Tips To Optimize Your Dealership Website's Architecture For Your Audience

By Author: Nate Rodney
Total Articles: 499
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Just like an impressively designed car lures the customer in to purchasing it, a well-designed website too draws the attention of an audience. According to a survey conducted by Missouri University of Science and Technology, it takes less than two-tenths of a second for a first-time website visitor to judge a company's website. Further, in the next 2.6 seconds the visitor reinforces their first impression.

No matter how great and focused your SEO and PPC efforts are, if your visitor finds your site to be uninteresting once they land on your website, they will hardly make a purchase from you. Hence, good website architecture should be an integral part of all your digital marketing strategies. This article intends to explain at length certain useful tips for this purpose.

Create user-friendly interface
An easy-to-navigate and uncluttered website enhances the user experience. Navigation is the primary aspect of website design, as it is the element which gives an idea about the products/services you render to the visitor and also helps the visitor to get to the information they want easily. Having prominently ...
... visible links and easily understandable terminology in navigation menus, helps the audience easily navigate through the pages.

Also, avoid filling home or web pages with unnecessary information and graphics. Be selective about the elements and content that you intend to put on web pages. Further, organize the site in a clear, logical and uncluttered fashion.

Have good content – create pages that are specific and not generic
Have content that is relevant to your business. Ensure that the content has the message you want to convey and it is loud and clear. Don't stuff your web pages with unnecessary information; instead include engaging content that is as precise and short as possible.

The content can include fresh information like news on new products launched and functional information such as buyers' opinion/advice, articles furnishing quality of products/services, etc.

Important items above the fold
'Above the fold' implies the portion of your web page visible when one visits the site. Keep all the important items like search box, navigation menu, about us, contact us and other important features above the fold. Decide the important items that are to be viewed by the visitor and keep them distinctly above the fold, as the visitor usually gets irked if they have to scroll down to find the needed details hidden somewhere in the page.

Do not use flash
It is absolutely essential to make navigation simple for the customers. The use of flash can drastically reduce the speed of browsing and website upload time. The graphics therein also tend to drive away the customers' attention from the main item. Further, the usage of heavy graphics and higher versions of flash to display animated auto models might not be convenient for web browsers in general, unless they have it loaded in their computers as it is not compatible with all operating systems. Instead of using flash use a simple, yet informative video.

Use breadcrumbs for listing site links
Build breadcrumbs in your website. Breadcrumbs help browsers know how they have navigated from one link to another, and where exactly they are in the website. Usage of breadcrumbs will help browsers not get confused with the models and categories, and help them be clear on the things they are looking into.

Include social plug-ins
Having your website linked to a social media website can be very helpful. Customers who are social networking buffs first look for social plug-ins, as they associate this with good popularity and the reliability of the website. Additionally, social plug-ins also helps the audience have a look at the reviews on your business' social media page.

Customized navigation
The purpose of easy navigation is not just for the easy surfing of your website, but it can be customized as per the call to action. For instance, if a browser is checking the price of an auto model/service and wants to buy it, provide a 'your cart' option just below the price details.

In case your business objective is to increase your sales through a new offer, give a link to the offer page in the pages that have details of the related services/products and on the homepage.

Address and contact information
Give your contact details like your dealership’s e-mail, customer care e-mail, customer care telephone number, a toll-free number with 24 X 7 service, etc. Also, give your postal address for physical communication. This will enhance the authenticity of your website.

Include reviews of your business
Collect reviews from your customers and include them in your website (along with the customer details like name and place). A visitor, intended to make a purchase, will give the customer reviews the top most priority, so that they are assured that the decision they made was worthwhile.

Your website is the interface between your business and the visitor. Hence, it is suggested not to design a website for designing sake; instead create a design inspired by the customers’ needs and habits.

Search Optics, Inc. is a leader in digital marketing solutions for the automotive industry. Search Optics interactive marketing services include custom websites, search engine optimization, paid search and mobile solutions that generate leads which result in sales opportunities. Search Optics specializes in automotive digital marketing and automotive marketing services.