4 Mistakes You Should Avoid With OEM Part Sales
In a fast-paced world, you need fast-paced results. OEM part sales are no different.
Because of the always-on and always available digital state that we are in today, the average equipment buyer wants access to your machines as well as any aftermarket parts with a simple click of a button. Relying on phone calls, print ads, or faxes is no longer an option. It’s time to adapt and start operating in an ‘always-on’ mindset.
If you’re not already providing your customers or dealers with the ability to access your machines or any aftermarket parts, your competitors are reaping the benefits. Read on to discover what mistakes you should be avoiding with your online OEM part sales process.
NOT OFFERING A DEDICATED PORTAL
A manual PDF that takes hours to read through isn’t a great first experience with your products. Many seasoned manufacturers have dedicated dealer/customer portals with secured logins that have some eCommerce functionality. Regardless of the size of your company, customers want to be able to securely search and shop for the parts they need, when they need them. Offering a dedicated portal also improves their experience with you, which helps with repeat sales. Make it easy for them to select you by building a dedicated portal that they can buy OEM parts through.
UPDATE YOUR GENERIC WEB FORMS
Does your submit button say, “Your request is being directed to a local dealer”? If so, it’s time to update that generic form and statement. When equipment buyers are shopping for a new machine or part, that means they’re ready to buy. Your website should not be the gatekeeper. It’s a tool to connect your equipment to dealers and vice versa. Give them access to the information they need right away.
THROW OUT YOUR STATIC PDF CATALOGS
The quality of online PDF parts catalogs varies greatly. Some manufacturers show long lists of part numbers and names with no illustrations. Others display crude drawings with part names but no numbers. Though these are both common mistakes, it can hurt your online presence and user experience. So, if you want your customers to know what they’re looking at so they can buy it from you, your online parts catalogs should display illustrations, exploded views, as well as list out each part number alongside the diagram.
GENERIC WEB PAGES WITH NO CLEAR DIRECTION
Some equipment manufacturing website pages don’t offer much guidance on where to go or what the reader should click on for directions. They may just list out street addresses and several contact numbers on a page. This is confusing to a reader or someone on your site. Especially if they need to buy a part right away. Make your “next step” options big and bold so they know how to contact you or order a part.
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