Featured Resource: RV Owner's Guide

We're incredibly proud to bring you our revamped RV Owner's Guide.

Check out these expert tips and tricks to share with both new and old RV owners that visit your dealership, including top destinations, fun travel games, ways to go green, and how to travel like a local. Plus, discover your smartphone and tablet app essentials, and find out how you can make your next RV-cation the best ever!

Click HERE to get your FREE copy of this exclusive owner's guide, and share the info you learn with your customers today!

The Importance of Employee Appreciation

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s a great time to reflect on what you’re thankful for this season. Friends, family, health are top of the list for most - and rightfully so - but we think your hardworking employees should also be included on this list as well. Your employees are the life of your business, big or small, and it’s important to make sure they feel valued. Employee appreciation is crucial in the workplace, and while we think it’s an amazing idea to honor your employees during the upcoming holiday season, it’s also important to keep that momentum going year-round. So, we’ll give you insights into why employee appreciation is so important and few ideas on how to show your team your gratitude. 

First off, why is employee appreciation so important?

Employee appreciation is important for a multitude of reasons, but one simple point stands out to us - happy people translate into happy employees. It may sound obvious, but when you facilitate a positive and productive working environment employees feel valued, safe, and motivated. According to a survey by Recruiter Box, the number one reason most Americans leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. The same survey said, organizations with effective recognition programs have 31% lower voluntary turnover than organizations with ineffective programs. Does your team have a program in place? If not, you could start small and build upon your ideas. Below, we’ll show you a few easy ways to recognize employees year-round.

Public Praise - Everyone loves a deserved pat on the back, and praising your employees publicly provides a motivational boost to the entire dealership. This could be as simple as sending a company-wide email saying job well done or you can highlight the employee’s efforts at a staff meeting. A modern take on this idea is shouting out your team on your dealership’s social media page or website thanking them for their hard work.

Provide Fun Benefits - If employees are doing exceptional work, they should be rewarded. Providing bonus benefits to employees has the power to keep up morale and will ideally motivate your team to work harder in the long run. Hosting a team lunch or happy hour, providing a paid day off, or giving gift cards are just a few ideas on how to show employees your appreciation. Feel free to get creative with your ideas, after all, you know your employees best.

Get the Whole Team Involved - Letting team members recognize each other is a great way to increase employee appreciation in the workplace. Try asking employees to nominate their peers for employee of the month, or set up a board somewhere in the dealership where fellow coworkers can recognize other team members. It’s always great to hear from the boss, but getting peers to come together allows greater involvement in your recognition program.

Make Small Dealership Updates - If financially possible, making a few simple upgrades to your dealership can go a long way for employees. There’s no need for a full remodel, but adding a new state of the art coffee maker, or updating your break room can be a real motivational boost for your employees. Creating a dedicated space for your employees to gather and relax shows your team that you care about their well being and enjoyment at work.

These are just a few ideas to get you started, and if you haven’t started an employee appreciation program at your dealership, we encourage you to start small and see what works for best for your employees. Once you figure out what helps to motivate your team, you can build on that as time goes on.

Winnebago Debuts New Products at Open House

It's getting to be a habit. Last year, Winnebago used the industry Open House in Elkhart to launch the sleek new Horizon and the ground-breaking 4WD Revel adventure van, as well as the Class A Intent and Minnie Plus fifth-wheel.

This year, Winnebago repeated the feat, revealing five more new products at the dealer-only event.

The motorhome side saw the launch of the all-new Class C Vita and Porto, as well as the return of a storied nameplate, the Class A gas Adventurer. At the same time, Winnebago Towables debuted the Micro Minnie fifth wheel and the Spyder toy hauler.

Vita

Porto

The Vita and Porto are compact Class C diesels built on Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis. Each of the two floorplans features best-in-class galley, storage, solar power, and holding tank capacity. Also notable: the new SuperShell Sleeper Deck, which is quieter, lighter and stronger than typical cab-over sleepers.

Interior highlights include the panoramic galley window, expansive counter space, double-bowled sink, and user-configurable storage.

“At under 25 feet, the Vita and Porto allow you the freedom to explore everything from a major metropolitan area to a remote forest,” said Russ Garfin, product manager. “Throughout the coaches, we have implemented features for customers who are looking for a high-quality, easy to drive, durable and efficient base camp to support mobile and active lifestyles.”

Vita

After an absence of several years, the Adventurer is returning with new styling and five floorplans designed to meet a variety of tastes and needs. Built with Winnebago’s renowned SuperStructure construction, the Adventurer comes fully equipped with premium features normally reserved for diesel pushers, including Corian countertops, a Versa driver seat and Primera furniture coverings. Standard exterior features include an entertainment center, pet leash tie down, and full-body paint with chrome mirrors.

Adventurer

“The Adventurer is packed with user-friendly features, and more value than ever before,” noted product manager Niles Whitehouse. “Family-friendly floorplans offer spacious living, and ample storage space to provide all the comforts of home.”

With the launch of the new Spyder line, Winnebago has reentered the toy hauler segment. The Spyder lineup comprises four travel trailer and two fifth-wheel floorplans. “The end user was our main focus. We included several functional features that will be appreciated long after the thrill of the purchase,” commented Ron Brown, engineering manager. Large windows provide increased ventilation, while the innovative ceiling-ducted air conditioning system provides a comfortable retreat when the thermometer spikes.

Spyder

Capitalizing on the success and growth of the 7-foot wide Micro Minnie travel trailer, Winnebago Towables has extended the concept into the fifth-wheel category with the launch of the Micro Minnie fifth-wheel. “While the industry promotes 7,000, 8,000, and even 9,000 pound fifth-wheels as half-ton towable, the new Micro Minnie fifth-wheel, which weighs in the 5,000-pound category, will not only be best in class, but will also pair well with the rapidly growing midsize truck category,” said Adam Christoffersen, product manager.

Microfifth

The new fifth-wheel is equipped with upgraded features more typically found only in premium-level towables, including the flush-mount cooktop with glass cover, and stainless-steel sink. Outside, the true gel-coat fiberglass sidewalls and large windows will amplify the appeal of the compact Micro Minnie fifth-wheel.

Retargeting Explained

If we’re being honest, the sheer amount of technology available to us can feel quite daunting, and even overwhelming at times - especially in the business world. There are so many ways to reach customers, but it can be hard to figure out which strategy might work best for your specific business. The words retargeting and remarketing are flooding the digital space, and if you’re not familiar with those types of marketing strategies, we’re here to help. We’ll give an in-depth breakdown of the two strategies, review exactly what retargeting is, and talk about how it’s being used to best reach customers.

So, what is the difference between retargeting and remarketing?

Remarketing and retargeting can get a little confusing sometimes because people often use the terms interchangeably. And while they are similar, they do have one major difference - the actual strategy that’s used to reach consumers who have left your site. Retargeting is focused on engaging consumers that you may or may not be aware of, who have left your website without completing a desired action (ie: making a purchase, completing a form, etc.) and typically relies on cookies to serve them ads. Remarketing, on the other hand, usually relies on email to reach customers again, but it can also encompass any marketing to a consumer already known to your business. Both remarketing and retargeting strategies are great options, rather than just blind advertising, because the consumer has already shown that they are somewhat interested in your brand or product - upping your chances of a conversion down the road.

Let’s look into retargeting a bit more...

As we mentioned above, retargeting is a form of online advertising with the goal of reaching individuals who have visited and interacted with your website, but didn’t complete the desired call to action you had in mind. According to Outbrain, the average conversion rate for first-time site visitors is a staggering 2% - hence why retargeting strategies were created. Have you ever clicked on a website or product without making a purchase? It’s pretty common, if not a daily occurrence for most. Have you then seen that same product or website featured in an ad space while browsing other websites? That’s retargeting at work trying to reach the other 98% of people who didn’t originally convert while visiting your website.

Check out the image below to see the flow of retargeting at work:

Image: Retargeter.com

Is retargeting a successful strategy?

Retargeting is becoming an increasingly popular marketing strategy for businesses, both large and small. In fact, according to a survey by Invespcro, retargeting customers are three times more likely to click on your ad than people who haven’t interacted with your business before. In the same survey, 26% of customers said they will return to a site through retargeting and these numbers are expected to grow as 50% of marketers say their retargeting budget will increase in the next six months.

Are you interesting in retargeting?

If so, you’re in luck. We’ve just released brand new retargeting offerings for our dealers, and many have already seen huge success. We are offering the following retargeting product offerings: 

• Display Retargeting 
• Dynamic Retargeting - Unit Ad Listing 
• Dynamic Retargeting - Social Unit Ad Listing (Facebook & Instagram specific) 

If you haven’t talked to your RV Trader representative about integrating retargeting into your package, what are you waiting for? The best part of our retargeting product is that we do all the work for you. Call your RV Trader representative today at 1-877-354-4068 - they’d love to walk you through our various retargeting products to find which will best fit your needs.