Stapleton’s releases new TyreSurf e-commerce system

After years in the making, Stapleton’s is releasing TyreSurf – an e-commerce system designed to help tyre retailers boost profits – on a widespread basis. In short, TyreSurf acts as the retailer’s own bespoke branded, website specially created, maintained, and linked into Stapleton’s. Stapleton’s sees the latest development as “almost certainly the company’s greatest e-commerce innovation since the introduction of ProfitLink at the turn of the millennium”.

ProfitLink was always a major innovation as it providing retailers instant, 24/7 access to Stapleton’s in order to monitor stock availability, product information, check pricing and place orders. However, while that system focused on B2B connections, TyreSurf helps customers establish their own B2C connection while being “literally synced into the heart of the Stapleton’s operation”.

The idea is that by placing everything Stapleton’s has to offer right in the motorist’s hands – on their PC, their tablet or smartphone – TyreSurf cuts out almost all the admin and delivers a powerful selling platform, providing a business presence even after the shop doors have closed, delivering more sales seven days a week.

“This really is exciting stuff” says Stapleton’s wholesale director, Nigel O’Hara. “There’s been a shift in consumer buying habits, whereby, the internet has become the natural place to gather information and evaluate our choices of products before making our purchase decision. Our research has shown 43 per cent of online tyre searches are conducted outside of normal working hours – between 7pm and 8am. And the chances are, if your current website doesn’t let potential customers click through to buy instantly, you run the risk of losing them. TyreSurf means our retail partners are open for business all the time. It’s incredibly easy to use and, with a hassle free sign-up process with no up-front costs, it’s a pretty much effortless way for the retailer to capture more sales.”

Because it has been developed specifically for the motor industry by a team with a wealth of experience of selling online in general and in the tyre industry in particular, TyreSurf makes it amazingly easy for consumers to search, book and pay for their tyres. They simply enter their vehicle registration and TyreSurf does the rest – suggesting an array of brands and tyre patterns from the available manufacturers, it can also help to promote a preferred brand, elevating it to the top of returned searches. And since they’ve already bought the tyres when they book their fitting, retailers can wave goodbye to stock issues and wasted fitting appointments too.

With this in mind, TyreSurf is pitched as “an immensely powerful marketing tool with options to tailor the template with branding, pictures, services and special offers”. Importantly, Google ‘local’ set-up is part of the package so you can be sure whenever anyone searches for tyres in your area your name will be visible for all to see.

“TyreSurf is the product of an extraordinary meeting of minds between some of the tyre industry’s most experienced people and our web development team to ensure it meets the specific needs of the tyre retailer,” says O’Hara. “Equally importantly, we were determined that it worked as efficiently on a smartphone as on a PC or tablet. This is crucial because research tells us this year smartphones are expected to account for 83 per cent of all UK internet usage. Clearly if your website’s not optimised for mobile use you’re going to alienate a large amount of potential customers. By contrast, TyreSurf is quick, easy and efficient to use on any device out there, we’re convinced it’s the future for tyre retail – all you have to do is sign up, sit back and sell more”.