It’s 1990 and you’ve decided it’s time for a new pickup. You find three dealers in the Yellow Pages and head out. You drive to the first address and can’t find the lot. Either the address was wrong or they’ve moved or closed. You find the second dealership but the building is run down and you can’t find the right person or information. At the third dealership, you find a brand new building and helpful, smiling people. Everything is pristine and you find the information you need right away. Which dealership would you choose?
In 2017, the role of consumer perception is no different in the buying decision but the influencers have changed. People buy, learn, play, interact and form perceptions online. Your website – which is accessible at any moment thanks to smartphones – is a lot like one of those dealerships, but which one? A strong online presence isn’t a bonus anymore, it’s a requirement – even if you don’t sell your product online. Consumers expect digital competency from everyone they do business with.
I wrote about the importance of websites and how they are a “digital handshake” in this space two years ago, but it’s more imperative now than ever. Thankfully, the barriers to a high-quality website are lower today. Content management systems like WordPress make it easier than ever to develop a modern site you can easily update in-house and allow web developers to create high-quality sites on a smaller budget.
Fellow NPCA members are updating their sites all the time. Here are just a few examples.
If you’d like to learn more, NPCA staff worked with our website developer, Crafted, on a webinar that covers all the basics. For two weeks after this email, the $79 webinar is free to all NPCA members. I encourage you to listen to it and to also reach out to the NPCA professional staff with questions. We are here to help.
Kirk Stelsel, CAE
Director of Communication & Marketing, NPCA
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