Monterey, Calif. - Harley-Davidson dealerships ranked highest in the 2020 Pied Piper PSI Internet Lead Effectiveness (ILE) Industry Study, which answers the question, "What happens when motorcycle or UTV customers visit a dealer website and inquire about a vehicle?" Dealerships selling Indian motorcycles were ranked second.
The study was completed before the appearance of the coronavirus pandemic, but in the aftermath of the pandemic dealer response to website customers has become even more critical. A recent Wall Street Journal article noted, "The new coronavirus pandemic is deepening a national digital divide, amplifying gains for businesses that cater to customers online, while businesses reliant on more traditional models fight for survival."
The study found widespread industrywide improvement from 2019 to 2020, with the industry average ILE score increasing from 33 to 42. Brands which led the industry in improvement over the past year were Indian, Harley-Davidson, Polaris and Yamaha. Only three of thirty-three brands failed to increase their score from 2019: Club Car (Ingersoll Rand), Cub Cadet (MTD Products) and Arctic Cat (Textron).