Given how profitable the service department can be for a dealership, you’d think everyone would have their services and prices nailed down on their website. Well, you’d be wrong.
In this video we’ll highlight some bad examples of service offers pages and then how some dealers get it right, and we’ll obscure the dealership name of the bad ones. Given that 60-70% of dealership website traffic is mobile, we’ll focus on mobile.
In the first example in the video, the first offer you see is for $10 off any BPROAUTO Part…what the heck is that, why are you leading with that as the most important offer, why do I have to visit the dealership for all the details instead of just getting them on the site, and what’s all that pink John Smith text about?
In the second example, I’m not sure if this is better or worse than the original, but the service offers page has no service offers, and the appointment scheduler doesn’t work on mobile.
There’s also another service offers page on a dealership site with no service offers. Yikes.
Things are starting to get better in the fourth example, as we see that the service offers are listed, but they’re just giant black boxes with little visual appeal and the website chat is blocking the view. I don’t want to chat now, I want to see your service offers.
Things continue to improve with this example, showing what a basic coupon builder looks like on your website. The dealer does a good job of listing the most common service items first, but it’s designed for desktop, not mobile. The ability to print a coupon is a miss because people also don’t have access to a printer from their phone.
The last example from Feldman Chevrolet of Lansing gets it right. Notice how visually appealing the page is on mobile. As a user I can navigate quickly to exactly what I want to do. As I browse the service specials, the most common and popular offers scroll through, I can quickly schedule it, save it to my phone’s wallet, or learn more about it.
Even if you’ve got more service business than you can handle, you owe it to your customers to display your offers and what they cost on your site. Every other retail industry has figured this out, and it’s time for automotive to follow suit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it important to have clear service offers and prices on a dealership website?
Clear service offers and prices are crucial because they help customers make informed decisions and increase trust in the dealership. It also aligns the automotive industry with other retail industries, which typically display their offers transparently online.
What percentage of dealership website traffic is from mobile devices?
60-70% of dealership website traffic comes from mobile devices. This makes it essential for service pages to be mobile-friendly.
Examples and Issues Highlighted in the Video
What was wrong with the first example of a service offers page in the video?
The first example led with a confusing offer for “$10 off any BPROAUTO Part,” lacked detailed information online, and included distracting elements like pink text labeled “John Smith.”
Why was the second example problematic?
The second example had no service offers listed on the service offers page, and the appointment scheduler did not work on mobile devices.
What issues were found with the third example?
The third example also lacked service offers on its service offers page.
What improvements were seen in the fourth example?
The fourth example listed service offers but used giant black boxes that were visually unappealing, and the chat feature blocked the view of the offers.
How did the fifth example perform better?
In the fifth example, the dealer correctly listed the most common service items first but designed the page for desktop use, making it less effective on mobile. It also failed to provide a way to print coupons from a phone.
What made the last example from Feldman Chevrolet of Lansing stand out?
Feldman Chevrolet of Lansing’s service page was visually appealing and mobile-friendly, allowing users to quickly navigate, view scrolling popular offers, schedule services, save details to their phone’s wallet, or learn more about each offer.
What should dealerships do if their service business is already thriving?
Even if a dealership has more service business than it can handle, it should still clearly display service offers and prices on its website to enhance customer experience and maintain transparency.
Why should the automotive industry follow other retail industries in displaying service offers online?
Displaying service offers online meets modern consumers’ expectations for transparency and convenience, aligning with best practices found in other retail industries.
