7 Questions to Ask If You’re Considering a New Equipment Dealer Website

If you’re debating website changes or a completely new build, there are a variety of questions you should ask to determine the solution that’s right for your business. To help heavy equipment dealers get started, we’ve outlined seven questions to start with. Use this as your guide to assess your website and determine whether it’s the right time to launch a new equipment website for your dealership. 

7 Essentials for Equipment Dealer Websites

1. Does your website work on mobile?

This is key for today’s shoppers and the B2B space is no exception. There are two ways to accomplish this, but only one good one. You need a responsive design with mobile breakpoints. This is the only way to have your site both look good and be easy to navigate on a phone or tablet. Don’t settle for a mobile site solution (every update will have to be made twice) or no solution for mobile.

2. Is your website built on a platform specific for equipment dealers?

Equipment sites are complex. They live in the gray area between informational and ecommerce sites. Your website platform should have capabilities for inventory feeds, sorting and filtering, and category-level landing pages. And, these category pages and inventory pages should be easy for customers to find and browse.

3. Can you easily make edits to your website?

Regardless of your technical abilities, you need a site that you can easily and confidently edit. At the bare minimum, your site should allow you to edit copy, add photos and videos, add or modify locations, and launch landing pages without having to pay for help or wait in a ticketing queue. If you can’t navigate the CMS (content management system) and it’s unclear what changes you can control, it may be time for a new website solution.

4. What are your options for customization?

Templated solutions allow for speed and efficiency. That’s great, but all businesses have unique needs. In addition to equipment-specific templates that you can leverage, make sure you have customization options to align with your brand and meet specific business needs. You should be able to adjust CTAs, create new content, and run campaigns through your site easily and efficiently.

5. How does your website integrate with other tools and technology?

Out-of-date equipment on your site is unacceptable and the best way to overcome this is with integrations. You need a website solution that offers third-party integrations with your inventory management system, manufacturer feeds, and online marketplaces. And, your website should work with APIs, iframes, equipment CRMs, and other essentials.

6. Do you have a dedicated point of contact for website support?

This is important. Websites are like any machine—they break and require maintenance. When that happens, do you have adequate support from your website provider? A dedicated contact (that’s not a salesperson or a ticketing system), can help speed up the process and keep your website running smoothly. Consider the level of support you want on an ongoing basis when you’re assessing your current solution and weighing new website providers. 

7. How often are you getting new features or website updates?

Technical advancements don't stop, and your website needs to keep up. Whether it’s new features in response to how customers are browsing your site, or technical enhancements to keep up online, your website solution should be a dynamic part of your business. Look for a managed platform that releases regular improvements, so you're never behind.

Adpearance Equipment Dealer Websites

Built specifically for the needs of equipment dealers, Adpearance websites use data-driven configurations, advanced inventory capabilities, and a simple back-end interface to help you compete and sell. If you’re interested in getting answers to these questions as part of a free digital analysis, we’d love to talk. Email us at [email protected] or call (971) 352-8088 to discuss solutions designed specifically for material handling, construction, and agriculture dealers.