Last week I was researching local tire dealers to see who had my tires in stock and who had the ability to change them rather quickly. I did a simple Google search for the brand of tires in my town. Five local dealers came up, all of which I am familiar with. Since I was at work, I wasn’t about to make 5 personal calls in a row, so filling out the online inquiry form was the easiest way to go. I’m new to the whole tire purchasing/re-mounting experience and noticed it was pretty expensive – $1000 for tires – and I wasn’t sure if I needed to buy them first or if the installer had the ones I needed in stock.
React to your online inquiry.
I filled out each online inquiry the same. I let the business know the tire brand and size needed for my car, along with a basic question: are the tires readily available or will I need to provide them?
Out of the 5 online inquiries I submitted, I received ONE response. ONE. I was practically telling people “HERE IS MY MONEY, PLEASE TAKE IT”. Oddly enough the response I got came from the business owner of the shop my dad strongly recommended previous to my research. It’s been almost 9 days since I filled out those forms and the other 4 businesses still haven’t gotten back to me. I won’t even bother to shop around anymore. This business owner took the initiative and made use of his website and online form.
What’s the purpose of even putting an inquiry box on your site if it goes overlooked? It’s the perfect lead magnet and should always be front and center. Again, I wasn’t simply looking for a replacement bulb for my car. I was interested in making a major purchase. It wasn’t a want, it was a need for me and an easy sale for any business owner.
It’s a fact – people use the internet to do research and help make decisions on where they’re going to spend their money. As I stated earlier, there are situations where they may not even be able to pick up the phone. There are a huge number of opportunities to take advantage of the lead forms on your site. You simply must remember to check them within a reasonable amount of time to get the sale. Customer service is key. You may not look at it this way, but you are doing a tremendous disservice to a potential NEW customer, and most importantly to your own business.
You may not need a full blown website to attract potential customers. A responsive, highly converting landing page is the simplest way to attract leads and get new business. That is, of course, if you respond to your inquiries. Find out what Ferocious Media can do for your business. Check out our website!
