Gone are the days when we were dedicated to traditional approaches in everything. Though the traditional physical stores for auto parts are still prevalent, with digitization of businesses, customers choose to purchase auto parts online. According to a source, 54% people prefer buying online, but prefer to collect parts at traditional stores. Aftermarket companies began selling auto parts online in their own eCommerce stores and or in major eCommerce channels like Amazon and eBay due to the demand for auto parts online like any other business.
The optimal solution to increase Automotive eCommerce sales is to maintain a balance between online and offline sales by applying a few tips and tricks which we will discuss here.
Two points to remember as you prepare to increase Automotive eCommerce sales:
1. Understand your product well
It may even come off surprising, but there is an ambiguous connection between what we sell and why we sell it. Understanding this can improve your eCommerce website structure, provide its users a strong user experience, lead to better conversions and reduce bounce rates.
2. Know your targeted audience
The buyer group for auto parts online may be from different countries and areas. They can be categorized simply into wholesale and retail customers. Analyze your target market and understand them better. If you own an eCommerce website, use tools like Google analytics to analyze demographics of your users. If you do not own a website, market research on Automotive Aftermarket user behavior is readily available online.
Best practices to increase auto parts sales online
1. Create a checklist
Organizing your sales from A-Z is a key factor to increase auto parts sales online. Frame and create a basic checklist for listing in eCommerce sites. But what should your checklist contain and how do you make it work?
Your checklist should begin with an analysis on your competitor’s data on product and product types. Ensure your product title contains relevant keywords to match web users’ search term and marketplace requirements. As simple as it sounds, keywords should be taken seriously as it does change the game.
Product should be placed under the right category to be able to be within the reach of searchers who search category wise. It helps in identifying better. Other factors like image, price, and attributes should be researched thoroughly placed on the product pages.
2. Know what sells the best
To increase Automotive sales on online markets, you should stay informed about your bestselling product. Especially if you are to sell on eCommerce sites like Amazon and eBay, you need to get your research done. Bestsellers should not only talk about high sales number, but also include products that are best for your business whilst yielding a good profit over time. Consider other factors like ‘Easy to ship’ and ‘Ready in Stock’.
If you own a website, use Google Analytics to determine your bestselling product. You can check the performance of every product page by clicking ‘Behavior’; from ‘Behavior’ to ‘Site Content’; from ‘Site Content’ to ‘All Pages’. Filter further by sorting the results by page value. It will showcase the product page that brings the most revenue to you. Importantly, page traffic should not be correlated with page value. Traffic may partially be the indicator but need not be necessarily.
3. Work on your landing page
Create a good landing page- meaning landing page with good page speed, relevant titles, images, placement of call-to-action buttons to convert, etc. makes a good landing page. Once the page is set, work on its promotion through Google AdWords, e-mail marketing, social media marketing, and importantly SEO.
4. Maintain a good site speed
Website visitors on average exit the site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. You read it right! Research claims 40% website visitors leave the site midway if the page takes more than a matter of few seconds. The longer the page speed is, the higher the bounce rate will be. The average bounce rate for pages that load within 2 seconds is 9% while for pages that load in 5 seconds increase to 38%. It affects the performance and draws away the attention of the user. Also, according to Google, the higher the site speed, the higher the revenue will be for the eCommerce site. So, monitor your site speed through Google Analytics and keep optimizing it.
5. Try some promotional methods
Promotional methods apart from the above like banners, how-to-guides, countdown timer, etc. may be added to encourage page visitors to hit that CTA button. Here is a bit more of elaboration on how to make these work:
Banner – The banner should state the unique selling point of your product. When visitors land on the page, they should see the USP and trust the product. According to research, conversion rates got triggered after using a banner.
For example, the banner may contain any aspect that adds to your business as a unique point. It may be anything from ‘free shipping’ to ‘worldwide shipping’ and ‘money-back guarantee’ to ‘100% safe order placement’. Your potential customers will then have an assurance and better trust to order from you.
Make yourself aware of your USP and create a banner that is not too flashy but provides the information visibly to the viewer.
Countdown timer – Countdown timer is an excellent way to Increase auto parts sales online by urging your potential customers to buy within a span of time- for the fear of missing out.
Ensure not to use this method on all of your products. Select only the products that are actually on sale, are not getting sold much in recent times, or have been in stock for a while.
How-to guide – Depending on the auto parts type, you can create a how-to guide, as especially the new users may constantly look for guides. You can also write an article or blog on your website and link your product with the same. If you are using eCommerce sites like Amazon or eBay, this will increase the chance of your website visitor exploring your site further.
6. Build your social links
Social media presence in sites like Facebook and Instagram increases the chance of online visibility. LinkedIn has become vital for businesses to be seen and recognized better. If you own a brand on Automotive Aftermarket, it is likely people know you and talk about you online. You can use hashtags related to Automotive Aftermarket and create your own to increase your visibility. Schedule posts in advance. Make them speak about your brand.
Final Words:
There is no fast-track method to increase Automotive sales online. To accelerate eCommerce sale auto parts is an ongoing process. These points above will help you get a better grip over online sales and over time, help you increase auto parts sales. Use one tip at a time and you will have a good track of the progress at the given moment.