Creating an online personality
In your urgency to provide extensive vehicle images and 360-degree views of your used car stock as well as sparkling video content and the latest digital tools on your website, don’t overlook the humble ‘About Us’ page.
Customers need to be confident they’re dealing with a trustworthy and reputable business, so you need to persuade them that you are honest, reliable, friendly and knowledgeable. A positive and enjoyable car buying experience is part of the process and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Consumers will form their opinion of your business based on a wide range of online resources including your website, social media and independent review sites. Bear in mind that the About Us page provides a snapshot of your business, your history, your commitment to customer service and, most importantly, your people.
Car buyers visit an average of 4.2 websites when making their vehicle purchase, according to Cox Automotive’s 2019 Car Buyer Journey study. So, your website must be relevant, up to date and convincing. Cox’ study revealed that dealer websites were identified by just over a third (34%) of people as influential in their car buying decision. Manufacturer websites ranked at 33% and third-party websites were the most influential, cited by 52%.
Make it personal and keep it real
Introduce the senior management team and include a message from the CEO. Use this page to make your group’s unique identity shine through and your business stand out. An inevitable turn off is the use of industry jargon so leave that for the board room and keep your language straightforward with friendly, chatty writing.
Share your story
Your special service for NHS workers, your charity work, a family with four generations of customers – whatever makes you you, share it on your About Us page.
Stay current
Keeping your page fresh and current not only shows customers who you are today (not five years ago) but it also tells Google that you’re updating your website regularly, helping you to rank higher in searches.
Tailor to your audience
Forget the flowery ‘we’re so wonderful’ messaging, you will have potential customers rolling their eyes. Instead, analyse your data to understand the kind of people using your website and tailor your content and tone accordingly. At the very least you should be telling people how many other customers bought a vehicle from you last year, after all, 10,000 odd people can’t be wrong, right?