You’re online all the time and if you’re using digital services this often, how much time do you think your customers spend online?
How often do you use your mobile devices and computer? The easy answer is nearly as much as you do. In some cases, customers may be online more than you, but the point is, you need to make sure your dealership is in the same place as your shoppers.
Brand Loyalty has Transformed to Location Engagement
There was a time when your car dealership would automatically attract a specified segment of the customers in your area simply because of the brand on your sign. While some shoppers still start with brand loyalty, more customers than ever before begin their search online and engage with a location to create the start of a relationship. This means you need to be ready for these customers or they won’t come and shop with your team.
Your Digital Strategy Must be On Point
We hear the term “On Point” used for a lot of things and it simply means that you’re getting everything right. When it comes to your online presence and digital marketing, this means your website is easy to find, the right keywords are part of your SEO, and your social media is gaining more followers regularly. Is your online presence on point? If not, it’s time to make some changes.
Is Your Website User-Friendly
You might have several drop-down menus and easy access to listings on your website, but you need to go beyond the expectations of your customers. Shopping needs to be convenient with messages and responses that are easy to obtain. Customers need to be able to research and save information easily on your site, and you must offer options to search by price and monthly payments.
Are You Listed Online Where Your Customers are Shopping?
One of the toughest hurdles for many car dealers is to know they need to be part of other websites. Aggregate sites including Cars.com and Edmunds.com are great places for your vehicles to be listed. Not all shoppers use Google as their search engine; are you searchable in other ways? You can connect with other local dealerships to make sure customers can find the vehicles they want and compare them from one place to another. It’s important to be where your shoppers are to get them to shop with your dealership.
Your Content Must Have an Authoritative Voice
Are you an expert when it comes to the vehicles you sell? Does your online content reflect this? If not, it’s time for an upgrade. You want to garner organic SEO results that create free search leads on Google. These are the most impressive and impactful leads you can find and they come from building the authoritative content around the keywords that work best for your dealership.
Paid Ads Are Important to your Results as Well
Invest your digital marketing budget in the right places and you’ll see results. Paid ads are created to give you the fastest results and bring your dealership to the top of searches based on the paid efforts you make in social media and search marketing. By being at the top of the first page of Google you’ll quickly see more results than you would if you didn’t pay for any ads.
Positive Online Reviews Make a Huge Difference
Whether your review comes from a satisfied customer posting on a review site or through photos you share on social media, when other customers can find positive reviews and see how your dealership is rated, they will make a decision right away. No one wants to go to a poorly rated location for anything at all, work with your customers to receive reviews that will show how much you care and work to ensure customer satisfaction.
Don’t Forget About Mobile Searches
How often do you pull out your smartphone to search for something online? We all do this several times a day and with customers doing this every day, your website must be optimized for mobile searches. This is something that should be part of the digital strategy you create right from the start. Let your shoppers find your site right away and enjoy using it when it’s properly optimized.
Every Online User is a Potential Customer
It’s true that everyone that searches online could be a customer of yours, but since you sell vehicles, you need to focus on your local area. Ensure your content is tagged with geographic information, connects with local events, and includes links to local news stories. This will make it much easier for customers to find you when looking for the “car dealership near me” during their online search.
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