1. Answer phone calls and emails<\/strong><\/h2>\na.) Providing Expertise<\/strong><\/h4>\nWith so many auto parts and vehicle makes, it\u2019s understandable that customers get confused about fitment. They don\u2019t want to deal with the hassle of ordering the wrong part and returning it, and you don\u2019t want to deal with that either.<\/p>\n
Make yourself available to answer questions by providing an email address and phone number. By helping customers find the right part, you establish yourself as a parts expert.<\/p>\n
Customers like to shop with experts! It erases their fear of ordering the wrong part for their vehicle. By being readily available to them,\u00a0you boost shopper confidence.<\/a><\/p>\nBest yet: next time they need a part, they\u2019ll know you can help out.<\/p>\n
RELATED: 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Marketing on Automotive Forums<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/h4>\nb.) Phone sales<\/strong><\/h4>\nPlenty of potential customers want to buy a part, but aren\u2019t local and don\u2019t want to shop through your parts website. Some individuals don\u2019t feel comfortable sharing their credit card info online, others are worried about ordering the wrong part, and some people just don\u2019t want to click through a website to find what they want.<\/p>\n
So, they\u2019ll call the parts website\u2019s number to place their order over the phone. To customers, this is a great way to talk to a human and an expert on auto parts. It boosts customer confidence and reminds them that a real parts team is running the website.<\/p>\n
Not all parts websites process orders over the phone. Opening this new channel for sales will attract customers who prefer that route.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t have a phone number listed on your parts website, you\u2019re missing out on these sales!<\/p>\n
<\/h4>\nc.) Building relationships<\/strong><\/h4>\nRemember what we just said about talking to a real human on the phone? While it should be common sense that a person picks up the phone when someone calls, that\u2019s not always the case.<\/p>\n
These days, it\u2019s typical to wait on hold listening to tacky elevator music, only to be redirected to a call center where no one knows how to answer your question.<\/p>\n
Dealers have told us that some of their best customers first came in over the phone. They were able to build relationships over a real conversation, and so those customers kept coming back to shop there every time.<\/p>\n
<\/h2>\n2. Create a Packaging Insert<\/strong><\/h2>\nAfter a customer has made a purchase with you the first time, they\u2019re over the biggest hurdle. Now they know who you are, they know they can trust you with their credit card info, and they know they can get the part they need from your parts website.<\/p>\n
The trick is getting them to come back!<\/p>\n
Keeping your parts website fresh in their mind keeps them from forgetting you. An inexpensive and effective way to do this is\u00a0with a Packaging Insert.<\/a><\/p>\nA packaging insert is basically a slip of paper that you add to an order before shipping it out. This is different than their receipt or order confirmation. While the order confirmation has logistics about the purchase, a packaging insert is promotional.<\/p>\n
<\/h4>\nYou can use a packaging insert to…<\/h4>\n\n- Include a discount code to encourage a future purchase<\/li>\n
- Ask for reviews<\/li>\n
- Grow social media following<\/li>\n
- Thank\u00a0the customer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/h2>\n3. Promotional emails<\/strong><\/h2>\nCustomers love coupons and discounts<\/a>! This is true for every industry, and parts & accessories eCommerce is no exception.<\/p>\nAuto parts margins are slim enough that it\u2019s tough to offer customers much. But even something as small as 5% or 10% can make a difference. You can even set rules, like 10% off on orders over $100, to ensure you\u2019re still getting sales.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: 5 Types of Coupon that will Drive Sales to your Parts Website<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nAs long as you calculate ahead of time what kind of discount you can offer while staying profitable, promotional emails<\/a> are an effective way to draw in repeat customers. The more you sell and build an email list of past shoppers, the more past customers you\u2019ll be able to reach with one email blast.<\/p>\nWith MailChimp, you can easily create a professional email to send promo codes\u2014even if you don\u2019t have any techie or design skills. Check out our step-by-step guide to creating an email template for parts promotions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n4. Abandoned cart emails<\/strong><\/h2>\nIt\u2019s surprising how many shoppers find your website, add parts to their digital shopping cart, and then leave before completing the purchase.<\/p>\n
These sales aren\u2019t lost! Plenty of things could have happened. Maybe the shopper\u2019s computer crashed, or they got distracted but still need to buy those parts.<\/p>\n
This is where an abandoned cart email<\/a> can add value to your parts website. By setting up a drift marketing campaign, you can have your system automatically send out an email an hour after a shopper left without purchasing.<\/p>\nThe email usually says something along the lines of: \u201cYou forgot to finish your order! Click here to return to your shopping cart.\u201d The best abandoned cart emails even include pictures about the specific parts the customer didn\u2019t buy.<\/p>\n
For RevolutionParts customers, drift marketing campaigns are built directly into the platform!<\/p>\n
READ MORE: How to Write an Abandoned Cart Recovery Email in 4 Simple Steps<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/h2>\n5. Social media contests and promos<\/strong><\/h2>\nNot to beat the same point into the ground, but\u2026. Coupons!<\/p>\n
Coupons, sales, and promotions are exciting times for shoppers. And since a lot of your shoppers are on at least one form of social media (usually Facebook), that\u2019s just another place to reach them. Part shoppers can come across your promotion announcements while scrolling through their Facebook feed.<\/p>\n
Read More: <\/strong>6 Best Practices for Parts Managers to Boost Sales with Facebook<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nRunning a successful Facebook page for your parts website first requires building up a few followers. You can do this through packaging inserts, email, and adding links to your parts website.<\/p>\n
Through Facebook, it\u2019s also easier to run contests and sweepstakes to get customers especially excited. Read more about how to run an effective contest on your parts website<\/a>.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s definitely worth your time to focus on repeat business. You\u2019ve already paid time and money to attract that shopper to your parts website the first time, so there\u2019s no reason to let them go so easily.<\/p>\n
With so many auto parts and vehicle makes, it\u2019s understandable that customers get confused about fitment. They don\u2019t want to deal with the hassle of ordering the wrong part and returning it, and you don\u2019t want to deal with that either.<\/p>\n
Make yourself available to answer questions by providing an email address and phone number. By helping customers find the right part, you establish yourself as a parts expert.<\/p>\n
Customers like to shop with experts! It erases their fear of ordering the wrong part for their vehicle. By being readily available to them,\u00a0you boost shopper confidence.<\/a><\/p>\n Best yet: next time they need a part, they\u2019ll know you can help out.<\/p>\n RELATED: 10 Do’s and Don’ts for Marketing on Automotive Forums<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Plenty of potential customers want to buy a part, but aren\u2019t local and don\u2019t want to shop through your parts website. Some individuals don\u2019t feel comfortable sharing their credit card info online, others are worried about ordering the wrong part, and some people just don\u2019t want to click through a website to find what they want.<\/p>\n So, they\u2019ll call the parts website\u2019s number to place their order over the phone. To customers, this is a great way to talk to a human and an expert on auto parts. It boosts customer confidence and reminds them that a real parts team is running the website.<\/p>\n Not all parts websites process orders over the phone. Opening this new channel for sales will attract customers who prefer that route.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have a phone number listed on your parts website, you\u2019re missing out on these sales!<\/p>\n Remember what we just said about talking to a real human on the phone? While it should be common sense that a person picks up the phone when someone calls, that\u2019s not always the case.<\/p>\n These days, it\u2019s typical to wait on hold listening to tacky elevator music, only to be redirected to a call center where no one knows how to answer your question.<\/p>\n Dealers have told us that some of their best customers first came in over the phone. They were able to build relationships over a real conversation, and so those customers kept coming back to shop there every time.<\/p>\n After a customer has made a purchase with you the first time, they\u2019re over the biggest hurdle. Now they know who you are, they know they can trust you with their credit card info, and they know they can get the part they need from your parts website.<\/p>\n The trick is getting them to come back!<\/p>\n Keeping your parts website fresh in their mind keeps them from forgetting you. An inexpensive and effective way to do this is\u00a0with a Packaging Insert.<\/a><\/p>\n A packaging insert is basically a slip of paper that you add to an order before shipping it out. This is different than their receipt or order confirmation. While the order confirmation has logistics about the purchase, a packaging insert is promotional.<\/p>\n Customers love coupons and discounts<\/a>! This is true for every industry, and parts & accessories eCommerce is no exception.<\/p>\n Auto parts margins are slim enough that it\u2019s tough to offer customers much. But even something as small as 5% or 10% can make a difference. You can even set rules, like 10% off on orders over $100, to ensure you\u2019re still getting sales.<\/p>\n READ MORE: 5 Types of Coupon that will Drive Sales to your Parts Website<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n As long as you calculate ahead of time what kind of discount you can offer while staying profitable, promotional emails<\/a> are an effective way to draw in repeat customers. The more you sell and build an email list of past shoppers, the more past customers you\u2019ll be able to reach with one email blast.<\/p>\n With MailChimp, you can easily create a professional email to send promo codes\u2014even if you don\u2019t have any techie or design skills. Check out our step-by-step guide to creating an email template for parts promotions<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s surprising how many shoppers find your website, add parts to their digital shopping cart, and then leave before completing the purchase.<\/p>\n These sales aren\u2019t lost! Plenty of things could have happened. Maybe the shopper\u2019s computer crashed, or they got distracted but still need to buy those parts.<\/p>\n This is where an abandoned cart email<\/a> can add value to your parts website. By setting up a drift marketing campaign, you can have your system automatically send out an email an hour after a shopper left without purchasing.<\/p>\n The email usually says something along the lines of: \u201cYou forgot to finish your order! Click here to return to your shopping cart.\u201d The best abandoned cart emails even include pictures about the specific parts the customer didn\u2019t buy.<\/p>\n For RevolutionParts customers, drift marketing campaigns are built directly into the platform!<\/p>\n READ MORE: How to Write an Abandoned Cart Recovery Email in 4 Simple Steps<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Not to beat the same point into the ground, but\u2026. Coupons!<\/p>\n Coupons, sales, and promotions are exciting times for shoppers. And since a lot of your shoppers are on at least one form of social media (usually Facebook), that\u2019s just another place to reach them. Part shoppers can come across your promotion announcements while scrolling through their Facebook feed.<\/p>\n Read More: <\/strong>6 Best Practices for Parts Managers to Boost Sales with Facebook<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Running a successful Facebook page for your parts website first requires building up a few followers. You can do this through packaging inserts, email, and adding links to your parts website.<\/p>\n Through Facebook, it\u2019s also easier to run contests and sweepstakes to get customers especially excited. Read more about how to run an effective contest on your parts website<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s definitely worth your time to focus on repeat business. You\u2019ve already paid time and money to attract that shopper to your parts website the first time, so there\u2019s no reason to let them go so easily.<\/p>\n<\/h4>\n
b.) Phone sales<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/h4>\n
c.) Building relationships<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/h2>\n
2. Create a Packaging Insert<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/h4>\n
You can use a packaging insert to…<\/h4>\n
\n
<\/h2>\n
3. Promotional emails<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/h2>\n
4. Abandoned cart emails<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/h2>\n
5. Social media contests and promos<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Outsmart-Competitors-ebook_CTA.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"