Print Window Stickers with QR Codes – Engage Show Attendees on Mobile Devices

Print customized window stickers for every unit featuring your logo, contact information and detailed information about that unit.  Each window sticker includes a QR code, which allows any smart device to link directly to that unit online for more information.

 Bulk Price Updater – Update Your Online Pricing for the Show – FAST!

Are you looking for a quick way to update the pricing on your units for your RV Show?  One of our newest tools is the Bulk Price Updater.  This gives you the ability to update pricing (MSRP, MAP, Price and Sale Price) for every unit you have online, all on one single page.  Once the show is over, it’s just as easy to change the prices back.

Sales Flyers with QR Codes, Quick and Easy – Create Customized Show Specials Flyers

You may not be able to take all the units you want to feature to the show.  No problem.  Use the Sales Flyer tool to quickly & easily generate handouts of your show specials and give them to attendees.  You can display up to 10 units per page.  Customize the flyer by selecting the fields you want to display and we’ll add in a QR code.  One of our dealers prints all of his inventory this way and takes a 3-ring binder to the event.  This way he can display everything their dealership has available!

Custom Payment Calculator – Help RV Shoppers Find Affordable Payments

Every RV listed on RVUSA.com and on dealer inventory pages displays a payment calculator.  Customize the payment calculator to the Term, Interest Rate and Percent Down that best fits your dealership.  Help RV shoppers feel at ease by showing them affordable payments for the units they’re interested in.

My team is dedicated to building tools that will help dealers, like you, succeed online.  We have a big list of improvements for 2012, both that have come from our team members and our customers.  We’ve talked to a lot of dealers over the years that are with other providers for website hosting / inventory management, who are continually told NO when they ask for online tools like these.  My team welcomes your ideas, suggestions, comments, etc.  Keep them coming and we will continue to move the ball forward with you.

Please post your ideas here or email them to me, cindy@netsourcemedia.com.

Cindy Spencer 

What are examples of non-secure passwords?

• password
• ou812
• 12345
• ANY case where the password matches the first part of your email address, such as john@rvusa.com and the password is “john”

Why should I have a secure password on my email account?

• If your account is compromised, the spammer can use it to send out junk email to everyone on your contact list and any other email accounts they have.
• This leads to your email account getting labeled as a spammer as well as the mail server you are hosting with.
• In addition, your contacts, customers, potential customers, etc., may block any incoming emails from you in the future – not good.

How can I make my email password secure?

• Minimum length of your password should be 6 characters
• Your password will not match your username
• Include at least 3 of the following character types:  lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, symbols or special characters (!, #, +, etc.)
• If you have multiple email accounts, use unique passwords for each

If you have any questions about email password security, email hosting, etc., let me know.  You can either post your comments / questions here, or email me directly, cindy@rvusa.com.

I’d like to thank my Network Adminstrator, Dan Friesen, for his helpful input on this important topic.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Cindy Spencer 

Another way for your business to get found on Google for free, is to set up your “Google Place” page.  The latest research found that 97% of consumers search for local businesses online.  Typically, if you do a search for a local business on Google, the search results bring back something that looks like this:

I did a search for “newark nj rv dealers”.  It gave me several dealers in a list with markers on the map to the right, which allows me to see their locations easily.  Each of the listed dealers has a “Place Page” link and if there are any reviews posted it will display the number of reviews.

I’m going to choose El Monte RV Rentals & Sales because it has 3 reviews, so I click on the “3 reviews – Place page” link and it takes me here:

This is the Google Place page for El Monte RV Rentals & Sales, provided for free by Google and updated and maintained by someone at El Monte RV.   As you can see, there are lots of details about this dealership, website link, logo, map with marker of their location, a video and some reviews.  If a visitor wanted to post a review on this or your Google Place page, they click on the Write a Review button, type in their review and click Publish.

Now that you know what it is… let’s get started with yours.

How to Setup a Google Place Page

The first thing you want to do before getting started is to save the pictures and videos you want to put on your Google Place page to your desktop that way you can find them easily.  Now that you have them, here we go:

1. Go to www.Google.com, type in your company name, city and state and hit Enter.  Your listing should come up #1 (if not, call me!!) and in that listing there will be a “Place Page” link, click on that.  If not, click on the MORE link on the left, click on Places, locate your listing and click the Place page link there.
2. Click the Business Owner? link located above the map on the right side of the page.
3. You will get 3 options on this page, Edit, Suspend and New Listing.  Click the radio button next to Edit my business information and click the Continue button.
4. This page has all your basic company information, which you will need to update and add to, service areas and location settings, hours of operation, payment options, photos, videos and additional details.  Make sure you choose categories that are applicable to your company, creating new categories if needed.  Check out the map on the right side and make sure the marker is in the right location.  If not, click on the Fix incorrect marker location link just below the map.  This will open up a little pop-up window that allows you to click and drag the marker to the correct location, using the zoom in and out tools if needed, and click the Save button when it’s correct.
5. If everything looks good, click the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
6. The next page will tell you that they are going to mail you a letter to confirm you are in fact the owner of the business listing you are updating.  This is how they prevent unauthorized changes to your listing.  It typically takes up to 2 weeks for you to receive this letter and when you do you’ll find that it has a pin number included.  Once you have this letter, follow the instructions to verify your listing.  If you do not receive the letter, go to:  http://www.google.com/support/places/bin/answer.py?answer=140935

Keep in mind, if you need to make changes to your Place page once you’ve verified it, all you need to do is click on the Edit This Place link on your page, make your changes and it will call you with a confirmation number to enter so that your changes are posted.  This phone call is immediate so don’t miss it or your changes will not be posted.

Also, in the Additional Details section list the RV Manufacturers and Models you carry along with any other services you provide.

It’s all about drawing more visitors to your website, which turns into more leads and sales.  Obviously educating them on your company, what you offer and getting more familiar with the people they will be doing business with there is a big part of the sales process.

I hope this helps.  Post your questions here if you have any and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.

Cindy Spencer 

Here’s some stats that I found online compiled in April 2011 regarding general smartphone use:

• 81% browse the internet
• 77% perform searches
• 68% use an app
• 48% watch videos
• 93% use their smartphones while at home

Here’s some other interesting facts that I wanted to share with you about local searches:

• 9 out of 10 smartphone searches results in an action (purchasing, visiting a business, etc.)
• 88% of these users take action within a day
• 77% contact a business, with 61% calling and 59% visiting the business

Now some facts about purchasers using smartphones:

• 79% use their phones to help with shopping, from comparing prices, finding more product info to locating a business
• 74% make a purchase

The only conclusion I come to from these findings is that businesses have to make sure that when they are found via mobile searches, the consumers can view your website content easily and take actions (view inventory, call, email, locate your business, etc.).

What is a “mobile enabled” website?

A true “mobile enabled” website will automatically detect what environment each visitor is using to access your website, then display it in the format best for that device.  That could be an iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Andriod, etc.  A traditional website, that’s not mobile enabled, when accessed using a smart phone is very difficult to read unless you zoom in several times and then you have to scroll left to right to see all the content on the page.  With a mobile enabled website, the navigation and content is reorganized so that it fits the browser window for the device used, and the pages are made “lighter” so they download quickly.

To see the difference between the two, go to your browser on your smart phone.

For a non-mobile enabled example, go to:  http://www.netsourcervs.com/
For a mobile enabled example, go to:  http://www.whitespruce.com/

Why do you need a mobile enabled website?

I believe the stats above answers that question for you.  I would think no one is more “mobile” than an RVer, so as more and more of your target audience use smartphones, you’re going to want your website, which is an extension of your company, to be ready to serve them up with a custom, mobile browsing experience.

For more information and to see our mobile demo, go to:  http://mobiledemo.netsourcervs.com/

Cindy Spencer 

Here are some tips to consider when pricing your units online:

• Post real prices. If a hot buyer walks on the lot, what’s the price?
• Be competitive. Know what dealers in your area are charging for similar products.
• If MAP pricing is in effect, make it easy for shoppers to obtain your actual price via phone or email.
• Finally, it’s not always about the lowest price.  It’s about value.  Convey to the shopper what they will be getting for their money.  Photos and videos are great tools that can provide online shoppers with an accurate representation of the RV.  Also, let shoppers know what kind of customer service they should expect at your dealership – great service is priceless.

Thank you Melissa Thrush for this post – it’s very good information that I really believe in, especially after this weekend and my experience at a car dealership.

My neice just got her driver’s license last week and needed a car.  The two of us did all kinds of research online for various cars, prices, fuel economy, etc.  I remembered a car dealership in Gainesville that both my mother and my sister-in-law bought their vehicles from several years ago and the experience they had with them, so we decided to drive to Gainesville to see what they had.  When we arrived one of the sales people gave us the price list for all the cars on the lot, told us to let them know if we needed anything and were close enough so that if we did have a question we could easily get to them and ask, but not too close that we felt rushed or like they were stalking us.  My neice picked out the car she wanted and we test drove it.  Then the moment came for the dreaded “paperwork”, which turned out to be about 45 minutes worth of time, they put a new plate on her car and we headed home.  The customer service was excellent and everyone was very friendly.  The next time I’m in the market for an almost new car, that’s the first place I’m going.

Cindy Spencer  : )

Over the past 12 months, the NetSource Media team has added 6 new designs with 20 different color variations for the RV Industry and 6 new designs with 16 different color variations for the Trailer Industry to the EZ-Site Design library.

Along with the new designs, we’ve added designs with animated headers, mobile enabled designs and now have a design available to all verticals that will change based on the time of day the visitor accesses it.  During the daylight, it will have a blue sky and at night the background will change to a starry sky.  Quietwoods South Camping Resort is already using this design, “Adventure Awaits,” on their new website – www.quietwoodscamping.com.

You can review the EZ-Site designs available by going to: http://www.netsourcemedia.com - then click on the vertical applicable to your dealership at the top, right.

Cindy Spencer 

Here’s some interesting stats that I found on Online Schools:

• 48% of 18-34 year olds check Facebook when they wake up
• The 35+ demographic is growing rapidly, now with over 30% of the entire Facebook user base
• The 18-24 year old segment is now growing the fastest at 74% year on year
• Almost 72% of all US internet users are on now Facebook
• Over 200 million people access Facebook via their mobile phone
• 57% of people talk to people more online, than they do in real life

These stats speak volumes… 72% of the Internet users in the US are on Facebook.  If you were to combine all forms of advertising you do for your company, excluding internet, there’s no way you could compete with the amount of “free” advertising you could do on Facebook.  When I say “free”, I mean it’s just a matter of your time to set it up, post to your wall and maintenance.  Typically, this averages out to about 2 hours per week.

I hope your company already has a Fan Page setup on Facebook, but if not my team can help you with that.

For those of you already on Facebook, you may have noticed some changes they rolled out recently.  The Fan Page layout is different, you can feature up to 5 pictures along the top, feature up to 5 pages that you like down the left side of the page, and more.  All of this is managed via the Edit Page button, which is located at the top right of your Fan Page.  When you click the Edit Page button, you’ll get these options:

1. Your Settings - this section allows you to edit your posting preferences and email notifications.  The email notifications is a new feature, which will send you an email when people post on your wall or add comments.
2. Manage Permissions - this section allows you to manage the page visibility, country restrictions, age restrictions, who can see your wall tab, the default landing tab, what users can post, moderation blocklist, profanity blocklist and you can permanently delete your Fan Page.
3. Basic Information - this section is where you specify what category your Fan Page would fall under (for Dealers I would think to choose Companies & Organizations / Company) along with basic company information and history.
4. Profile Picture - this section allows you to change the profile picture used on your Fan Page.  This is the image displayed at the top left.  You can either browse your computer for an image or take a picture if your computer has a camera.
5. Featured – this section allows you to manage the “pages” that you like displayed on the left side of your Fan Page.  You can also add Featured Page Owners, which are displayed below the featured pages on the left.  These are the people you’ve setup as “admins” for your Fan Page.
6. Marketing – this section has a lot of tools in it, each of which need to be explained in more detail, so I’ll do a blog post on this section shortly.  The items you need to be aware of right now are “Add a like box to your website” and “Create alias”.   I would click the “Create Alias” first as it will make it easier to setup the Like Box for your website.  When creating the alias for your page, your basically creating username / short link to give visitors so they can access your Fan Page.  For example, for RVUSA.com the Fan Page alias is www.facebook.com/RVUSA.  In order to setup an alias for your Fan Page you must have at least 25 Fans.  So type in what you want your alias to be and click the Check Availability button and follow the steps to complete that setup.  Next, you’ll want to add a Like Box to your website so go back to Marketing and click the ”Add a Like Box to Your Website”.   This widget allows you to generate a “like box” based on how you want it to look and what content you want in it.  In the Facebook Page URL, make sure you type in your alias, replacing the word “platform”.  Once you are satisfied with the Like Box you’ve created, click the Get Code button.  Most of you will use the iFrame code, so copy that and insert it into the code of your website or email it to your website designer for insertion.
7. Manage Admins - this section allows you to manage the users who had administrative access to your Fan Page.
8. Apps – this section allows you to edit the applications that have tabs on your Fan Page.  You can delete and add apps as well.
9. Mobile - this section allows you to manage your mobile devices that have access to and can upload to your Fan Page, including an iPhone, Blackberry, Andriod, etc.
10. Insights - this section gives you all the stats related to your Fan Page.  Here you can check out your page overview by week, month, etc., for likes, active users, posts and feedback.
11. Help - this section has answers to the most common questions regarding Facebook, Fan Pages and more.

If you don’t have a Fan Page on Facebook and don’t have the time to set it up and maintain it, let me know.  We have a Social Media package available to you.

Cindy Spencer 

The 2011 Florida RV Supershow in Tampa, FL reported 12,912 people walked through the gates on January 12th, the opening day.  You can read the full article here:  http://www.rvbusiness.com/2011/01/record-attendance-at-florida-rv-supershow/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RvBusiness+%28RV+Business%29

In Greensboro, NC, the 22nd Annual North Carolina RV & Camping Show was a huge success, with high numbers of RVers turning out despite the fact that it was freezing outside and it was threatening to snow.  Both attendance and RV Sales were up and it had the largest number of exhibitors in the history of the show.  You can read the full article here:  http://rvdailyreport.com/news/ctl/articleview/mid/370/articleid/10201/greensboro-rv-show-reports-high-attendance

Another article I found predicts that the RV Industry will see a good year in 2011, with some expecting the best year we’ve ever seen:  http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110112/BUSINESS/101120338

It seems the RV Industry comeback is being led by lightweight trailer sales.  People have less money but still want a way to take a vacation that won’t break the bank.  Lightweight trailers are the answer because they can tow them behind the car they already have in the driveway.  More RV Manufacturers started marketing and producing low-profile, lightweight trailers as they saw this shift in the market.

We’ve added a new search criteria field to RVUSA.com… dry weight.  This allows visitors to search for a recreational vehicle in their specific weight range:  http://www.rvusa.com/rv-search.  We have over 300 listed with a weight of 2,000 lbs or less.

RV officials say this industry is a leading indicator of the economy’s direction, falling before the rest and rising before a recovery.  RV Sales are showing healthly signs and overall RV shipments to dealers is looking good, which means the dealers are more optimistic they can sell the inventory.  In my opinion, all the indicators certainly point towards a rise.

How’s it looking in your neck of the woods?

Cindy Spencer 

Your Inventory Available Anywhere

Potential clients will be able to search your RV inventory 24/7 from their iPhone and then map your location or simply call for more details.  The Dashboard of the RVUSA app has options for “Search For Your RV”, “Favorites” and “Dealer Login”.  When performing an RV Search, visitors can search by type, condition, price range, year range, # of slideouts and location.  The results screen displays a thumbnail, year, mfg, model, price and location of each unit.  Visitors can then click on any of those units to view the details page.  One of the options on that page is to “Save as Favorite”, which will give them quick and easy access to those saved units right from the RVUSA app Dashboard.

Help for Your Sales Team

The “Dealer Login” link will give you and your sales team the ability to search just your units once logged in.  This login is the same as your MMC login.  This is a really handy tool to have when out on the lot. 

You can review more info and screen shots of the RVUSA app here:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rvusa-com-mobile/id403929906?mt=8

Continued Development

We’ve already submitted a new version of our iPhone App and are just waiting on it to be accepted.  This new version will include additional features and tools such as:

• Locate RV Dealers
• Locate RV Service Facilities
• Locate RV Parts & Campgrounds

The locators for each of the above will work by location, either their GPS or they can pick a state.  Check the app store in a couple weeks for this new version… if you download the current RVUSA app, once the new version is accepted it will show in your app store under Available Updates.

Cindy Spencer 

PS - We can create mobile enabled websites as well so if you’d like to get ahead of your competition this is the way to go.  Basically, when visitors go to your website via their smartphone it will display your website content and inventory in the best possible way for the device they are using.  Let me know if you’re interested.

The 2010 RVIA show in Louisville, KY is fast approaching… only 19 more days to go from today!!  This will be our 13th year attending the show and we look forward to meeting everyone who stops by our booth (C51 & C52) and showing you our newest tools and features.  This year I will be attending the show with Greg Petry, the President of RVUSA.com, Laura Baldeschwieler, Account Manager and our newest Account Manager Melissa Thrush.  As you can see from the image on the left we do have a show special, which you should have received a postcard in the mail about… sign-up for either of our 3 plans, pay annually and you get an additional month for free.

To learn more about RVIA and/or the RVIA show, go to:  http://www.rvia.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=HomeRVIA

Cindy Spencer