How ag equipment dealers and manufacturers can optimize their online presence to meet farmer expectations

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It’s no secret farmers are increasingly interacting and buying online. No longer a nice-to-have, digital engagement is key to sales growth for ag brands. To grow, you need to engage your customers online early and sustain engagement with an omnichannel approach across the buying journey. What does that mean for ag equipment manufacturers and dealers? How you appear online matters.

The latest research from Invoca shows that 81 percent of retail shoppers conduct research online before buying. Farmers are no different. The most recent survey of farmers’ use of media from Successful Farming shows the internet is the top choice to find information about agriculture topics, products, services and news. Similarly, a farmer survey from McKinsey & Company revealed 54 percent of farmers surveyed actually prefer digital channels when considering a purchase, even if they do not intend to purchase online.

THE BUYING JOURNEY BEGINS ONLINE
During this early phase of the buying journey, farmers are mainly looking for product information, pricing and the ability to make comparisons. The specific information they’re seeking includes product specifications and schematics, warranty information, financing options and trade-in value for existing equipment. And they want to gather this information without calling to talk with someone.

That means your ag equipment business needs a website that is easy to navigate and offers robust information. It’s also imperative that your site is searchable. Websites should also:

Make it easy for your visitors to find the information they want quickly with different search functionalities
Have filtering options that allow visitors to filter search results based on different criteria, such as product type or price
Implement autocomplete functionality, which provides suggestions and helps users search more efficiently.
Make your search capable of delivering results even if there is a typo or extra character(s) in the query.

Video is also key for websites. The Successful Farming survey showed a whopping 90 percent of surveyed farmers watch videos online. Incorporating videos that highlight performance, field test results and customer testimonials not only enhance the user experience but provide information in a format they prefer. And remember to add subtitles to enhance SEO and increase engagement for longer watch times.

OPTIMIZE FOR MOBILE
The McKinsey study showed two-thirds of farmers use their mobile devices for research and planning. Avoid frustrating your site visitors and losing potential buyers by ensuring your site is mobile-friendly. Surprisingly, farmers included in the McKinsey survey reported poor mobile experiences on ag company sites, especially when compared to their experiences with other business-to-consumer sites. The issues cited in the study include poor page rendering, limited functionality and choppy navigation. Improve the mobile experience with a menu that is always visible to enable easy site search and navigation, place a convenient store locator button in the main header, and enable site-search filtering to improve information discovery.

ALIGN ONLINE AND OFFLINE EXPERIENCES
Like consumers, farmers use distinct channels when researching and buying products: online channels, in-person reps and brick-and-mortar stores. While they rely more heavily on digital channels early in the buying journey, personal interactions and relationships are important in the later stages. Although customers come to dealerships armed with information, they often don’t have all the pieces put together to make the final buying decision.

This is where your sales team comes in. They play a valuable role in connecting the dots between the online and in-person experience by helping customers ensure the equipment is right for their operation and budget. This requires more specialized knowledge that goes beyond the sales pitch and message points from your website. Data integration, dashboards and automation give your team access to real-time sales history, pricing information and product availability, allowing them more time with farmers to truly understand their needs.

CULTIVATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH
Farmers want their vendors and partners to make things easier for them. When it comes to digital presence, ag equipment companies need to focus on three areas:

Increase engagement on digital channels by providing information farmers need at each stage of the buying journey
Optimize their website for mobile to create a positive experience
Recognize the crucial interplay between online and offline channels and equip their sales team with the real-time information

Get the competitive advantage by providing an experience that meets farmer expectations. An audit of your digital properties can reveal both gaps and opportunities. Evaluate your marketing strategy to ensure you have clearly defined personas and a journey map that tailors the digital experience for each. At R+K, one of the ways we can help you nurture your online relationships is through strategic workshops where we use our expertise and an understanding of your business goals to identify and execute strategies for growth.

If you're facing reduced budgets in this tough marketing, download our guide to optimize your ag equipment marketing strategy. We offer vital guidance for maintaining market presence and preparing for future growth.

If you would like to discuss how Rhea + Kaiser can help you cultivate strong relationships, drop us a note.

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Digital engagement is key for ag equipment companies