In Case You Missed It: July RV Industry News

To help keep you informed with recent leading industry news, upcoming model reviews, and new product launches, we’ve put together a recap of viral RV business stories from the month of July. Check them out and see which story you think was the highlight for this past month.

RVIA announces 18.3% YOY Growth for June Shipments

RVIA’s recent manufacturer survey indicates a healthy RV industry in the month of June with a unit shipment rise to 47,416 from last year’s 40,072 - an increase of over 18%.

Airstream and Tommy Bahama unveil 2018 19CB trailer

Video: The Airstream Store

The new travel trailer is described by Airstream’s Correspondent as “your beach-house-on-the-go,” fully equipped with a dinette, wood blinds, floral accents, and more.

Keystone announced the manufacturing of the 100,000th Montana Fiver

Image: RV News

After finishing assembly in late July, the 100,000th Keystone Montana fifth wheel was successfully delivered to Texas’ Holiday World of Alvarado. First produced in 1998, Keystone reps attribute the model’s success largely to progressively innovative designs over the past 20 years.

RV Sales Explained as a Key Metric for Assessing Economy

According to an economics feature by The Washington Post, luxury goods purchases are a go-to indicator of the health of our nation’s economy - and the boom in RV sales has been deemed a ‘key metric’ for fiscal stability in the United States.

Airstream “B” Line Earned Certified Green Status

The company’s Class B plant reuses or recycles more than half of its manufacturing waste, and most of the wood used is SFI-certified to promote forest sustainability. The Class B’s are energy- and water-efficient, and join the brand’s “Silver Bullet” as certified TRA Green units.

RVIA Introduced 40 under 40 awards program

The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association has announced a new awards program, which will recognize current and future industry leaders under the age of 40. Nominations are open, and can now be submitted via RVIAShow.org.

AAA noted that gasoline prices nationwide are continuing to hold steady

Despite what’s been seen as low recent demand, the American Automobile Association has stated that gas prices continue to remain stable - a likewise positive sign for the RV world.

CNN explained that technology - along with younger RVers - were helping drive sales 

In recent reports, CNN described RV sales as hitting never-before-seen highs, and attributed these industry successes to a ‘flood’ of new technology, as well as increased millennial interest in long-distance, residential travel.

RV Trader introduced their unprecedented Price Analysis Tool

We of course couldn’t go without mentioning that our RV Trader product development experts have successfully created an easy-to-use tool that will give dealers unprecedented access to cross-market pricing patterns, as well as help businesses determine what an ideal price looks like for a specific unit of certain make, model, and year.

Nearly 1.5k Coachmen RVs were recalled due to wiring issue

The National Highway Safety Association (NHTSA) announced that 1,455 Coachmen Cross Country and Encounters from the 2014-2015 manufacturing year were being recalled due to the presence of exposed wire ends.

Airstream showcased a sneak peek of the new Nest Trailer

Image: Casper Star Tribune

In mid-July, Airstream introduced their new “Nest” model, designed with minimalist taste and measuring in at only 16 feet. The simple new unit is estimated to be vastly popular among the growing ‘simple life’ RV crowd, and is predicted to do extremely well once sales begin.

CNN: RVs "Back and Bigger than Ever"

A recent article from CNN explained the currently “booming" condition of the "old school" RV industry. The article explains that two core trends are impacting the industry for the better: RV sales are skyrocketing, and the primary age range of buyers seems to be getting younger.

According to RVIA, approximately 430,000 RVs of various makes and models were sold in 2016, representing a yearly increase of a whopping 15%. This rise in revenue has been consistent over the past 7 or so years, increasing significantly each year since 2009.

What other factors could be driving these patterns? According to CNN, new technology developments (i.e., smartphones) are actually driving younger generations like millennials to be one of the core RV consumer groups. With RVIA explaining that more than 50% of RV buyers are under age 45 now, many new units aim to showcase themselves as highly affordable for first-time buyers.

Take a look at this insightful article - CNN phrases RVs as being "back and bigger than ever," but comment and let us know...do you think they ever left?

Ghost Customers: What exactly are they... and why should you be aware of them?

You may have heard the term “ghost customers” before, but what exactly does this term mean? To put it simply, a ghost customer is equivalent to a ‘mystery shopper’. These hired, anonymous shoppers essentially visit businesses (both in person and online), acting like interested customers, who then report back with ratings of customer service and experiences with the business. In order to properly judge their thoughts on a company’s customer service, they often frequent the store, visiting a business multiple times. These ghost customers are used in nearly every marketplace — the question is, are they present in the RV industry?

The answer is, without a doubt, yes. A growing company, Pied Piper uses a unique and patented process to evaluate a business’ prospect satisfaction, and has focused many of their studies on the automobile, powersports, and RV industries. Industry-leading publications like RV Business have featured the company in their publications, explaining the business’ goal of conducting long-term studies using thousands of mystery shoppers. Their strategy analyzes countless dealerships across the U.S., looking especially closely at these ghost shoppers’ customer service experiences.

Pied Piper’s president and CEO, Fran O’Hagan, warns that online customer service is becoming more and more important in motorized vehicle industries. According to O’Hagan, since the majority of buyers’ research and information gathering happens online, the number of visits a customer makes to a dealership before making a purchase is dropping nearly twofold. Recently, the majority of studies have found that an average of 4+ visits before a purchase has dropped to 2 or less in 2017. O’Hagan went on to explain that the most successful dealerships combine a number of customer service approaches, but all tend to respond relatively quickly to customer inquiries that come through various online portals. Examples of some of these portals may include a dealer’s website, social media profiles, or RV Trader listings.

What’s the point?

At the end of the day, two things are important to remember. First, since ghost and mystery shoppers are just that - a mystery - they are virtually impossible to target, and you can pretty much say goodbye to trying to figure out who they are. Our advice? Treat every single customer like they are a ghost shopper sent by satisfaction ranking companies, and give them your all when it comes to service and commitment to quality. This may seem like common sense, but rather than reminding yourself to “do the best you can” every day, approach each customer like they are the ones who are going to determine your ultimate customer ranking for this year.

Second, but just as important, is to remember to give as much attention to your customer service online as you do to those people who walk through the doors of your dealership each day. You wouldn’t wait hours or days to respond to an inquiry from a potential buyer on the phone, or in person, so why would you do that to prospects online? Check your TraderTraxx platform daily, and make it a habit to field questions and answer inquiries. Check-in with your social media platforms as often as you can, as many buyers can and will find you through shared listings and posts by friends.

Above all, though the idea behind ghost customers can be intimidating, don’t let their presence make you uneasy. These essential and helpful customer service ‘surveyors’ can help keep your business and staff on its toes, hopefully ending in even better customer service each day than the day before.

Prepping for the Mobile-First Market

Mobile devices have changed how we use
the Internet and Google has taken notice

Google is - without question - the world's largest search engine. They process 77% of the world’s search traffic1  — 63% of U.S. search traffic1  — and lately, they’ve seen a major trend that will massively change how they rank your site in search results.

Google’s business model is dependent on guiding searchers to the most relevant and helpful results — better than any other search engine. To do this, they use special algorithms — groups of questions and statistics — to evaluate a page based on a number of factors such as page load time, keywords, and user engagement rates. If a user has a bad experience with a page that Google directed them to, they will ‘bounce’ off the page and look elsewhere. That’s bad for Google, and if it is your site, it's bad for you. That's one customer you can assume won't be coming back, parituclarly because 61% of consumers say they are unlikely to return to a site that they had difficulty using.2

Where Does Mobile Come In?

In recent years, Google has seen the number of mobile visitors overtake the number coming from desktop computers. As visitors become more connected to their mobile devices, they search more often while they’re out and about - and less while tied to their desks. This has raised a big problem for Google.

Websites built for traditional desktop users — or websites that were hastily converted to be ‘mobile-friendly’ at the cost of losing content  — do not provide a good experience for mobile searchers. Mobile searchers are clicking through links on Google and then becoming frustrated by pages that don’t display well, don’t contain the information promised, or flat out don’t work on mobile devices. Google's current algorithms don't currently take mobile friendliness into account. Rankings are based on the factors traditionally used to evaluate desktop websites. That’s all about to change.

The Solution? Mobile-First Indexing.

In order to ensure that users are getting the content they were promised, Google began to experiment with new algorithms that look at the content and experience in mobile websites before looking at the desktop experience. Websites with mobile content relevant to the users' search term will be ranked first and then desktop content will fall second. Now, once the algorithm is dialed in, users will be less likely to become frustrated by missing or irrelevant content when they are browsing on a mobile device. Less frustration for users means more trust for Google and more user engagement on your site.

What Does this Mean for You?

Google’s Mobile-First Indexing changes, — once fully implemented — will be a boost for you if you already have a mobile-friendly website. Sites like RV Trader are built to maximize usability on whatever device a user is on. This means your listings are optimized for mobile users and will adjust based on the device being used to search. Your listings will get ranked higher on Google than competitors' without a mobile presence — or with poorly designed mobile experiences.

If your page isn’t responsive — or you are missing content in your mobile site — your listings will become much harder to find on Google (even if the majority of your users are browsing from the desktop). While search engine optimization and targeted search engine marketing services — such as those offered by RV Trader — can help keep you from falling off completely, your site will ultimately rank behind similar content from competitors with mobile-friendly sites. Mobile optimization is imperative.

What can you do?

Google is looking to release Mobile-First Indexing sometime this year. Though they haven't released a specific timeline, rumor has it changes are coming as of July 1, 2017, but we now know changes won’t take effect until 2018. From Google’s advice, the number one way to prepare is to take the time to ensure the content you want to rank highest exists on your mobile site and is easy to use. Fortunately, by listing your inventory with RV Trader, your content is shown on the leading responsive web platform and is available to 2.25 million monthly unique visitors.3 Your inventory listings will rank higher in Google search results than competitors not following the algorithm set forth by Google  — and that means you’ll be moving more inventory quicker.

While RV Trader will do much of the leg work for you regarding listings, your dealership website is still extremely important. Your website serves as an extension of your dealership — if your website is a mess, a potential buyer can assume that your physical location (and customer service) is too. Ensure that you are working with a website provider that will build your website from the ground up to be mobile-friendly and compatible with Google’s big changes. Remember, 61% of consumers are unlikely to return to a site that they had difficulty using.2 Don’t let your dealership’s site — and inventory —become part of that statistic.

1www.smartinsights.com, 2017.

2 Google Surveys, 2016.

3 Omniture, 2017.

Connecting with Customers Redefined

The Internet has changed how buyers shop, providing them with more information when and where they want it.  In the past, consumers relied heavily on dealerships to help them determine what RV best fit their lifestyle and budget. Now, 86% of consumers research online before making a major offline purchase decision and rely on over 18 different sources to find their perfect unit.1

Armed with nearly all the information they need to make a decision before ever contacting you, today’s consumers are well researched and arrive on your lot further down their path to purchase. So, how do you know if a consumer is interested in your dealership if they aren’t walking through the front door?

They connect with you in other ways — like texting, emailing or mapping to your dealership. It’s hard to adjust to being looped into the purchase so late in the game, but this is the new reality of the ever-evolving, digitally engaged consumer. We have  to think differently about our online presence and know how easy it is for consumers to connect with, even if you don’t know they’re there.

The Future of Digital Marketing is Not a One-Size-Fits-All Strategy

There are so many ways to advertise your dealership in today's digitally-driven marketplace. So, how do you decide what will work best? Should you lead with a social-first strategy, invest all your money in Google Adwords or focus on a tried-and-true traditional media campaign?

And the answer is (albeit potentially expensive), a little bit of everything. A well fleshed out digital marketing strategy is made up of a mixture of these things, simply because consumers have come to expect it. They rely on a  variety of resources when searching for an RV — wanting to hear thoughts from friends and family, see what Google reviews have to say and checking out the best pictures of a unit to truly get a feel for a particular unit.

Managing their increased expectations and getting in front of them early and often isn’t something you have to do alone. OEMs have always supported their dealer networks in a variety of ways to drive more sales and grow market share. And now, more than ever, it is critical for OEMs to expose their brand and products to consumers in the digital world. Manufacturer websites have aligned their marketing to better feature their products and educate potential customers on their brands. Social, mobile and digital media strategies need to synchronize efforts to reach new prospects and continuously engage existing customers.

This is a lot to think about, but the biggest thing to take away is that you should try to put your dealership and the brands you carry in front of the consumer in as many ways as possible. You want them to run across your dealership regularly, so that when they are ready to purchase, your brand and your inventory are both top of mind (whether consciously or subconsciously). So immerse yourself and your brand in the digital marketplace — guaranteeing a consumer knows who you are and what you offer.

RV Industry News: Recent Highlights

Check out these top highlights from the latest RV industry news!

 

• RV Trader, Jellystone and National Wildlife Federation Will Give Away 2018 Bullet Colt RV during Great American Campout 

• Pledge to camp with the Great American Campout this year and you’ll be entered to win one of Keystone’s newest 2018 models. 

• Cruise Inn RV Park System Abruptly Ends Operations

• After a series of ups and downs, the organization made the announcement that it will be closing its doors permanently. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story. 

• First Comprehensive RV Video Library Launches

• The compilation of 1-3 minute videos showcases new model layouts and floorplans, and is designed specifically to keep an interested user on an RV dealer's website for a long enough period of time that it motivates them to take their first (or next) step in the buying process. 

• RVIA Announces RV Shipments at Record Level

• This year’s shipments have reached over 472,000, a nearly 10% increase since 2016, and the highest ever since analysis of these numbers began. 

• RVAA Executive Conference product showcase applications Deadline Approaching

• The RVAA Marketing Committee noted that there’s still time to apply for this showcase in August, with a final deadline on Monday, June 26th. 

• Exhibit Booths for RVDA Convention Limited for 2017

• As of the first week of the month, there were only 22 spots left at this leading industry convention, set to be held in early November. If you haven’t signed up, check for availability as soon as possible for the chance to secure a space! 

• June Proclaimed “Great Outdoors Month” by President Trump

• This is the 15th time in history that a president has formally proclaimed the importance of “The Great Outdoors.” 

• RVIA Publishes First Annual Report

• The 2016 report includes industry highlights, wins on Capitol Hill, educational updates, shipping trends, and more. 

• Escapees RV Celebrates the Life of Kay Peterson

• The committed and active co-founder of Escapees RV Club has reportedly passed away at the age of 90 years old. 

Image: RV Daily News

• Latest RV Recall List Released by National Highway Safety Association

• NHTSA has released the most recent list of RV recalls, including models from Forest River, VanLeigh, and Daimler Vans. 

• Book on RV Evolution to be Released by Famed RV Historian

• The book will tell the story of the evolution of the RV industry in the state of Indiana - the “RV Capital of the World.” 

• Construction Plans Initiated for $3.5M Indiana RV Storage Facility

• The nearly 130,000 square foot Guardian RV Storage Facility is set to open in late October in Greenfield, IN.
  

Image: Inside Indiana News

• House of Representatives Officially Passes CHOICE Act on Indirect Vehicle Financing

• The act will ease restrictions on dealer’s ability to offer financing options for RV customers. 

• Actress Jennie Garth Joins Go RVing Campaign

• The actress has agreed to join RVIA and RVDA’s Go RVing campaign after being a long-time RVer herself. 

• RVillage Connects Dealerships with Active RVers

• Noted as an ‘RVer-centric social network,’ RVillage hopes to serve as a connecting force between active member RVers and dealerships across the country. 

                                                                                       Image: RV Business