Getting Web Wise

Alittle less than a year ago, at the Automotive Aftermarket E-Forum in Chicago, I listened to web guru Dan Jondran, president of Advanced Digital Strategies, tell a few hundred aftermarket IT executives that their Web strategies and websites were bad and getting worse.

Getting to the top of the list that millions of people use to make decisions for their businesses and their homes requires what he called “Search Engine Optimization.” Aftermarket companies in the North American market–by locale, not ownership–are so far down the list as to be virtually invisible.

So, with this in mind, I thought I would check out just how much of a profile some of the companies in Canada had, using the simple Google search term “Auto Parts, Canada.”

Page one of the search results, the most likely to be visited, revealed an interesting mix of traditional companies and online businesses. Frankly, I was a bit surprised at how well some of our traditional distributors did, and they should be commended for it. There are, however, a few curious issues that I’ll get to in a bit.

First though, in order, are the top 10 results, just as they appeared on the results page. Auto Parts in Canada! -OEM and Aftermarket Canada Auto Parts AutoPartsWAY.ca is your source for Auto Parts in Canada. www.autopartsway.caNAPA Online Canada

Avec plus de 600 magasins d’un bout l’autre du Canada et 75 ans d’histoire. www.napaonlinecanada.com.

CARQUEST Auto Parts -Canada -Franais and English More than 300 auto parts stores throughout Canada. www.carquest.ca. Discount Auto Parts

Wholesale car parts direct to you from Auto Parts GIANT.com. We ship the car parts direct to your door and we ship to all U. S. zip codes, Canada. www.autopartsgiant.com. Car Care Auto Parts -discount auto & truck parts in Canada

Aftermarket parts, car & truck parts & accessories, car care auto parts Canada, located in Barrie Ontario, Save on OEM (dealer only). www.carcareautopartscanada.com. Automotive auto parts catalogue -The best auto part prices by part Partsource, Canada’s source for auto parts. We have an unbeatable selection of quality, brand name parts, a local parts Pro team and the best auto part. www.partsource.ca. The All Canadian Automotive Directory: Parts_and_Accessories

Canada’s #1 choice when shopping for auto parts online. Free shipping, low prices, quality parts, secure shopping 1-800-207-1367. www.canadiandriver.com/links/Parts_and_Accessories/Altrom Group: OEM import auto parts -our specialty

One unique source for all import parts. A network of 16 warehouses with over 300,000 sq. ft. across Canada and North-West USA. Coverage for over 40 import cars. www.altrom.comACDelco Canada

For more information about ACDelco parts, you can call our toll-free number 1-800-26-DELCO … 2007 ACDelco Canada. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Statement. www.acdelcocanada.comAuto parts, car parts, VW parts, German auto parts, Porsche parts Nissan, Subaru and Toyota are some of the vehicles that we sell auto parts online for. We sell stock replacement car and truck parts to Canada and the USA. www.bestpricecarparts.com

The traditional aftermarket’s performance was good here, though half of the top 10 were online discounters, but I do wonder why, for example, NAPA’s site came up with the French text only when I searched in English, and how only half of the top 10 were “traditional” distributors, and typos were rampant all round (courteously corrected here).

I’m not going to rant about how important the Web is, but it is important. For Canadians, a Web presence is increasingly the face of the industry, of every industry, and their window on a world of products and services.

If the traditional aftermarket in this country is going to wrestle the Web from the online discounters and portray the aftermarket as more than a place to get stuff cheap, it will have to get smarter about its Web presence.

Consider this a gentle, virtual, kick in the backside to do just that.

— Andrew Ross, Publisher and Editoraross@jobbernews.com

Next Month

Our Annual Retail Intelligence Issue returns in June with tips to get you out from behind the counter.