Choosing your PPC vendor... Will you have Control?

Digital marketing provides your dealership a complete competitive advantage when employed with effective Search Engine Marketing (SEM) strategies. While directing your dealership’s online marketing strategies toward the most effective and profitable website solution, there are a few key questions concerning SEM that you should ask your vendor to ensure digital marketing success.

Google possesses 70% of the market share, which means your SEM strategies must utilize the great advantage Google can offer your SEM, as well as your dealership. More importantly, you need to ask your vendor questions about their pay-per-click programs such as:

* Do I have to commit to a long-term contract?
* How much do I have to spend per month?
* Do I have control over that spend?
* Can I divide my spend throughout different departments such as new and used car sales, service, parts, finance, specials etc.?
* What kind of flexibility do I have to move my spend up and down?

The answer is that you should have control over your spend. Spend is in real time, so your dealership should be able to have total control, whether that’s hour by hour, or minute by minute. You should also be able to track your results, as in phone calls and email submissions, so you can see the leads generated for every dollar you spend. Your dealership should be aware of the profitability and effectiveness of your SEM strategies.

The other feature that is beneficial to your SEM strategy is the ability to have ads written automatically, based on inventory. Every vehicle that comes into stock should produce an automatic ad that goes on Google. This feature is vital, because it connects you, the seller, to potential buyers. Your conversion rate increases, as does your closing rate, because you have the exact vehicle in stock for which the customer is looking, all in real time.

If there’s one thing to remember about SEM, it’s that your dealership should not have to compromise control over spend in order to receive the benefits and features, and in turn leads and sales, that SEM can bring to your online marketing strategies.

Best of luck!