Portland, OR, May 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- “We are always looking to evolve and grow our business – and we know it’s important to invest in the digital side,” says Jessica Miller, who manages marketing at Texas-based Hendershot Equipment. “People who come to our site and fill out a lead form are really serious about wanting to go to that next step and possibly purchase a unit - that is not something we saw with our old website, to the point that our salespeople didn’t take online leads seriously.”
Without lead tracking of any kind on their old website with Equipment Locator Service, there is no way to compare the lead increase percentage with Dealer Spike. But Miller says it’s obvious to her how much leads have grown since her dealership’s new website went live. “Now our salespeople are super excited about the online leads we get,” she says.
After making the switch to Dealer Spike Agriculture, Miller and her team were most impressed with the inventory piece of their new website, and she says that it has made a huge difference. “We get the most leads through ‘Trade-In Value’ and ‘Get a Quote’ lead forms on the pieces of equipment themselves,” she says. Miller appreciates that customers have the ability to see in detail the pieces of equipment they have on their lot. She is happy to be able to go into the backend of the site and update or change inventory on the fly. “We are just really impressed with how our inventory turned out.”
Hendershot Equipment went live with Dealer Spike Agriculture in September 2015. By December, the dealership had signed on for a number of add-ons including lead pop, marketing, and a gold Search Engine Optimization package.
“We’ve seen an improvement in SEO, no doubt. It had been getting difficult for me to manage in-house and was made much easier turned over to someone else,” Miller says. She still performs her dealership’s Search Engine Marketing in-house but admits that will likely get turned over to Dealer Spike too. “Looking at the report they give me each month, it is very obvious that what Dealer Spike is doing for us is working,” Miller says.
The agriculture equipment dealership has really taken advantage of Dealer Spike’s offers in marketing, working with the team in social media, e-newsletters, and slideshow design for the website homepage.
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“The marketing team is really great about listening to us and learning about what we sell, which seasons we focus on for certain products, everything like that. I know Dealer Spike is newer to agriculture, but I’ve been really impressed,” Miller says. The dealership focuses heavily on 2-3 e-newsletters per month, which are fully designed and managed by Dealer Spike Marketing, and coordinating slides that go on the website homepage. Dealer Spike also manages the dealership’s social media. “We do a call at the beginning of each month and lay out a plan, deciding what product lines and promotions we want to feature. Dealer Spike takes it from there, and it’s usually pretty simple!” Miller says.
Hendershot Equipment’s team recognizes that their new website is a huge asset. “The investment we’re making is for our benefit, but also to provide customers with a better shopping experience,” Miller says. “If our partnership with our web provider wasn’t working out, we are not the type of company that would just stick with it. But Dealer Spike has been so open-minded and proactive about learning a lot. Everything I’ve requested from the support team has been completed in the same day! It’s really been a great working experience.”
Miller also wants to acknowledge that her team is dedicated to being proactive in the new world of digital marketing. “It’s a major change in the buying process. A lot of people in our industry are still doing things the old fashioned way, wanting to call or come in person to see the units,” Miller says. “We are really trying to make the switch, reaching those people coming in from new generations and accommodating them. Digital is now.”
About Hendershot Equipment
This premier agricultural equipment dealership has two locations in Texas, also carrying some construction equipment and powersports units. The team at Hendershot Equipment prides themselves on superior customer service and excellence in their knowledge of the products and services they sell.
About Dealer Spike Agriculture
Dealer Spike Agriculture is a digital advertising company focused on helping dealers increase sales through online advertising and training. We provide beautiful, powerful, distinctive web solutions and tools to thousands of dealers worldwide.