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RV Central in Sheldon Has a Web Page Because It Makes Sense To Stan
by Tomas Erdman tomas@tscc.com
Stan Vander Plaats owns RV Central in Sheldon, Iowa. Stan says "I HATE ADVERTISING, but I LOVE to sell RVs. As a matter of fact, over the last 10 years RV Central has grown to become the Number One Excell Fifth Wheel Trailer dealer in the whole USA. We did it by having low prices, top notch service, giving the customers what THEY want and yes, doing advertising. But remember I HATE ADVERTISING."

We asked Stan why he hates advertising? "I HATE advertising because it is like a big hole you can pour money into and never know exactly what is coming out. We try to ask all our customers where they heard about us, but it is hard for a business like mine to really figure it out for sure. The best we can do is try to spot the trends and keep doing what seems to work. One of the things that works for us is to be at the shows and fairs, like the Clay County Fair in Spencer. We always do a lot of business there. We also have been advertising in the Car & Truck Trader for a long time now and THAT works well for us. It gives RV Central a regional exposure, and you'd be surprised how many people will drive 200, 300 or 500 miles to save $2,000 $3,000 or $5,000. The Internet thing they do was not that important to us because we don't have the Internet here in the shop. It may sound strange but I was going to update our old computers in late 1998 but all the talk of Y2K stuff made me decide to wait and see what happens. After the first of the year then we'll get serious about new computers and the Internet."

So Stan, How is it you even have a web page? "I guess it just happened because it made sense to me. Here we have this FREE Internet listing from Trader because we buy display ads from them. I know Trader has a good print ad program, and then Larry Alger, who I have bought other advertising from in the past said he could make it work better for a couple hundred bucks or so and I figured why not? I may HATE ADVERTISING but the people who do it for me and really bring me business, I have come to trust. After all advertising is their business, and if they do not make things happen they are out the door fast around here. When I have an advertising salesman I can trust I let them work for me. That's what Larry did with the web page. I said OK and a week later he was back here showing me the layout on his lap top computer. He didn't have his hand out asking for money before he did it. I guess he knew I was good for it because of the other business we have done. Every other Web Page salesman, and they ALL seem to find their way in here, wanted me to give them a check for a thousand dollars or more.

Larry was the only one who said he could do it for a few hundred dollars. THAT'S the part that made sense to me."

We asked Stan what he thought of the work. "It looked good to me. Larry took some great pictures and put them on the page, it looked really good. Heck I don't even know how to find where the RV Central page is on the Internet, but we do get calls saying they found us on the Internet. I don't argue with success, but I don't dance very long with failure either. That's how I built my business. I am interested in learning more about the Internet and selling more things like accessories over it, but until I can feel good about getting some new computers in here I'll let the Advertising Pros I trust work for me, as long as it doesn't cost me too much. That's all I really have to say about that."

We told Stan he can see his web page at www.3aweb.com/rv1
Power Sports Move To The Web In Sheldon, IA
by Tomas Erdman tomas@3aweb.com
Motorcycles, ATVs, Jet Skis, Snowmobiles, Generators and Trailers all on one web site? Yes www.glenssportcenter.com has the tri-state region's best selection of power sports equipment and also one of the most complete web sites. Kelly Jongerius manages Glen's Sport Center in Sheldon, IA, and has been a Trader Publications advertiser for years. Kelly wanted a web site that would let web surfers see the large selection of FUN Machines Glen's has to offer. Kelly chose AAA World Web to do a web site because Larry Alger had built the MotorcycleTrailer.Com site, one of the highest profile motorcycle oriented web sites in all the popular search engines.

"Everytime I did a search for anything motorcycle," Kelly said "the Motorcycletrailer.com site seemed to come up right toward the top of the list. The tag at the bottom of all the motorcycletrailer.com pages said AAA World Web. I clicked on it and found that the company was just 20 miles up the road in Sibley so I gave them a call. Larry came out and said he could do a cool job for us because he knew the motorcycle business AND the Internet business too. He said we could have a basic site for about $500.00 and we said, ‘Do It.’
Once he got started on the site he kept coming up with ideas we thought were cool. We wound up spending about five times more than we first thought we would, but we think it is worth it. Larry said he would get us high search engine placement in all the major indexes and he did. It still amazes me where some of our site visitors come from. If you want to see a large web site which has more than we ever imagined we'd have on it, check out glenssportcenter.com.”

Oak Hill Marina: Getting Web-Wise
by Tomas Erdman
Oak Hill Marina in Arnolds Park, IA, has been in business for many years. Jacob Jostand, Sales Manager recently commissioned a web site built for Oak Hill Marina. They are just getting it up and running, but they realize the need for aweb site. “We just got e-mail setup at our showroom, and our new site is looking pretty good,” said Jacob. Anyone looking for a Chaparral or a Ski-doo should drop by their site. Oak Hill has thirteen pages of searchable web site for their customers to browse through, and a link to cartrucktrader.com that allows access to all of their used inventory. It just goes to show the need for any successful business to become web-wise, and Oak Hill Marina is no exception. Contact Oak Hill and browse their inventory at www.oakhillmarina.com.

B&H In Jackson, MN Tills the Web For Sales
by Tomas Erdman tomas@3aweb.com
The Hitch Doc manufacturing in Round Lake, MN has been using the Internet to sell trailer hitches made for motorcycles for almost three years. Brad Mohns, the owner got into the business because he is a Harley rider who could not find a good hitch to fit his own bike. It all started with a trip to Stugis. Since Brad couldn't find a hitch for his bike, he made one. Where ever he stopped other bikers wanted to know where he got that hitch. He just told everyone he made it and next thing you know he was getting calls from all over to have him make a hitch for them. Brad has a fully set up machine shop and has done fabricating for many other manufacturers in the region. It just seemed like a natural move for him to start making hitches for other riders, so they could pull a trailer with their bikes too.

The web site just happened after Brad hooked up with Larry Alger of AAA World Web in Sibley. Brad wanted to put his hitches on the web but didn't want to spend a lot of money. In fact the first Hitch Doc site was just a couple of pages at www.3aweb.com/hd. As the e-mails and calls got more numerous, Brad had AAA World Web develop his own domain, www.hitchdoc.com. Today there are lots of photos of different makes and models of motorcycles with Brad's hitches up on the site, as well as a full listing of the hitches Hitch Doc offers. There is even a simple page letting the world know that Hitch Doc does custom fabrication, machining and precision flame and plasma cutting. Brad provides good value to his customers and demands no less from his vendors. Over the last three years Brad has spent less than $1,000 to have a web site designed and updated. Brad knows it was a good deal because $1,000 does not go too far when it comes to buying ads in the popular magazines, where a one-time full page ad can cost $15,000, or more. One of the best things AAA World Web did for the Hitch Doc site was to get it into all the major search engines, and get high placements too. Choosing AAA World Web to do the Hitch Doc site has paid for itself over and over again. That's why Brad is glad he chose AAA World Web to help him with Internet marketing.

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