Any good NZ Motorcycle Web Sites? [Archive]

skid

30th May 2006, 13:31

Welcome to the site Skid!

How about these ones........

http://www.tssmotorcycles.co.nz/
http://www.motorcycle.co.nz/
http://www.motomart.co.nz/
http://www.motorcycletrader.co.nz/
Thanks,

I am putting a quote together to build a website for a bike shop and was wondering what riders thought was the best bike shop offering at this time?

James Deuce

30th May 2006, 14:18

http://www.motomail.co.nz/

Sniper

30th May 2006, 14:21

www.kiwibiker.co.nz to state the obvious

Big Dave

30th May 2006, 14:23

http://www.motomail.co.nz/

and they are about to go live with the online shop too! should be huge.

John Banks

30th May 2006, 15:05

www.kiwibiker.co.nz to state the obvious
Excellent bike shop that one?

scracha

30th May 2006, 18:23

http://www.motomail.co.nz/

That's not a website....it's just a piece of flash, can't be seen at all by search engine spiders and is full of ghastly PDF's. Punters want CMS these days too.

James Deuce

30th May 2006, 18:31

Sigh. Scracha, you may want to read Big Dave's post.

There are NO "good" NZ motorcycle shop websites. Motomail promises to be the first WHEN the online shop starts up, and it is just round the corner.

mdb

30th May 2006, 21:00

I haven't found any good motorbike websites for NZ other than this (which is more of an online community). I don't think any of the bike sites are any good but I suppose it depends on what you want from it!

imdying

30th May 2006, 21:19

There are NO "good" NZ motorcycle shop websites. Motomail promises to be the first WHEN the online shop starts up, and it is just round the corner.
Agreed, and it's so easy there's really little excuse.

Madmax

30th May 2006, 23:30

you mean there are some good ones :innocent:

Indiana_Jones

30th May 2006, 23:35

KB is the only site!

A non-believer! GET HIM! :D

-Indy

Big Dave

30th May 2006, 23:57

That's not a website....it's just a piece of flash, can't be seen at all by search engine spiders and is full of ghastly PDF's. Punters want CMS these days too.

Not suprisingly - me and the figures disagree with ya.
The brief for the front end was entertainment and branding. Both of which it does as well as any site i've seen - or built.

The meta tags and text are all on the shop site which has a different url.
Days away if all goes to plan.

skid

31st May 2006, 09:46

I don't think any of the bike sites are any good but I suppose it depends on what you want from it!

And I think that is the million dollar question. What do bikers want from a bike shop site?

R6_kid

31st May 2006, 11:20

cheap good quality gear and free porn :nya:

Drum

31st May 2006, 11:33

Pictures, prices, ability to buy online..............

Another thread has already been run on this topic I think......anyone?

scracha

31st May 2006, 11:51

Not suprisingly - me and the figures disagree with ya.
The brief for the front end was entertainment and branding. Both of which it does as well as any site i've seen - or built.

The meta tags and text are all on the shop site which has a different url.
Days away if all goes to plan.
As long as the new site doesn't DEPEND on flash then I await with baited breath :yes:

Big Dave

31st May 2006, 12:11

As long as the new site doesn't DEPEND on flash then I await with baited breath :yes:

It won't have any unless I have my way.
But you've only seen the front end yet.
And yes it's not right for the shop - unless to display images or movies of images.

I luff flash in the right spots. Many times more people get a feel good from matey (it's chris btw - if you click on him it opens a pic) wheelstanding across the bottom of their screen than those that are concered with what software had been implemented to make it happen.

It's ASP and cold fusion that blow arse.:nya:

pzkpfw

31st May 2006, 13:04

I am putting a quote together to build a website for a bike shop...

Make sure you convince them to pay you to make it easily updatable; and tell them it's important to actually DO it.

e.g. check out http://www.sawyers.co.nz for the "New Hondas (Summer is coming specials)" link on the home page.

(Great shop, bought my bike there, VERY happy; just commenting on the web site. Lots of other sites are like that.)

Cheers,

Hitcher

31st May 2006, 13:15

"Best" sites is a big ask, as almost all motorcycle retails sites are disturbingly average. Some of the organisations who should be able to afford decent sites choose to underinvest -- notably Yamaha (the absolute worst) and Bluewing Honda.

On the Yamaha site you can't even find the RRP for a bike you're interested in. The "price this bike" option takes you to your nearest dealer, who you then have to phone during office hours! The genius who thought of this facility should be sacked for incompetence, particularly considering you can get new bike prices (including Yamahas) online through www.bikepoint.co.nz.

And Honda's site is also shameful -- all sorts of crap and old stuff about motorsport events involving Honda riders -- but incomplete photo galleries or photos of model variants/colours that aren't even sold in New Zealand.

Suzuki -- Also pretty poxy. Kawasaki has recently upgraded theirs and it's a lot better than previously.

Big Dave

31st May 2006, 13:25

"Best" sites is a big ask, as almost all motorcycle retails sites are disturbingly average. Some of the organisations who should be able to afford decent sites choose to underinvest

There is still a general belief that new motorcycles are sold on the showroom floor - and that's where they invest what little marketing budgets they have.

I have been trying to sell banner advertising for 5 years and have one sale.

Show me the return on investment they say. The factory already does the hard yards. We only need a portal to that work.

That is the concept behind www.amps.co.nz too. Although Ray is switched on enough to have a staff member being trained up to continue web development currently.

Hitcher

31st May 2006, 13:58

There is still a general belief that new motorcycles are sold on the showroom floor - and that's where they invest what little marketing budgets they have.
I wonder where such organisations hire their "marketing" people. And then they wonder why they don't sell more bikes. Tragic.

XP@

31st May 2006, 15:35

Site should be fast, neat, clean XHTML and surfable from my phone.

It should also have something to keep me coming back to the site. But i do need a reason to put it my bookmarks. Or be reminded, not annoyed, by email.

If you want the best bike shop in NZ, then buy www.kiwibiker.co.nz from it's current owner, leave the forum stuff exactly as it is, adding only a professional internet based shop in to the site and a good CMS.
Then pay someone full time to manage the admin, shop and content for the site.

skid

31st May 2006, 16:05

Welcome to the site Skid!

How about these ones........

http://www.tssmotorcycles.co.nz/
http://www.motorcycle.co.nz/
http://www.motomart.co.nz/
http://www.motorcycletrader.co.nz/

Of these suggestions which do you think are good or Kack? I thought motorcycletrader slow and awkward, but good as it had the info...

spudchucka

31st May 2006, 16:09

I've only had a couple of looks and haven't purchased anything yet but I have found http://www.dirtbike.co.nz/ to be a reasonably good web site.

SpankMe

31st May 2006, 16:24

http://www.kiwimotorcycle.co.nz/ It also has forums and there are a few others listed in the bike links (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/local_links.php?catid=3).

Quasievil

31st May 2006, 17:42

Im so hurt...

Big Dave

31st May 2006, 17:53

I wonder where such organisations hire their "marketing" people. And then they wonder why they don't sell more bikes. Tragic.

They don't have marketing people - the products only have enough margin to support a staff of enthusiasts - pretty much all of whom could be making more money elsewhere, and a few tradesman in the workshop - and fark call else.

I still don't think the return on investment is there for a retailer yet - time will come, but for high end product, the test ride is where the purchasing decision is still made.

A salesman in your face is still the most efficient way for the retailer - only a small % are as online geeky as us in here.

There are still tons of people who don't or won't purchase anything online - I'm one of them.

Ixion

31st May 2006, 17:57

,,
A salesman in your face is still the most efficient way for the retailer - only a small % are as online geeky as us in here.

,,

Gotta get the punter in front of the salesman, first, though but. *that's* the hard bit. And the bit where most bike shops are crap. I imagine it's cos there's so few of them . In many towns there's only one - so they can take a "who cares, where else you gonna go?" attitude.

Hitcher

31st May 2006, 18:28

There are still tons of people who don't or won't purchase anything online - I'm one of them.
There are whole host of items where people won't purchase online but do all their research online. I suspect motorcycles are no exception. Such prospective purchasers are being sadly neglected.

And I would be most disappointed to learn that the so-called New Zealand master agents for the major motorcycle brands were just a bunch of enthusiasts with a handful of hoodies in the workshop out the back. Please tell me it's not true! If these significant franchises are dished out on this basis, I would be sorely tempted to assemble a consortium to bid for one (not fussed which) and show the others how to really get new bikes on the road (and trails, and trials, and track). I'm serious.

Quasievil

31st May 2006, 18:37

There are whole host of items where people won't purchase online but do all their research online. I suspect motorcycles are no exception. Such prospective purchasers are being sadly neglected.

And I would be most disappointed to learn that the so-called New Zealand master agents for the major motorcycle brands were just a bunch of enthusiasts with a handful of hoodies in the workshop out the back. Please tell me it's not true! If these significant franchises are dished out on this basis, I would be sorely tempted to assemble a consortium to bid for one (not fussed which) and show the others how to really get new bikes on the road (and trails, and trials, and track). I'm serious.

Rest Easy Hitcher, most big name brands are all hooked up with reputable business, I used to be marketing manager for Nationwide Accessories years ago, we had AGV, Pirelli amongst heaps of others, most other big brands are hooked in with Forbes and Davies or Drabis or someone else, we have a huge number of wholesalers in the NZ market representing hundreds of brands, unfortunetly though the NZ market is small and they fight like dogs for share.
In saying all that they are still keeping alot of Margins high!!!

roogazza

31st May 2006, 18:56

http://www.kiwimotorcycle.co.nz/ It also has forums and there are a few others listed in the bike links (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/local_links.php?catid=3).

That poor girl in your avatar has out grown her shirt !!!!!!!!! G.:blip:

oops ! sorry , couldn't resist !!

Big Dave

31st May 2006, 19:12

I suspect motorcycles are no exception. Such prospective purchasers are being sadly neglected.

Where? - All of the maufacturers have trick sites - what is the benefit in reproducing it all locally just to have .co.nz at the end of the url?

And I would be most disappointed to learn that the so-called New Zealand master agents for the major motorcycle brands were just a bunch of enthusiasts with a handful of hoodies in the workshop out the back.

OK - i'm talking retail and you are wholesale. Don't get into a motorcycle business for the profits - bikes and lifestyle are what it's about.
I get 50% more doing my thing for non bike business customers.

Please tell me it's not true! If these significant franchises are dished out on this basis, I would be sorely tempted to assemble a consortium to bid for one (not fussed which) and show the others how to really get new bikes on the road (and trails, and trials, and track). I'm serious.

Go for it.

But do the numbers thoroughly - it's a tight old game - and even if you have the 'everything' in place perfectly - given them all the info, the site, the red carpet and baked them dinner - they'll still buy it from joe bloggs down the road because he was a grand cheaper on his demo clearance.

Ixion

31st May 2006, 20:13

Where? - All of the maufacturers have trick sites - what is the benefit in reproducing it all locally just to have .co.nz at the end of the url?

,,.

The benefit is that the viewer knows that particular model is indeed available in this country. The manufacturers' web sites seldom detail which models are available in which market, nor the specifications thereof. And of course, the viewer also wants to know the PRICE in New Zealand. And the colour choices.By all means link to the manufacturers website for "further information".But be a bit more proactive than (for example) Red Baron whose web site is essentially just a bunch of links

Look at it this way.

Suppose you could send out a multi page, full colour brochure to every household in the country. A fresh one very day. For a fraction of a cent per copy. Delivered. And obtain reliable feedback on how many people actually read the brochure

Sounds like a marketers dream, eh?

scracha

31st May 2006, 21:27

I luff flash in the right spots. Many times more people get a feel good from matey (it's chris btw - if you click on him it opens a pic) wheelstanding across the bottom of their screen than those that are concered with what software had been implemented to make it happen.

It's ASP and cold fusion that blow arse.:nya:
Definately agree about the flash. I don't mind flash animations, I just hate sites that don't function at all if you turn off flash. Cold fusion...I'd love to learn that (so much to learn, so little time, so little pay in programming these days <g>).

Big Dave

1st June 2006, 10:49

The benefit is that the viewer knows that particular model is indeed available in this country. The manufacturers' web sites seldom detail which models are available in which market, nor the specifications thereof. And of course, the viewer also wants to know the PRICE in New Zealand. And the colour choices.By all means link to the manufacturers website for "further information".But be a bit more proactive than (for example) Red Baron whose web site is essentially just a bunch of links

Look at it this way.

Suppose you could send out a multi page, full colour brochure to every household in the country. A fresh one very day. For a fraction of a cent per copy. Delivered. And obtain reliable feedback on how many people actually read the brochure

Sounds like a marketers dream, eh?

Only when the cost of implementation is surpasssed by increased sales revenue.
There are many times more examples of this not being the case than there are success stories.

Also - If you give the customer complete and comprehensive information and dot every i and cross every online t - you somewhat negate the need for them to talk to a salesman (which is the optimum result) - until they find some incomplete data elsewhere and they ring that dealer to find out. Sale lost because he'll invite them to come in face to face and probably sign them up.

Rightsizing is the trick obviously.

And I'm talking new bikes - not gear.

Lou Girardin

1st June 2006, 11:57

I won't buy online if I can avoid it. And I won't buy o'seas, unless I can't get the item I want here.
I want to look at and touch stuff, up close and personal. I prefer talking to humans too. It's easier to negotiate while you're looking into their beady eyes.
I think the internet is useful for porn and writing bullshit on forums, at a stretch, doing some research.

Hitcher

1st June 2006, 13:16

Big Dave

1st June 2006, 13:50

SpankMe

5th September 2006, 13:21

http://www.motorcyclingnz.co.nz
http://sportsbike.co.nz
http://www.nzsbf.co.nz
http://www.amcc.org.nz

These site owners should add their sites to the bike links page (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/local_links.php?).

Big Dave

5th September 2006, 16:07

So to summarise so far: New Zealand "motorcycle" web sites are crap. But that's OK, because the businesses who put them up really can't afford to and don't expect to sell anything as a consequence because people make their buying decisions in store and some other shop down the road will always be having a fire sale.

Interesting to revisit this thread after the developments of the past qtr.

This is what i would like to see more of:
http://www.motomail.co.nz/motomovies/movie1.html
(broadband only and needs quicktime)
This starts to stand a better chance of selling apparrell than a picture and a price.
This Video was an off-the-cuff trial to see if it would all work and Chris and Mick will pick some of their faves to tell about and i'll get the sound better.

Nice jacket it is too.