ActivEngage
Inbound Marketing Trends for Automotive Dealerships
Inbound Marketing is the most effective technique to sell vehicles on the Internet and automotive dealerships are beginning to realize it. As 2011 winds down, data is indicating that traditional, disruptive marketing techniques are failing to deliver results.
Many dealers are now wondering, “other than live chat, which marketing techniques and strategies of the new year will be the most important for my dealership?”
For CEO of ActivEngage Todd Smith, the future of dealership digital marketing is clear. Todd’s 20+ years in retail automotive sales along with his visionary leadership of the most trusted brand in automotive live chat have led him to be one of the industry’s most respected thought-leaders on digital marketing for dealers.
Whether you’ve seen him speak on the GM eSummit tour, at an automotive trade show, or even in an auto industry publication, it is well-known that Todd understands the specific needs of today’s auto dealer and the future of dealership marketing.
So, what marketing trends does Todd think will have the biggest impact on dealerships in 2012? Let’s take a look:
“First, inbound marketing will begin to emerge as a powerful way for dealerships to reduce Cost Per Vehicle Sold while ensuring their marketing message is at the right place at the right time during the shopper’s online purchase process. The shift is moving from disruptive, traditional marketing messaging into a more consumer-friendly, positional marketing. I see dealers beginning to understand that positioning themselves to be found by shoppers’ Google search results will deliver to their prospective customers the exact information requested.”
“Second, dealerships will continue to need better business intelligence. Advanced analytics reporting is available for dealers to help measure their online marketing expenditure and websiteperformance. Data today is the new oil and dealerships need to put the right tools in place to drill deep into their information so that they can make better, more informed business decisions. Running a digital marketing campaign has never been easier to manage, measure and improve and now is the time for dealerships to embrace it.”
“Finally, dealerships will begin to put conversion techniques in place for their Social Mediamarketing. Connecting with 1000 people is great. Having deep and meaningfulconversations with 1000 people is even better. But, at the end of the day, dealerships will need to turn their Social Media investment into concrete business conversion results, which can be accomplished through trust, time and nurture marketing. I foresee a host of new apps and tools coming into the marketplace that will allow dealerships to turn Social Media window shoppers into active buyers.”
Stay connected to ActivEngage blog posts – Subscribe today!
ActivEngage
Inbound Marketing Trends for Automotive Dealerships
Inbound Marketing is the most effective technique to sell vehicles on the Internet and automotive dealerships are beginning to realize it. As 2011 winds down, data is indicating that traditional, disruptive marketing techniques are failing to deliver results.
Many dealers are now wondering, “other than live chat, which marketing techniques and strategies of the new year will be the most important for my dealership?”
For CEO of ActivEngage Todd Smith, the future of dealership digital marketing is clear. Todd’s 20+ years in retail automotive sales along with his visionary leadership of the most trusted brand in automotive live chat have led him to be one of the industry’s most respected thought-leaders on digital marketing for dealers.
Whether you’ve seen him speak on the GM eSummit tour, at an automotive trade show, or even in an auto industry publication, it is well-known that Todd understands the specific needs of today’s auto dealer and the future of dealership marketing.
So, what marketing trends does Todd think will have the biggest impact on dealerships in 2012? Let’s take a look:
“First, inbound marketing will begin to emerge as a powerful way for dealerships to reduce Cost Per Vehicle Sold while ensuring their marketing message is at the right place at the right time during the shopper’s online purchase process. The shift is moving from disruptive, traditional marketing messaging into a more consumer-friendly, positional marketing. I see dealers beginning to understand that positioning themselves to be found by shoppers’ Google search results will deliver to their prospective customers the exact information requested.”
“Second, dealerships will continue to need better business intelligence. Advanced analytics reporting is available for dealers to help measure their online marketing expenditure and websiteperformance. Data today is the new oil and dealerships need to put the right tools in place to drill deep into their information so that they can make better, more informed business decisions. Running a digital marketing campaign has never been easier to manage, measure and improve and now is the time for dealerships to embrace it.”
“Finally, dealerships will begin to put conversion techniques in place for their Social Mediamarketing. Connecting with 1000 people is great. Having deep and meaningfulconversations with 1000 people is even better. But, at the end of the day, dealerships will need to turn their Social Media investment into concrete business conversion results, which can be accomplished through trust, time and nurture marketing. I foresee a host of new apps and tools coming into the marketplace that will allow dealerships to turn Social Media window shoppers into active buyers.”
Stay connected to ActivEngage blog posts – Subscribe today!
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ActivEngage
Lure Leads to your Dealership Website by Creating Searched Content
What’s the first step an automotive consumer takes most often toward making a vehicle purchase? If you answered conduct a Google search, you are correct! For automotive consumers, this search is conducted to determine which car and dealership is right for them.
Dealers, do you know what your prospective customers are searching? Will your dealership website or online content be found?
Research by HubSpot, an inbound marketingthought leader, primarily shows that websites that create lots of content, build activesocial media profiles, and blog regularly are much more successful online than their peers. In short, if you create the content your customers are searching, you will drive more of them to your dealership website and boost your online lead generation.
The following is a brief, step by step guide to the creation of content that will transform your dealership website into a lead magnet.
1. Determine what your customers are searching
A good place to start is by asking your dealership salespeople what their top 10 most frequently asked questions are. Once you’ve developed a good list of questions, expand upon it to encompass frequently asked questions by anyone interested in buying a new or used vehicle. The answers to these questions are perfect topics for online content.
2. Pick the online media format that best suits your content
If your customers are interested in vehicle specs, a video walk-around on YouTube is a great way to showcase your inventory and automotive knowledge. If prospective customers are concerned with pricing and their ability to negotiate price, your best bet would be to answer these question on your dealership blog. An eBook is also a highly effective form of content. A great idea would be for Dealers to create an eBook available for free download on their dealership websites that details the proper car-buying process at their dealership. Leads generated from consumers reading this book will come into your dealership knowing what is expected of them and what questions to ask, thus make the path to your sale much smoother.
3. Optimize your content for search
Inbound Marketing content is most easily created with desired keywords in mind. Your initial keyword or keyword phrase should be the central theme for the content.
For Example: If your content is about the Toyota Prius and why it is a great car for commuters in your region, relevant keywords would include:
- Toyota
- Prius
- geographically-relevant names & terms
In order to truly optimize your content, desired keywords should be used:
- At the beginning of the Title
- At the beginning of or within the first 165 characters of the content or description
- Frequently throughout the body of the content
The goal of SEO is to provide information-rich content that follows the “rules” of the search engines. If you create content with high keyword density (the number of times a keyword or keyword phrase appears in a particular piece of content in relation to the total number of words), it will rank highly in the search results for your keywords.
4. Don’t talk about yourself
Nothing turns automotive consumers off more than blatant self-promotion. Prospective customers will have difficulty believing in the validity of your content if you’re pitching to them. Keep the selling subtle and you will achieve better results.
5. Edit/proofread
This is the most important step in the content creation process! Personally re-read or watch your content with an editor’s eye before publishing. If available, have a coworker do so too. Nothing is more potentially damaging or embarrassing for dealers than having content full of errors consumed and shared by prospective customers and industry peers across the web.
6. Publish
Do it! Publish your content and share it. Share it via social. Link to or create a dedicated page on your dealership website for your content. Then monitor how it performs online and start all over again!
Dealer takeaway
The more content a dealership is able to create, the more inbound traffic its website will receive. Dealers who practice inbound marketing and content creation will position their dealership websites to be more easily found online by consumers searching for their vehicles and service.
Keep in mind that content alone won’t boost your lead generation. That’s the job of your website’s conversion funnel and online sales process. Ask yourself, “Is my dealership website able to engage and convert a majority of its visitors?”
Learn how to double your Internet leads with live chat!
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ActivEngage
Lure Leads to your Dealership Website by Creating Searched Content
What’s the first step an automotive consumer takes most often toward making a vehicle purchase? If you answered conduct a Google search, you are correct! For automotive consumers, this search is conducted to determine which car and dealership is right for them.
Dealers, do you know what your prospective customers are searching? Will your dealership website or online content be found?
Research by HubSpot, an inbound marketingthought leader, primarily shows that websites that create lots of content, build activesocial media profiles, and blog regularly are much more successful online than their peers. In short, if you create the content your customers are searching, you will drive more of them to your dealership website and boost your online lead generation.
The following is a brief, step by step guide to the creation of content that will transform your dealership website into a lead magnet.
1. Determine what your customers are searching
A good place to start is by asking your dealership salespeople what their top 10 most frequently asked questions are. Once you’ve developed a good list of questions, expand upon it to encompass frequently asked questions by anyone interested in buying a new or used vehicle. The answers to these questions are perfect topics for online content.
2. Pick the online media format that best suits your content
If your customers are interested in vehicle specs, a video walk-around on YouTube is a great way to showcase your inventory and automotive knowledge. If prospective customers are concerned with pricing and their ability to negotiate price, your best bet would be to answer these question on your dealership blog. An eBook is also a highly effective form of content. A great idea would be for Dealers to create an eBook available for free download on their dealership websites that details the proper car-buying process at their dealership. Leads generated from consumers reading this book will come into your dealership knowing what is expected of them and what questions to ask, thus make the path to your sale much smoother.
3. Optimize your content for search
Inbound Marketing content is most easily created with desired keywords in mind. Your initial keyword or keyword phrase should be the central theme for the content.
For Example: If your content is about the Toyota Prius and why it is a great car for commuters in your region, relevant keywords would include:
- Toyota
- Prius
- geographically-relevant names & terms
In order to truly optimize your content, desired keywords should be used:
- At the beginning of the Title
- At the beginning of or within the first 165 characters of the content or description
- Frequently throughout the body of the content
The goal of SEO is to provide information-rich content that follows the “rules” of the search engines. If you create content with high keyword density (the number of times a keyword or keyword phrase appears in a particular piece of content in relation to the total number of words), it will rank highly in the search results for your keywords.
4. Don’t talk about yourself
Nothing turns automotive consumers off more than blatant self-promotion. Prospective customers will have difficulty believing in the validity of your content if you’re pitching to them. Keep the selling subtle and you will achieve better results.
5. Edit/proofread
This is the most important step in the content creation process! Personally re-read or watch your content with an editor’s eye before publishing. If available, have a coworker do so too. Nothing is more potentially damaging or embarrassing for dealers than having content full of errors consumed and shared by prospective customers and industry peers across the web.
6. Publish
Do it! Publish your content and share it. Share it via social. Link to or create a dedicated page on your dealership website for your content. Then monitor how it performs online and start all over again!
Dealer takeaway
The more content a dealership is able to create, the more inbound traffic its website will receive. Dealers who practice inbound marketing and content creation will position their dealership websites to be more easily found online by consumers searching for their vehicles and service.
Keep in mind that content alone won’t boost your lead generation. That’s the job of your website’s conversion funnel and online sales process. Ask yourself, “Is my dealership website able to engage and convert a majority of its visitors?”
Learn how to double your Internet leads with live chat!
No Comments
ActivEngage
Automotive Live Chat Isn’t a Just Luxury, It’s a Necessity
If you’re not using live chat, you’re losing thousands of dollars every day and you probably don’t even realize it.
One thing I’m sure you do realize is that today’s automotive shoppers do extensive research online prior to ever stepping foot in a showroom. As Ralph Paglia says, “There is no such thing as an ‘internet customer’ anymore. There are only customers!”
Another thing you’re most likely realizing is that your leads of greatest quality come from your website. The leads that convert from your website are made up of interested, engaged, ready-to-buy shoppers that found they information for which they were searching.
What about the shoppers that visit your website and aren’t converting? Can you afford to ignore them?
Automotive live chat is a unique tool for instant communication between shoppers and dealers. Here are several explanations of why live chat on your dealership website is a necessity.
Live chat allows you to engage tacit website visitors
Adding automotive live chat to your dealership website presents you with an opportunity to tap into an under-engaged resource of interested shoppers. These potential leads are already on your website, browsing your inventory and checking out your specials. You wouldn’t let them just browse and leave if they were on your lot would you? Use live chat to transform your website from a billboard into your digital showroom and double your web leads.
Live chat allows you to help shoppers find information about you with the speed they expect
Just like a real-life salesperson on the lot, live chat helps to answer shopper questions and provide detailed information. If the information shoppers seek is not where they expect it to be on your website or not listed at all, live chat serves as a unique outlet to keep these shoppers on site and engaged. Additionally, time is money to today’s consumers and they would rather receive answers to their questions immediately than have to wait for an email or phone response.
Live chat engages casual website visitors in a 1-1 sales process
It’s totally possible to set appointments and even sell cars from your website. To do this, you’ll need live chat. Filling out a form doesn’t engage shoppers. Engage them with the one to one sales process that’s expected of a dealership directly on your site. It’s not technology that sells cars, its’ people. Humanize your site with live chat.
Live chat builds relationships with your website visitors
For most people, buying a car is a high-stress and anxiety endeavor. Consumers don’t want to be tricked into biting off more than they can chew. Because of this anxiety, the automotive sales process is based on positive relationships between the dealer/salesperson and the consumer. Your website can’t build a relationship with a consumer on its own. You need live chat to engage shoppers, help them find what they’re looking for and communicate to them that you have their best interests in mind. A lead from live chat comes into your dealership with an already established positive relationship with you. Could you ask for anything more?
Live chat gives consumers a positive first impression of your dealership, wowing them and exceeding their expectations
Not only is live chat the ultimate lead generation tool for your website, but it also provides opportunities for above and beyond customer service. Your salespeople probably greet everyone that comes to your dealership. Shouldn’t your website do the same? Live chat greets your website visitors and then provides them concierge level service that builds positive brand perceptions and relationships between consumers and dealers.
Live chat delivers ready-to-buy shoppers into your showroom
Leads generated from your website are of the highest quality. They come in ready to put their money where their mouth is. Live chat does the same thing, only at a greater volume. The shoppers that engage in live chat are not the same website visitors that fill out a lead form. Therefore, you’re getting additional highly qualified leads delivered into your CRM and showroom that you did not have before.
If you think live chat is fad, think again. If you think live chat doesn’t work or isn’t worth the cost, just ask a colleague who uses live chat. They don’t know what they did without it. If you are currently using live chat and it’s not delivering on expectations, investigate some other chat vendors and ask them these questions.
Remember, by ignoring the website visitors that aren’t submitting leads, you’re letting them become someone else’s customer.
ActivEngage live chat converts more than 80% of chat conversations into leads. Find out what themost trusted brand in automotive live chat can do for your dealership.
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ActivEngage
Automotive Live Chat Isn’t a Just Luxury, It’s a Necessity
If you’re not using live chat, you’re losing thousands of dollars every day and you probably don’t even realize it.
One thing I’m sure you do realize is that today’s automotive shoppers do extensive research online prior to ever stepping foot in a showroom. As Ralph Paglia says, “There is no such thing as an ‘internet customer’ anymore. There are only customers!”
Another thing you’re most likely realizing is that your leads of greatest quality come from your website. The leads that convert from your website are made up of interested, engaged, ready-to-buy shoppers that found they information for which they were searching.
What about the shoppers that visit your website and aren’t converting? Can you afford to ignore them?
Automotive live chat is a unique tool for instant communication between shoppers and dealers. Here are several explanations of why live chat on your dealership website is a necessity.
Live chat allows you to engage tacit website visitors
Adding automotive live chat to your dealership website presents you with an opportunity to tap into an under-engaged resource of interested shoppers. These potential leads are already on your website, browsing your inventory and checking out your specials. You wouldn’t let them just browse and leave if they were on your lot would you? Use live chat to transform your website from a billboard into your digital showroom and double your web leads.
Live chat allows you to help shoppers find information about you with the speed they expect
Just like a real-life salesperson on the lot, live chat helps to answer shopper questions and provide detailed information. If the information shoppers seek is not where they expect it to be on your website or not listed at all, live chat serves as a unique outlet to keep these shoppers on site and engaged. Additionally, time is money to today’s consumers and they would rather receive answers to their questions immediately than have to wait for an email or phone response.
Live chat engages casual website visitors in a 1-1 sales process
It’s totally possible to set appointments and even sell cars from your website. To do this, you’ll need live chat. Filling out a form doesn’t engage shoppers. Engage them with the one to one sales process that’s expected of a dealership directly on your site. It’s not technology that sells cars, its’ people. Humanize your site with live chat.
Live chat builds relationships with your website visitors
For most people, buying a car is a high-stress and anxiety endeavor. Consumers don’t want to be tricked into biting off more than they can chew. Because of this anxiety, the automotive sales process is based on positive relationships between the dealer/salesperson and the consumer. Your website can’t build a relationship with a consumer on its own. You need live chat to engage shoppers, help them find what they’re looking for and communicate to them that you have their best interests in mind. A lead from live chat comes into your dealership with an already established positive relationship with you. Could you ask for anything more?
Live chat gives consumers a positive first impression of your dealership, wowing them and exceeding their expectations
Not only is live chat the ultimate lead generation tool for your website, but it also provides opportunities for above and beyond customer service. Your salespeople probably greet everyone that comes to your dealership. Shouldn’t your website do the same? Live chat greets your website visitors and then provides them concierge level service that builds positive brand perceptions and relationships between consumers and dealers.
Live chat delivers ready-to-buy shoppers into your showroom
Leads generated from your website are of the highest quality. They come in ready to put their money where their mouth is. Live chat does the same thing, only at a greater volume. The shoppers that engage in live chat are not the same website visitors that fill out a lead form. Therefore, you’re getting additional highly qualified leads delivered into your CRM and showroom that you did not have before.
If you think live chat is fad, think again. If you think live chat doesn’t work or isn’t worth the cost, just ask a colleague who uses live chat. They don’t know what they did without it. If you are currently using live chat and it’s not delivering on expectations, investigate some other chat vendors and ask them these questions.
Remember, by ignoring the website visitors that aren’t submitting leads, you’re letting them become someone else’s customer.
ActivEngage live chat converts more than 80% of chat conversations into leads. Find out what themost trusted brand in automotive live chat can do for your dealership.
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ActivEngage
4 Reasons Automotive Live Chat Delivers You the Highest Quality Leads
Are leads from live chat really leads?
If you are the general manager of a dealership that has never used automotive live chat service or software, you’re probably wondering the same thing.
The answer is clear though…for real!
The highest quality foot traffic that comes into your showroom or onto your lot is brought in by leads generated from your dealership websites. Automotive live chat on your dealership website increases the amount of these leads.
Here are 4 reasons why leads from automotive live chat are of the highest quality.
1. Live chat leads are informed, engaged and ready-to-buy
Nine times out of ten, your website visitors are conducting research on their next automotive purchase. Live chat serves as a quick and anonymous channel of communication between dealers and shoppers. By using automotive live chat, you can answers visitors’ questions, build and nurture relationships with prospective customers and capture contact information to be delivered directly into your CRM. This dealer/customer engagement drives highly qualified leads to your showroom.
2. Live chat taps into an under-engaged resource of interested shoppers
Without automotive live chat, the amount of high quality leads delivered to your sales people greatly depends on your website’s level of engagement and rate of conversion. In fact, an average of 96% of visitors leaves your website every day without converting to a lead. They essentially vanish without a trace.
Automotive live chat allows dealers to easily tap into this resource of casual automotive shoppers. Engaging this tacit layer of consumers provides you an additional opportunity to convert interested automotive shoppers into highly qualified leads.
3. Live chat develops a relationship between consumers and your brand
The average length of an automotive live chat conversation is 8 minutes. Behind every chat is awell-developed conversation that builds both the brand in the eyes of the consumer and a brandrelationship with the consumer. When consumers feel a connection with a brand, they are most likely to take action either in the form of brand advocacy (marketing) or loyalty (sales).
4. Live Chat provides consumers instant answers to their questions
Visitors might be leaving your website without filling out a form or sending an email because they aren’t finding the information for which they are searching. Live Chat allows shoppers to ask questions and get answers quickly while opening them up to being engaged by your sales process. Consumers that have a positive experience with a dealership using live chat are then even more likely to take action.
Dealer Takeaway
Think of automotive live chat as an extension of your 1-1 sales process. Chat creates opportunities for personal interaction betwee
n interested shoppers and your dealership. The leads generated from chat are no different than those generated from a phone-up or a walk-up, if not of higher quality.
ActivEngage live chat converts more than 80% of chat conversations into leads. Find out what the most trusted brand in automotive live chat can do for your dealership.
No Comments
ActivEngage
4 Reasons Automotive Live Chat Delivers You the Highest Quality Leads
Are leads from live chat really leads?
If you are the general manager of a dealership that has never used automotive live chat service or software, you’re probably wondering the same thing.
The answer is clear though…for real!
The highest quality foot traffic that comes into your showroom or onto your lot is brought in by leads generated from your dealership websites. Automotive live chat on your dealership website increases the amount of these leads.
Here are 4 reasons why leads from automotive live chat are of the highest quality.
1. Live chat leads are informed, engaged and ready-to-buy
Nine times out of ten, your website visitors are conducting research on their next automotive purchase. Live chat serves as a quick and anonymous channel of communication between dealers and shoppers. By using automotive live chat, you can answers visitors’ questions, build and nurture relationships with prospective customers and capture contact information to be delivered directly into your CRM. This dealer/customer engagement drives highly qualified leads to your showroom.
2. Live chat taps into an under-engaged resource of interested shoppers
Without automotive live chat, the amount of high quality leads delivered to your sales people greatly depends on your website’s level of engagement and rate of conversion. In fact, an average of 96% of visitors leaves your website every day without converting to a lead. They essentially vanish without a trace.
Automotive live chat allows dealers to easily tap into this resource of casual automotive shoppers. Engaging this tacit layer of consumers provides you an additional opportunity to convert interested automotive shoppers into highly qualified leads.
3. Live chat develops a relationship between consumers and your brand
The average length of an automotive live chat conversation is 8 minutes. Behind every chat is awell-developed conversation that builds both the brand in the eyes of the consumer and a brandrelationship with the consumer. When consumers feel a connection with a brand, they are most likely to take action either in the form of brand advocacy (marketing) or loyalty (sales).
4. Live Chat provides consumers instant answers to their questions
Visitors might be leaving your website without filling out a form or sending an email because they aren’t finding the information for which they are searching. Live Chat allows shoppers to ask questions and get answers quickly while opening them up to being engaged by your sales process. Consumers that have a positive experience with a dealership using live chat are then even more likely to take action.
Dealer Takeaway
Think of automotive live chat as an extension of your 1-1 sales process. Chat creates opportunities for personal interaction betwee
n interested shoppers and your dealership. The leads generated from chat are no different than those generated from a phone-up or a walk-up, if not of higher quality.
ActivEngage live chat converts more than 80% of chat conversations into leads. Find out what the most trusted brand in automotive live chat can do for your dealership.
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ActivEngage
Dealers, Are You Ready for Cyber Monday? Is your website?
Hey dealers, is your website equipped to out-perform competition this holiday season? Your 2011 holiday planning should already be well underway but there a few last-minute tips to get you in the spirit of closing sales from web leads.
Cyber Monday is a marketing term created by companies to persuade people to shop online on the Monday immediately following Black Friday. Between now and December 31, a record number of consumers researching their next vehicle purchase will be visiting your dealership website.
Forrester Research predicted in its U.S. Online Retail Forecast, 2009 to 2014 report that the web would influence 48% of 2011 in-store sales, predictions which are set to come true. The average holiday shopper plans to do 36% of their shopping online – whether they’re comparing prices, researching products, or making a purchase (or an appointment to make a purchase). Data from Experian Hitwise indicates that website traffic increases in a troubled economy because buyers research purchases more carefully online to stretch shopping budgets.
Is your digital showroom (dealership website) ready for this spike in traffic?
To capture these leads, streamline your sales process and put your holiday marketing into high gear, try these tips:
1) Review online sales and customer-support options for better, more personalized service.
Integrating a live-chat option into your online sales strategy will help both you and prospective customers. Live-chat allows consumers to receive the full automotive shopping experience without having to leave the comforts of home. With the majority of consumers doing extensive research online prior to visiting a dealership, live-chat gives dealers the opportunity to engage website visitors in a personal sales process, answering questions, providing information and obtaining contact information. Live chat will save you time and money by transforming your already present website visitors into ready-to-buy leads and appointments.
2) Review last year’s SEO strategy
Which keywords sent the most and highest converting traffic to your website? This holiday season, create content and paid search campaigns with a high density of these best performing keywords. Drop the season’s worst performing keywords and determine which holiday-relevant keywords should be added. Doing so will maximize the findability of your dealership and inventory online.
3) Create a Mobile Site
Many holiday shoppers will be researching online and on their smartphones both before and during their trips to your dealership. Dealers would be wise to integrate the showroom experience with relevant, timely and personalized website and mobile app info. This can be done using QR codes that link to relevant videos, vehicle specs and inventory comparisons. Google is forecasting that 15 percent of total online search this holiday season will come from mobile. Dealers interested in quickly and cost-effectively building a mobile site should try out Google’s new GoMo initiative.
4) Ask for an email address wherever you can, both online and in-store.
Design an email strategy that includes holiday purchasing incentives and promotions. ”Email is still the king of Web marketing,” says Allison Howen, Associate Editor of Website Magazine. ”There are about three times as many email accounts as there are Facebook and Twitters users combined, according to a recent study from Smarter Tools.
5) Act fast to plug your leaky conversion funnel with split testing.
Use your web analytics to determine the pages on your website critical to conversion that have the poorest engagement. Use Google’s simple A/B Split testing solution to see how subtle changes to buttons and forms can make a big impact on your conversion rate. There’s no better time to start testing than now and there’s no more critical time to achieve your highest conversion than the holiday season.
6) Add social sharing to product pages to turn customers into sales channels.
Ask showroom visitors and customers alike to rate your dealership on your Facebook page (as well as other rating sites). Encourage consumers on the lot to check-in via Social and incentivize the sharing of photos and testimonials of their in-store experience. Keep your social profiles updated with holiday specials along with pictures and videos of inventory. Also, resolve customer service issues on Facebook or Twitter to publicly display your customer service chops.
Remember dealers, these strategies are not just for the holidays. Don’t stop just because it’s December 25. Take advantage of the last six days of the year by ramping up the promotion of year-end sales on your website and social media. Don’t forget to record your holiday season metrics too. They will come in handy next year.
When did you start your holiday season digital marketing strategy? Do you plan on implementing any of the mentioned strategies? What can you share with the online community that will help dealers be better prepared for next year?
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ActivEngage
Dealers, Are You Ready for Cyber Monday? Is your website?
Hey dealers, is your website equipped to out-perform competition this holiday season? Your 2011 holiday planning should already be well underway but there a few last-minute tips to get you in the spirit of closing sales from web leads.
Cyber Monday is a marketing term created by companies to persuade people to shop online on the Monday immediately following Black Friday. Between now and December 31, a record number of consumers researching their next vehicle purchase will be visiting your dealership website.
Forrester Research predicted in its U.S. Online Retail Forecast, 2009 to 2014 report that the web would influence 48% of 2011 in-store sales, predictions which are set to come true. The average holiday shopper plans to do 36% of their shopping online – whether they’re comparing prices, researching products, or making a purchase (or an appointment to make a purchase). Data from Experian Hitwise indicates that website traffic increases in a troubled economy because buyers research purchases more carefully online to stretch shopping budgets.
Is your digital showroom (dealership website) ready for this spike in traffic?
To capture these leads, streamline your sales process and put your holiday marketing into high gear, try these tips:
1) Review online sales and customer-support options for better, more personalized service.
Integrating a live-chat option into your online sales strategy will help both you and prospective customers. Live-chat allows consumers to receive the full automotive shopping experience without having to leave the comforts of home. With the majority of consumers doing extensive research online prior to visiting a dealership, live-chat gives dealers the opportunity to engage website visitors in a personal sales process, answering questions, providing information and obtaining contact information. Live chat will save you time and money by transforming your already present website visitors into ready-to-buy leads and appointments.
2) Review last year’s SEO strategy
Which keywords sent the most and highest converting traffic to your website? This holiday season, create content and paid search campaigns with a high density of these best performing keywords. Drop the season’s worst performing keywords and determine which holiday-relevant keywords should be added. Doing so will maximize the findability of your dealership and inventory online.
3) Create a Mobile Site
Many holiday shoppers will be researching online and on their smartphones both before and during their trips to your dealership. Dealers would be wise to integrate the showroom experience with relevant, timely and personalized website and mobile app info. This can be done using QR codes that link to relevant videos, vehicle specs and inventory comparisons. Google is forecasting that 15 percent of total online search this holiday season will come from mobile. Dealers interested in quickly and cost-effectively building a mobile site should try out Google’s new GoMo initiative.
4) Ask for an email address wherever you can, both online and in-store.
Design an email strategy that includes holiday purchasing incentives and promotions. ”Email is still the king of Web marketing,” says Allison Howen, Associate Editor of Website Magazine. ”There are about three times as many email accounts as there are Facebook and Twitters users combined, according to a recent study from Smarter Tools.
5) Act fast to plug your leaky conversion funnel with split testing.
Use your web analytics to determine the pages on your website critical to conversion that have the poorest engagement. Use Google’s simple A/B Split testing solution to see how subtle changes to buttons and forms can make a big impact on your conversion rate. There’s no better time to start testing than now and there’s no more critical time to achieve your highest conversion than the holiday season.
6) Add social sharing to product pages to turn customers into sales channels.
Ask showroom visitors and customers alike to rate your dealership on your Facebook page (as well as other rating sites). Encourage consumers on the lot to check-in via Social and incentivize the sharing of photos and testimonials of their in-store experience. Keep your social profiles updated with holiday specials along with pictures and videos of inventory. Also, resolve customer service issues on Facebook or Twitter to publicly display your customer service chops.
Remember dealers, these strategies are not just for the holidays. Don’t stop just because it’s December 25. Take advantage of the last six days of the year by ramping up the promotion of year-end sales on your website and social media. Don’t forget to record your holiday season metrics too. They will come in handy next year.
When did you start your holiday season digital marketing strategy? Do you plan on implementing any of the mentioned strategies? What can you share with the online community that will help dealers be better prepared for next year?
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