According to a recent study from Forrester Research 43% of shoppers switch their retailer of choice after going online to research a particular product. And, they say, 70% of all consumers go online before going into a store to shop. This should put to rest any questions about the value of your retailers’ Internet sites and your presence on those sites.
So many brand site dealer locators today give nothing more than a phone number and address, or a link to a retailer’s site that is loaded with information about everything but the brand and product the consumer was looking for. There is a better way. Look at the dealer locator results from this well-known brand:
The brand provides the dealer with an online system to load information on a brand landing page.
So this is what the consumer sees after clicking on a nearby dealer.
A dealer landing page loaded with information controlled by the brand, enhanced by the dealer and focused for the consumer. This is a win/win as it keeps the focus for the consumer on the brand they’re interested in, at a nearby location where they feel the dealer can help them.
Had they not had a dealer landing page system here is what the consumer would have seen next.
It’s no wonder 43% of consumers shift retailers after going online. This site says almost nothing about the brand the consumer has already invested time in.
The takeaway here is that the longer you control your brand message online the better your chances are for making an in-store sale. To give up control of your message at the very critical dealer locator, is causing many consumers to shift to something or someone else.