My job here at Rightnowautoparts.com is to offer our existing warehouse full of auto parts online to the public. As part of that job I must continuously keep up with the competition in all aspects of their marketing efforts. What I have found that can be helpful to the non-professional is that auto parts web sites fall into a few different categories.
First are the “Accessory and Image” sites. These site have a vast blinding variety of items that you can add to your vehicle (of any type) to make it look better, perform better, offer more comfort, or just stylize so that your car becomes one of a kind. They range from specialty or specific (i.e. 4 wheel drive parts) to the sites that try to supply all things for all vehicles since before the birth of Henry Ford. These parts are referred to in the industry as “soft” parts, in that they aren’t really a need.
“Hard” parts are those that must be replaced when the vehicle breaks down. These web pages can also be broken down into two basic types; Specialty or OE, and Everything for everyone… think NAPA, AutoZone, O’Reilly, etc.. The specialty sites are either brand name specific or might even be niche specific (i.e. Toyota parts, Bendix, Goodyear, etc.).
There are a lot of reasons why companies choose one type or the other when going to market. You might think it would be best to build a website that sold all things to all people. The reality is that those logistics become so massively complex it is almost impossible to fulfill your promises 100% of the time. On the other hand it becomes hard to get all you need if the site becomes too specific. Goodyear has a great site if you need information about belts and hoses, but try to buy the things you need for a tune up and you will be disappointed.
So here are my suggestions on how to find what you need. First find a website that is specific to hard parts or soft parts. There are some that do both but refer back to my complexity equals disappointment statement earlier. Make sure the site has at least these three things…
1. A year, make, model catalog to narrow down your options.
2. A VIN option to narrow it down even more.
3. A phone number to call. Looking up parts can become extremely complicated.
Second, do enough research online, and on the phone, that you are SURE you have the right part number. Once you have the number, Google or BING it and check the preponderance of pricing. Most of the time you will find a range with extreme examples on both ends. There’s really no reason to explain why you should ignore the highest prices is there? On the low end, make sure to read the fine print. I have found sometimes the company with the lowest price is selling “bankruptcy” types of parts that came from companies that have closed and may not have a good enough warranty. They may also state that parts will be shipped from alternate locations within 20-45 days. I don’t know about you but if my car is broken down, savings of 10% aren’t going to help me. Also, check the part number on E-Bay. Sometimes you can save HUGE money on E-Bay, so it is worth checking.
Finally, choose a site that has one of the best prices, seems to be fairly specific to your type of vehicle and has a reasonable return policy. Understand that return policies need to be fairly strict legally but some are overbearing (I know I have read quite a few as examples). My personal feeling is that most companies will work with you as long as there is no obvious intent to take advantage, so call and ask if you have questions. Just before you make the purchase it would be a good idea to check to see if there are any coupons or extra discounts available… you may as well ask.
One extra thing, if the company does a really good job, take the time to tell your friends and share your experience on any forums or blogs you belong to. Today’s online world is becoming more dependant on customer online referrals. Help the good companies succeed by telling others.
Brad Catron- Ecommerce Evangelist at Rightnowautoparts.com, an OE wholesale distribution company seeking to collapse layers of the distribution model to bring auto parts direct to the public. GM AC Delco and Ford Motorcraft OE auto parts are our niche.
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