Optimising Your Digital Dealership: Making Your Website Work for You

Every day, dealership owners and managers check on their physical lot, parts and service departments, and sales team performance. But how often do they check in on their digital dealership—their website? Without regular attention, key opportunities for optimisation and conversion can go unnoticed. Given the significant investment dealerships make in driving traffic to their websites, ensuring they operate at peak performance is essential. This blog dives into four critical elements of dealership websites that impact conversions and revenue.

The Four Key Areas of Website Optimisation

1. Homepage to Promotions: Guiding Visitors to Key Offers

Your homepage should be a gateway, leading visitors to high-priority promotions and inventory. The challenge? Consumers often visit your site with a specific goal in mind—not necessarily the goal you have for them.

Here’s how to align the two:

• Reduce Banner Overload: Many dealership websites rely on sliders and banners, but studies show consumers rarely click past the first few slides. Instead of overloading with rotating promotions, consider a clean hero image with key offers displayed lower on the page.
• Persistent Promotions: A static promotional section or a “pencil banner” at the top of the site can keep key offers visible at all times.
• Funnel Reports & Data Tracking: Use Google Analytics to understand visitor behaviour and make data-driven adjustments to your homepage layout.

2. From Search Results to Vehicle Detail Pages: Improving Clicks & Conversions

Visitors frequently browse the Search Results Page (SRP) and the Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) before taking action.

To enhance conversions at this stage:

• Limit Calls to Action (CTAs): Too many buttons can overwhelm users. Ideally, SRP vehicle cards should have just two buttons: ‘View Details’ and ‘Get Best Price.’
• Optimise VDP CTAs: Research shows that a single, clearly defined CTA (e.g., ‘Contact Us’ or ‘Get More Info’) outperforms multiple competing options.
• Use Colour to Drive Action: A primary CTA should be visually distinct from secondary options using contrasting colours.
• Floating Call-to-Action Bars: Keeping CTAs accessible as users scroll can improve engagement and lead generation.

3. Form Optimisation: Reducing Friction for More Leads

Even if visitors click on a CTA, they may abandon the process if faced with an overly complex form.

Here’s how to refine your lead forms:

• Simplify Required Fields: Reduce fields to essentials—Name, Email, and Phone. Consider allowing users to choose their preferred contact method.
• Use Smart Drop-Downs: Auto-populate inquiry subjects based on the page they’re on (e.g., ‘Is this vehicle available?’).
• Integrate Scheduling Tools: Including a Calendly link can streamline test drive or consultation bookings.
• Enable Live Chat or Messaging: Consumers prefer real-time answers via chat, text, or WhatsApp rather than waiting for an email response.

4. Mobile Optimisation: Ensuring a Seamless Experience

With 75-80% of dealership website traffic coming from mobile devices, a smooth mobile experience is non-negotiable.

• Check Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure buttons, forms, and images scale correctly for smaller screens.
• Optimise Load Times: A slow-loading site results in lost leads—compress images and minimise unnecessary scripts.
• Use Mobile-Specific Design Elements: A separate, simplified mobile banner with larger fonts can enhance readability.
• Test Across Devices: Always review updates on both desktop and mobile to catch usability issues early.

Final Thoughts: Your Website is Your Salesperson

Your dealership website is more than just a digital business card—it’s an extension of your sales team. By refining its structure, optimising its design, and continuously monitoring user behaviour, you can increase conversions and drive more leads into your showroom.