling More on Your Current Website
• Setting Up Online Sales Funnels and Getting Customer Details
• Online Advertising – Where to Advertise to Get the Best ROI

Simple Steps to Selling More on Your Current Website

If you already have a website of your own set up, there are 5 simple and easy improvements you can make today to help you sell more online. (If you haven’t got a website yet, you’re missing out on a serious revenue stream – let’s talk).

1. Make your contact details prominent

It might seem obvious, but the amount of sites that don’t show a phone number or email address in an easy-to-see place is worrying!

If a prospect sees something they want to buy on your site, but can’t find your contact details to ask a question/visit you in-person – what do you think they’ll do? Waste 20 minutes of their time trying to find a phone number or do you think they’ll just click onto the next guy and call him up?

Put your phone number, email address and location clearly in your site’s header (which is the top panel where your logo usually lives).

2. Use high quality photos – delete any tiny/blurry/out of focus photos

Using low quality images on your site will make your products look terrible and will make you come off as a small-time player.

Every photo on your site needs to have good lighting and be in focus on the item you’re selling. High resolution is essential.

For high ticket items, try and get photos of every important detail on the item.

If you don’t have a designated place to take photos, pay special attention to what’s in the background of your photos – you don’t want anything costing you that sale.

*Extra tip for second-hand sales – a good wash will make up for a lot. Some distributors have reported a 10% increase in their final sales price, just by making sure the equipment looks clean and well maintained.

3. Break down barriers to purchase before they’re even raised

The key here is to answer those common questions you hear over and over again. Save your time by answering all of those in a FAQ section for each product – break down the usual barriers to buying before they even pick up the phone.

4. Price

It doesn’t matter what you’re selling, people love to feel like they’ve got a good deal from you.

If you make most of your sales in person and you’re expecting a haggle/negotiation on price, add a little extra onto your online price.

If you sell mostly online, be sensible when pricing products – buyers will be shopping around and checking current values. Which also brings us onto our last point.

5. Refer buyers to online sources and reviews

Word of mouth does half the selling for you. Try and integrate online reviews from your previous customers onto each product page.

Don’t forget to show off all those great testimonials from previous/current customers throughout your site.

Selling high ticket items? You can even showcase reviews and positive opinion pieces from trusted sites that are well known in the industry to help you outsell your competitors…

Think of your website as your online sales team – it should take the brunt of the hard work out of your job…

Please head on over to the Motorhead Digital Blog for the rest of this article.

Barry is the founder of Motorhead Digital, providing signature Marketing Maximizer™ programs specifically developed for auto restoration, performance and restyling shops. These programs are geared towards customer acquisition and conversion to keep those project bookings coming. With over 23 years of experience in digital marketing and web development, Barry’s goal is to help clients market and grow their shops through strategic marketing practices. You can reach him at (585) 766-9785, [email protected] or online at MotorheadDigital.com