There was much to be learned at the recent Aftermarket e-Forum meeting at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Chicago, IL. The event concentrates on information about e-commerce and supply chain technologies – many that affect service dealers directly.
There was even more interest in the simple fact that as of 2005, 1 billion people are using the Internet, and according to e-Forum sponsors, "spending on e-marketing and Web-based promotion will soon exceed that of printed advertising." In addition, at least 60 percent of service dealers will soon have their own Web sites. You may have created one yourself, or you may have had someone do it for you. In any case, the trick is not in the creating, it's in the maintaining and the accounting of what your site is really doing for you.
For example, in a seminar titled, "Making Sure Your Web Site is Open for Business," Luanne Brown of eTool Developers pointed out that "hits" on your site may be deceptive. That's because there are actually thousands of search engines, not just the large ones we know so well. These sites send out "spiders" or "robots" to track your traffic. Their temporary presence on our site counts as "hits" and skews your numbers. There are software programs available that account for these non-human entities and give you the hard facts, but you must find them. Ask your Web editor to investigate this.
Also, Brown said, concentrate on returning visitors, as they can become your loyal customers. Invite them to sign up for a newsletter you produce (you may already be publishing one for your regular customers), and don't forget about offering to write an article for another good automotive site that you may discover. Just as some service dealers have radio shows that reach out to the public, so can you become the automotive authority on another Web site.
Len Bollenbacher, Yahoo Search Marketing, pointed out that there are more than 150 million automotive-related searches per month in the United States, and 18 million of those pertain to the aftermarket. The category of "Automotive Repair" is in the top 10. If you want to capture some of that business from your Web site, ask your Web editor if he or she can do "geo-targeting." In other words, tell them you want viewers only from your geographic area. Test your page links regularly. Make sure every link takes the viewer to the appropriate page or location on your site.
Tom Moore of Digital Performance Inc., announced that, "Content is King." He urged Web site owners to make sure that everything on his or her site is relevant to the audience they are trying to serve, and not just something the owner wants to put up there because they happen to be proud of it. Another big error is to indulge a Web editor who wants to try out the latest software program to the detriment of the ease of use of the site. Moore also told the audience to use opt-in lists: Let the Web surfer decide whether to accept your electronic newsletter or other feature, rather than sending it to them and forcing them to opt-out later.
The Aftermarket e-Forum was presented by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA), the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), the Automotive Warehouse Distributor's Association (AWDA) and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).
Like individuals and individual companies, these associations have all come to realize that the future of "e-tailing" as it is sometimes called, will involve at least 15 percent of business being conducted over the Internet. That's why they have created this yearly event: to educate attendees and make e-commerce come alive.
