Headache-Free Inventory Management

Recreational vehicles may empower your customers to expand their horizons and explore new places, but running an RV dealership is not always a walk in the park. Every day, RV dealers like you face significant challenges that must be overcome to maintain a successful business.

From monitoring marketing campaigns to managing new leads and keeping blog content up to date, one challenge in particular usually rises to the top—inventory management. Because inventory is always in flux, keeping your online and in-store inventory consistent can prove challenging for any RV dealer.

The Impact of Poor Inventory Management

Poor inventory management isn’t just a mere inconvenience for your customers. It can lead to decreased customer satisfaction, missed sales opportunities, and serious financial losses. And while technology can be a big help in managing your inventory effectively, the wrong technology can make inventory matters much worse.

Rather than relying on a dedicated library to populate inventory listings with correct specifications, lesser technologies often rely on AI to scrape the internet for specifications or provide generic descriptions that don’t add actual value for the customer. This can prevent large numbers of units from showing up in customer inventory searches.

The problem: either customers can’t see inventory you actually have on your lot or they see inventory that’s not really available. These differences between online and on-lot inventory erode customer trust, prevent salespeople from using your website as a selling tool, and do real damage to your brand.

See how InteractRV helped an RV dealer combat inventory issues in our latest Case Study here.

Ensuring Accurate and Engaging Listings

While inaccurate inventory listings can cause obvious problems for you and your customers, the inverse—maintaining consistently accurate inventory listings—can give you a serious competitive advantage over other RV dealerships.

Updated inventory listings lead to a smoother buying experience. They allow shoppers to start looking on your website, inquire about specific units, see available inventory, and continue their shopping experience in-store without missing a beat.

But how do you manage to keep inventory consistent when items are constantly coming in and out of your store? It’s a logistical nightmare that’s a full-time job in and of itself. The answer: RV industry-specific technology. The right technologies, built specifically for RV dealers, can automate the process of updating your inventory listings, not to mention make them more appealing to your online shoppers.

Leveraging Technology for Improved Inventory Management

Consider the following tools and strategies for ensuring that your listings are compelling and up to date without consuming excessive time.

RV Data Library

A good RV data library pulls the latest descriptions, specs, floorplans, pictures, and more for every inventory item on your lot. Because it pulls data directly from manufacturers, you can be assured that your inventory information is always correct and up to date.

Of course, a good back-end system will also give you that ability to easily edit your inventory details, so you can include information about damage, recent service, modifications, and more, without having to connect with your technology partner and wait for your ticket to be resolved.

Look for a library that offers automated data entry, real-time inventory tracking, and integration with your other business systems. You should also make sure that your data library can source data that you can trust. A lot of libraries offer automatic descriptions, but they’re not always accurate and they’re not always easily edited without a support ticket.

Tow Guide and RV-Specific Search Filters

Most RV shoppers start with a general idea of what they want. They visit a few RV dealer websites to learn more and to narrow their options. The online retailers that give shoppers the tools to focus their RV searches, like an RV Shopper Guide, are usually the ones that consumers stick with when it’s time to pull the trigger on a purchase.

An interactive tow guide and RV-specific search filters can help your online shoppers narrow their searches to find the perfect vehicles for them. Even if they start with just a general idea for an RV, these website tools help shoppers eliminate unwanted options and hone in on the perfect purchase.

A tow guide gives shoppers the ability to filter inventory based on the tow rating of individual vehicles, while search filters can help shoppers find RVs by size, desired features, and even monthly payment amounts. Find a technology partner that that includes these industry specific tools and features, built specifically for RV dealers.

Conclusion

Running an RV dealership is challenging, and there may not be a bigger challenge than ensuring that you inventory is always accurate, up to date, and compelling for your online customers. But with the right tools and the right technology partner, managing your inventory is made much easier.

As you evaluate your inventory management process, look for tools that will make your life less challenging. A reputable RV data library, the ability to edit your own listings, a tow guide, and RV-specific search filters on your website can automate your inventory updates and give your shoppers a buying experience that beats out the competition.

To learn more about overcoming challenges with RV industry-specific technologies, visit Interactrv.com.