Differentiating yourself from other motorcycle businesses so you stand out in the motorcycle industry won’t be easy.
While there is a lot of competition and other motorcycle businesses online, there are things you can do to gain a reputation as a reliable seller. The happier your customers are with your online store and its products and service, the more they will come back to make repeat purchases and refer you to fellow bike owners and mechanics who are repairing or customizing bikes. Here’s what you can do to make your motorcycle spare parts business better.
Sell on the Top eCommerce Website
You shouldn’t limit yourself by selling on only one sales channel, like your website. The best sales strategy involves selling on top ecommerce platforms, like eBay, Amazon, and Walmart, where you gain access to a wider audience. These sites have massive customer bases and boast millions of unique visitors each month. They also have categories dedicated to the buying and selling of parts and accessories, which explains why these motorcycle sales platforms are popular online shopping sites for motorcycle enthusiasts.
Use High Quality Product Images
You don’t need to hire a professional photographer to take photos of your spare parts business products. Smartphones today have amazing cameras. The trick is to use good lighting and a plain white background. Remove any distractions that may take the focus away from the actual product. Natural light is the best; it’s also free. If you don’t have access to it, you can use artificial lighting. Make sure the light hits the product evenly and doesn’t cast any shadows. Whatever camera you use, don’t use the flash. The last thing you want is an unflattering glare of light reflecting off the product.
Shoot multiple angles to get as much detail as possible. Zoom in on any features that you think will be important to the customer. Don’t over-edit the images. It’s best to keep their original level of saturation so as not to mislead customers of the product’s real color.
Dedicate Time to Customer Service and Marketing
Potential customers may have questions about your products. And when you don’t attend to their queries fast enough, they may move on to another seller and end up losing the sale. The truth is that many customers are impatient and won’t be willing to wait very long to get a reply, especially if there’s an urgent need for the part. So while it’s great being your own boss and deciding your own hours, it doesn’t mean that you should only reply to customers when you are available.
Make time for customer service, and it will help you gain a reputation as a helpful, reliable seller. When customers have a good experience, they will likely come back for more and refer you to their friends who are fellow motorcycle enthusiasts.
Your motorcycle shop business plan should also include your marketing strategies. To reach a wider audience and improve visibility, you may consider social media marketing, such as Facebook ads. You may even leverage video marketing by starting a YouTube channel. Whatever your business plans, ensure they’re driven by providing the best customer experience and journey.
Commit to Quality Service
Beyond having a business name that is memorable, the keys to success will depend on your dedication to making your bike parts business better. Business owners who fail to commit to their company vision and mission are often the ones that fail.
When you first decided to start your own business and began writing your business plan, one of your primary goals should have been to find the gaps and fill the needs of the market. Your business plan should also detail how you intend to bring your business ideas to life and reach your target market and motorcycle organizations in a positive way.
On platforms like eBay and Amazon, sellers that provide outstanding service gain top seller status. As a Top Rated Seller, you become recognized as a trustworthy source. You can achieve this status by providing the best shopping experiences, which result in high ratings and positive reviews.
Maintain Your Physical Inventory Properly
First, do the research and determine which motorcycle parts are in greatest demand. You’ll want to avoid dead stock, which will weigh your business down. Not only does deadstock take up warehouse space, but it reduces cash flow.
Motorcycle parts that get damaged and replaced the most often are footpegs, handlebars, and levers. Filters, chain drives, belt drives, shaft drives, tires, and spark plugs are also parts of the motorcycle that suffer from wear and tear and need often repair or replacement.
Stock items in quantities that you know you will be able to maintain properly. The goal is to keep them in good condition. The last thing you want to happen is to forget about your inventory and allow it to deteriorate from being stocked for too long. Customers will not be happy to receive motorcycle parts that are damaged, dirty, or rusty.
If you don’t intend to stock inventory, make sure you have a reliable supplier. To protect your own reputation, you should trust that the supplier maintains their stock and will only deliver items that are in the best condition possible.
Provide Clear, Accurate, and Complete Fitment Data
Whether you are selling motorcycle parts on eBay, Amazon, Walmart, other ecommerce platforms, or your own website, fitment data is critical to improving the customer experience. Fitment or compatibility refers to vehicle type and its make/model/year.
By providing complete fitment data, you enhance the online shopping experience for your customers. Fitment information takes away the guesswork of whether the motorcycle part fits the bike. It also lessens the need for potential customers to contact you directly and ask for more details about the part to determine if it’s compatible with their motorcycle. When you skip including fitment data, you disrupt the buying experience and decision process.
Optimizing your motorcycle parts website with fitment filters also helps you gain reach and increase your visibility, which helps increase sales. When you don’t list all the bikes that a part fits, you could miss out on sales opportunities. With complete fitment data on all your product listings, you maximize your search exposure.
For example, when people search for a part for their motorcycle, they may not realize they don’t have to limit themselves to their bike’s manufacturer. While OEM parts are all-original and brand new, they can be quite expensive. Fitment data allows customers to discover aftermarket parts that are compatible with their bike.
If you’re selling on Amazon, you can send fitment data directly and indirectly. Amazon uses ACES (Aftermarket Catalog Exchange Standard), the industry standard for automotive catalog applications data in North America. ACES data is comprised of two components, the date and the XML delivery specification. The direct method of sending fitment data involves submitting ACES to the Amazon Merchant Transport Utility (AMTU). The indirect method of sending fitment data involves using a third-party fitment data provider.
On eBay, you can set up fitment compatibility by adding fitment information to your listings on eBay Motors. Fitment data, known as Parts Compatibility on eBay, takes the form of EPIDs (eBay Product IDs).
Conclusion
Setting yourself apart from every other online motorcycle shop will be challenging. Start by making sure your online motorcycle parts business has a presence on the top platforms for motorcycle parts and accessories. To make your business better, ensure your product images are high-quality. Attractive and professional-looking photos that showcase multiple angles and details of the product will get more attention. To stand out, you need to provide superior service. You can achieve this by answering questions promptly and providing complete fitment data.
