How Commercial Dealers Make a Great First Impression Online

Seven seconds. That’s all the time you get to make a great first impression on a new potential customer, when you’re meeting face-to-face.

And when they find you online? (It’s an important question. Especially because 92% of car buyers start their buying journey there, long before stepping foot at a dealership.) How long do you think it takes for them to form an impression then, when they visit your site?

Guess.

The answer? Only 0.05 seconds. (It's a blip, really.)

And, it may get you thinking. Are you capturing their attention? In a good way? And, how might you improve?

Although we know you make strides every day to become the best, below are two things you may want to consider that can improve impressions of your business online.

Commercial Versus Retail

Busy business women and men do not have time to filter through the chaos of retail inventory. And why should they, really? After all, they’re commercial customers seeking commercial product.

This is your time to shine. Show them you’re committed to providing a great commercial experience by simplifying their search for your commercial inventory. Prominently list your commercial offerings in your website’s main navigation. Maybe even employ content marketing and reference the types of bodies and equipment and even brands you carry.

Which leads us into…

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Although you’ve probably heard the term, you may be wondering, what exactly is search engine optimization?

Well, according to Semrush, “SEO (search engine optimization) is a set of processes aimed at improving a website’s visibility in search engines, like Google, with the goal of getting more organic traffic.”

So, when you’re working on your SEO ranking, focus on things like the specific words or phrases you use. Certain key terms are more likely to be searched, and therefore, will result in a higher ranking for your page. Additionally, you’ll need to include links to your own site, and others, and make sure your content is easy to read.

And the end goal?

When someone searches for commercial vehicles in your area, they should be able to easily find your website and available inventory. If you aren’t in the first page of search results, definitely consider working on SEO for your site.

Of course, this is only a high-level explanation of SEO. If you want a more in-depth review of how to improve your site’s SEO, check out Google’s SEO Starter Guide.