{"id":31120,"date":"2017-01-10T08:02:04","date_gmt":"2017-01-10T08:02:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/should-your-dealership-sell-parts-online\/"},"modified":"2020-10-14T17:21:23","modified_gmt":"2020-10-14T17:21:23","slug":"should-your-dealership-sell-parts-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/blog\/should-your-dealership-sell-parts-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Your Dealership Sell Parts Online?"},"content":{"rendered":"

To eCommerce or not to eCommerce\u2014that is the question.<\/em>\u00a0More and more, customers are demanding the convenience of online shopping, and the market of selling auto parts online is growing by leaps and bounds.\u00a0There’s no better time to jump into eCommerce than now.<\/p>\n

The benefits of selling parts with eCommerce can give your dealership the boost it needs, but some dealers hesitate to jump on board.\u00a0Here are some key considerations to think about when deciding if it’s your time\u00a0to tackle the online world.<\/p>\n

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Improve Profits<\/h1>\n

The first benefit of selling parts online is fairly simple. If you’re still chewing on the question of whether or not to sell OEM parts online, ask yourself this: do you want to increase revenue?<\/p>\n

If the answer is yes, listen to this: the average dealer with RevolutionParts generates $360,000 a year in online parts sales. And that’s just the average. The top 10% of our dealers earn about $168,000 per month<\/em> for a total of $2.2 million a\u00a0year. JUST in online parts sales.<\/p>\n

Automotive eCommerce is the way to go, especially when it comes to selling auto parts. Statistics\u00a0and automotive experts agree that the focus is shifting to online<\/a>, and you don’t want to be late to the party.<\/p>\n

Reach Customers<\/h1>\n

According to a study by Auto Care Association<\/a>, 85% of customers are using the Internet\u00a0to research auto replacement parts. Google, with its own research, can confirm a similar statistic:\u00a0overall searches for parts and service has increased by 38% from 2013 to 2014. The size of the market is only expected to grow in the coming years.<\/p>\n

Maybe that’s not too surprising, since plenty of businesses are finding a surprising level\u00a0of success online. But even among other markets, the sales in the online automotive world are growing really fast.<\/p>\n

Granted, not all of these people conducting seraches are actually making a purchase online, but a good portion of them are. These customers WANT to buy parts online. They want to buy, and they’re searching for exactly what they want. If your competitors are online but you aren’t, then you’re already a step behind.<\/p>\n

Even for the people not purchasing, they’re still spending a lot of time researching<\/em> online. If you’re the one to reach out and give them the information they need, it’s instant and easy brand promotion for your dealership.<\/p>\n

Jump\u00a0Ahead of the Curve<\/h1>\n

Even though the online parts market is growing so quickly, hardly any dealerships are selling OEM parts online\u2014only about 20%. Most dealership GMs don’t place much attention or priority on their parts & service departments, so for the most part, eCommerce has been overlooked. For now.<\/p>\n

A IBIS world\/Frost & Sullivan study claimed that the overall auto parts market is growing at 7%, but parts eCommerce is more than double that at 18%. Frost & Sullivan goes on to predict that the market with DOUBLE between 2016 and 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And remember what we said about how only 20% of dealers are selling parts online? Right now the market is ripe\u00a0for the taking. Once more dealers catch on to the power of parts eCommerce, it’ll be more difficult to dominate the market. It’s better to start now and claim your share of the profits before your competition can get comfortable online.<\/p>\n

What’s next?<\/h1>\n

Whether or not you choose to sell auto parts online depends on your current goals and resources. The profits you can reap from a booming parts website is jaw-dropping, but it does require a bit of time and energy. You might need to move around some resources before selling parts online is a good fit for your dealership.<\/p>\n

Anyone can sell online\u2014it’s not as difficult\u00a0as some people think. But before you sign up with an eCommerce provider, it helps to prepare your dealership ahead of time. Answer a few basic questions about the business so you have a direction to aim for.<\/p>\n

The real question should instead be: what\u2019s the best way for my parts department to reach customers online?<\/p>\n

First, think about your goals<\/strong><\/em>: do you want to grow sales aggressively?<\/h3>\n