Introduction
There are many ways for a firm to establish strong connections with its clients and achieve increased performance and growing income. One such approach that some companies sometimes underestimate is online presence. According to Paun (2020), a strong digital activity generates customer engagement and awareness, increases sales, supports brand image, and leads to many other advantages.
Caterpillar Inc. is one of the world’s largest and most famous construction machinery and equipment companies and has its own official website. It produces, designs, and markets financial and machinery products, “helping customers build a better, more sustainable world” (“About Caterpillar,” 2023, para. 1). The firm’s website is quite effective, accessible, and informative, so it might be beneficial to conduct a thorough analysis of Caterpillar’s digital marketing online presence and try to offer updates to its media platform.
Assumed Target Market
To begin with, it is essential to discuss the website’s target audience and determine whether the latter meets its needs and interests. Since Caterpillar is a construction machinery and equipment firm, its website attracts various construction firms seeking to improve and upgrade their equipment, purchase better options, or get the best maintenance and repair parts. Moreover, the website is helpful for those willing to receive training and education services from Caterpillar’s brands, including Cat (“Cat,” 2023). The webpage also meets the needs of individuals and organizations that review the option of collaborating with Caterpillar. Overall, it resonates with the assumed target market as all the required information is available, the website’s design is concise yet attractive, and it can become beneficial with certain upgrades.
Website Evaluation
The company’s website is functional, easily navigated, and accessible. Caterpillar uses certain keywords, such as “brands,” “sustainability,” “career,” “locations,” and others, to allow the webpage visitor to find the information they need (“About Caterpillar,” 2023). The home page is bright and draws attention with its great pictures, while the whole website follows the same color scheme, making it comfortable for the clients. Web links are integrated into texts, so one can click on a certain word and be redirected to a relevant page.
The website structure is divided into areas that meet different needs, including information for investors, applicants, buyers, and ordinary visitors who wish to read the latest news. At the same time, the structure is slightly complicated regarding purchasing options, but this issue may be attributed to the firm’s specialization and the fact that several other brands represent it. Thus, when trying to make a purchase using the webpage, one needs to click “Products & Services,” then get acquainted with all the represented brands, select the required one, read information about it, and be redirected to this brand’s online platform (“Caterpillar Brands,” 2023). This lengthy process is made even more difficult once the brand’s webpage is reached. This feature makes evaluating Caterpillar’s shopping cart structure and product descriptions impossible due to their lack on the primary website.
Next, referring to online support, it is not easy to find this option. One needs to scroll to the bottom, click a small “Contact” button, and fill out an extended form with one’s contact details to later receive an answer to the question (“Contact Us,” 2023). Therefore, no online chat is available on the website, but an FAQs section is hidden in the News area. When accessing the Social Media section, one can only see pictures with no titles or descriptions, which might be confusing (“Social Media,” 2023). Lastly, the website does not contain any banner ads or pop-ups, which makes the whole experience quite comfortable.
Recommended Website Updates
Certain recommendations can improve the web page’s accessibility and effectiveness, enhancing customer experiences. For example, all pictures should be accompanied by common or individual descriptions. Online support should be offered to visitors, and even if its working hours are limited, it can solve many simple issues, help clients make decisions, and find the required information. Furthermore, shopping must become easier, with fewer steps and redirections to other websites. This will leverage customer experience and increase online sales.
Another recommendation concerns the mobile version of the website. When viewing various brands representing the company or choosing a specific product offered by Cat, scrolling is not smooth or stable, and the information and pictures jump on the screen. Registration is also problematic when using the mobile version because some fields that must be filled are covered by other fields or instructions, making it impossible to type one’s name or phone number and complete the process. Therefore, the company needs to work better on the mobile version of the website, making its operations smoother.
Proposed Key Performance Indicators and Metrics
To evaluate the proposed updates and determine whether they led to significant performance enhancements, it is essential to introduce several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). They will be measured five months before the improvement implementation and then during and after the upgrading process. Such data will allow us to compare whether the new version of Caterpillar’s online presence is better.
Firstly, the company needs to gather customer feedback, which will be the primary KPI. Further, daily website visits on weekdays and weekends should also be measured. Suppose newer sections are added to the website. In that case, statistics of the total clicks and redirections are required to understand whether clients are interested.
Additionally, daily online support messaging has to be evaluated, as this will determine the general need for this option, its helpfulness, and effectiveness. Eventually, metrics like website failures, systemic performance, and others can indicate the added load on the system with the introduction of the updates, and see whether it is extreme or acceptable.
Conclusion
To conclude, Caterpillar’s website is an example of an effective and beneficial digital presence that still requires upgrades to improve customer satisfaction. A strong online presence has numerous advantages, and the key is a secure brand image, higher sales, and better client-provider connection. Caterpillar’s webpage has almost all the required information, is beautifully designed, uses a convenient structure, and offers a good balance between text and pictures.
However, it lacks online support, and some sections do not offer substantial information. Additionally, the mobile version is relatively weak, which results in a poor customer experience. Evaluating these KPIs before and after the implementation of recommendations can help evaluate their effectiveness.
References
About Caterpillar. (2023). Caterpillar. Web.
Cat. (2023). Caterpillar. Web.
Caterpillar brands. (2023). Caterpillar. Web.
Contact us. (2023). Caterpillar. Web.
Paun, G. (2020). Building a brand: Why a strong digital presence matters. Forbes. Web.
Social media. (2023). Caterpillar. Web.