Want to judge your website – ask a potential customer! They come visiting in search of information and inspiration, and quickly leave if they don’t find it. Which is why a website is not just your shop window to the world. It’s also the world’s initial opportunity to size you up, and first impressions always count.
With that in mind, Thermo King has conducted an extensive audit of dealer websites. We’ve seen the good, the bad, and at times the downright ugly. From these findings emerge the 5 most common mistakes to avoid, and top tips for ensuring your website is presenting you in the best possible light.
MISTAKE #1: SHOWCASING IRRELEVANT PRODUCTS
This problem occurs more often than you’ll probably think. It happens when a dealer displays images for products not available in their region (i.e., US units not available in Europe), which only causes frustration when the truth emerges.
It’s also a problem easily avoided, thanks to the Thermo King image and logo library which offers an abundance of ready-to-use pictures. In addition, you should also ensure that any Thermo King links on your website lead to the Thermo King Europe website, rather than thermoking.com which only displays products available in North America.
Top tip: Make sure you link to europe.thermoking.com, not thermoking.com
MISTAKE #2: LISTING OUT-OF-DATE PRODUCTS
Nothing will impact the credibility of your business more than promoting older product lines and service offerings. When that happens, it calls into question your relevance to a prospect or customer, while also making you appear to lag behind the newest developments. For example, if they come wanting Advancer and get served SLXi as the main offering, they may think your dealership isn't equipped to handle the latest innovations.
Top tip: always lead with the latest, most innovative product available on your homepage
MISTAKE #3: HIDING AWAY YOUR PORTFOLIO
Web visitors shouldn’t have to work hard to find details of your product and service portfolio. Instead, accessing such insight from your homepage should be a simple journey, otherwise every additional click risks losing them forever.
Top tip: A good rule of thumb is the following test: can you navigate to your product portfolio in three clicks or less? If not, give some thought to your website’s structure!
MISTAKE #4: CATASTROPHIC ERRORS
These can include missing images, spelling errors, broken links, or other technical issues. With each one comes the sense that you don’t really care about updating the website. And if there’s no attention to detail here, then how closely will you care about service delivery? Right? That’s how the thinking often goes… So make sure to avoid issues like these, that reflect badly on your brand, by checking your website frequently!
Top tip: always get at least two separate pairs of eyes to fully check and proofread any web content
MISTAKE #5: INCORRECT PRODUCT IMAGES
Imagine the confusion of clicking on say the T-Series Spectrum and ending up with product details of the UT-R Spectrum. What’s more, confusion can quickly lead to a loss of confidence that you really know the difference! Luckily it’s a simple mistake, and equally a simple fix.
Top tip: make sure you visit the Thermo King image library to guarantee right image/right product
NEED HELP? VISIT OUR BRAND CENTRE
We fully understand that websites take work to maintain. Especially if you don’t have an in-house webmaster to take care of things. But equally, we can all appreciate just how important websites are in today’s digital marketplace – and we’re here to support you! Take a trip to brand centre, and you’ll find a variety of website templates that are designed to always keep you up-to-date.
