Preston Automotive Group MD/DE
Is traffic crash-landing on your site?
Your website, your search optimization (SEO) and your search engine marketing (SEM) are all closely linked in what is essentially a ‘circle of life’.
It’s hard to believe, but even with all the mega-website providers in the industry, dealers still end up with ad traffic that has no logical place to land on their website. Understanding this critical error isn’t just the responsibility of the marketing or internet manager. General managers and sales managers should also be aware of the importance of this critical fact.
Your website, your search optimization (SEO) and your search engine marketing (SEM) are all closely linked in what is essentially a ‘circle of life’.
Let’s say your agency or even in-house expert writes you a great ad about a current lease or finance special on an SUV for $299 per month. You don’t really have a ‘specials’ or ‘offers’ page, but the special matches the information on your homepage slider, so the ad is pointed there.
When the shopper clicks-through, your Google AdWords account is charged for the click and the shopper lands on your homepage. But your slider is one of six or so graphics in this month’s rotation. They see one for a tire special, then one for your charity event, then a ‘truck month’ ad. They didn’t see the $299 SUV anywhere on your homepage so they hit the BACK button.
You didn’t just lose a customer for this vehicle cycle, but maybe a future one, as well because you broke the shopper’s trust. That’s not all, you also broke the trust of GOOGLE! Their digital watchdogs saw what happened (bounce), AND they already know you have no searchable text that matches the ad (low relevance). So you have to pay higher bid rates just to be seen on Page 1, if you can even get there. This isn’t just for the auto industry – it applies to ALL advertising.
But that’s not all! Because of the low relevance and bounce, your ORGANIC search ranking just took a hit, as well. Here are four ways to protect your store from lost customers – and lost rankings:
- Use a specials / offers page to land your traffic – and keep it updated regularly with accurate information
- Be sure the text in your search ads matches the text on your page and are updated when the information on the page changes
- Don’t use graphics with the special pricing embedded in the photo – search engines can’t read a picture
- Ensure landing page has effective conversion tools so you can both convert traffic to quality leads and so Google can see these positive results
There are dealers who do have a ‘specials’ page, but the agency has a bunch of photos with the lease or finance specials. Google can’t read the text in photos. Google can see if someone goes to your website and just bounces. It may not know the reason for the behavior but it WILL know if the content on the page doesn’t match the offer in the search ad and penalize you with higher click prices and lower placement.
Landing pages are the lifeblood of BOTH SEO and SEM. Start looking for ways (and tools) to help get this circle of digital life into better harmony – and better sales.
Tom LaPointe CarChat24 Marketing Consultant www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Managed Chat, Backup Chat Support, and chat software options 727-638-0195 A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with nearly 20 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been involved with the internet from the beginning, building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to BDC / internet sales and viral marketing.
Preston Automotive Group MD/DE
Are you killing car deals with chat and text?
The concept of dealer staff selling cars with chat and text is simple. Answer the chat requests when a shopper is on the website and start selling a car, right? Not so fast. As with many facets of putting a car deal together, there is a significant amount of art and science required for success.
It’s surprising how often we see transcripts of chat or text conversations in which the dealer chat operator spends as much as 20 minutes or more answering questions. Sometimes it’s clear that they are running all over the dealership getting questions answered from the service department or sales manager’s desk and never get around to asking for, or getting, contact information for the shopper.
The best positioning for a chat operator
During a phone up, the goal is generally to start the sales process and set an appointment, if possible. With chat or text, the goal is to get quality contact and their permission to be contacted by dealer staff. Regardless of the chat operator’s role in the dealership (internet sales, GSM, or even GM), they should have the title of ‘chat operator’. Think of the position JUST LIKE the receptionist.
How often does someone leave a voicemail on the main phone number after hours? Maybe once or twice a month. But if they call in the morning looking for someone during the sales meeting, the caller will generally leave a message because a LIVE PERSON said their call would be returned. Do you want the receptionist answering questions about inventory, availability or best price? Probably not, and the same goes for your chat operators. But because a LIVE PERSON promised that the message would be received, the caller has a lot more confidence.
Operators should be a resource
The best way for an operator to help online shoppers is definitely to answer all the basic questions possible. Things like hours, directions, and product questions are a must for the chat operator. However, inquiries about product availability, discounted pricing, trade value, or challenging credit give the operator the perfect reason to ask the website visitor for contact information and if someone from the store can call them back. That is the best way, even if the same operator is going to be following up on the lead.
There are two major reasons this is not only the best way to handle the conversation, but also why it works. First, the chat operator can spend a half hour or more answering everything and never actually get contact information (this happens a LOT). Also, dealer staff have much better success rates on the phone than through messaging, when possible.
There are dozens of ways mechanics can impact the effectiveness of chat. But when it comes to the human factor, the last thing you want is to invest the money and staffing time to have in-house team members handling these conversations, only to lost the chance to sell a car, truck, or SUV. It is possible to have chat success in the store, but like many other facets of the business, time and effort are required.
I advise dealers all the time regarding setup and execution of chat / text technologies, even when they're not a client. If you ever have a question, feel free to call or pm me, and please be sure to shake my hand at events.
Tom LaPointe CarChat24 Digital Marketing Consultant www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Managed Chat, Backup Chat Support, and chat software options 727-638-0195 A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with nearly 20 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been involved with the internet from the beginning, building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to BDC / internet sales and viral marketing.
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Preston Automotive Group MD/DE
Massive blizzard is one huge reason to have quality managed chat
Even when the massive snowstorm hammering the eastern United States subsides, it could still be days before people can get to work, and that includes car dealership personnel. One trend I discovered after a similar Washington, D.C., storm in the 1990’s is that there was a crazy run on trucks and SUVs with all-wheel-drive. Couple that with cheap gas, and nearly anyone with electricity and internet service will be looking for a car while they binge-watch Netflix.
If your staff can’t get to the store to answer the phones and are too busy shoveling to respond to live chat, even on their phone, what’s the solution? That is one HUGE reason to ensure a quality live chat partner is there to respond to chat requests on your dealer website. Snowstorms, hurricanes, floods, and even tornadoes can interfere with a store’s ability to respond to website live chat requests. But those are the times when it’s needed most. Hundreds of cars are often wrecked or destroyed during weather events, and countless other vehicle owners ponder an upgrade at the same time.
It is one of the fundamental arguments for using a third-party chat provider to handle either all chat requests, or at least on a backup status to facilitate chat conversations when dealership staff aren’t available for whatever reason, whether it’s after hours or a major weather event.
Our thoughts and prayers are for the safety of everyone affected by this epic blizzard of 2016.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom LaPointe CarChat24 CHAT GURU
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with nearly 20 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been involved with the internet from the beginning, building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to BDC / internet sales and viral marketing.
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Preston Automotive Group MD/DE
Massive blizzard is one huge reason to have quality managed chat
Even when the massive snowstorm hammering the eastern United States subsides, it could still be days before people can get to work, and that includes car dealership personnel. One trend I discovered after a similar Washington, D.C., storm in the 1990’s is that there was a crazy run on trucks and SUVs with all-wheel-drive. Couple that with cheap gas, and nearly anyone with electricity and internet service will be looking for a car while they binge-watch Netflix.
If your staff can’t get to the store to answer the phones and are too busy shoveling to respond to live chat, even on their phone, what’s the solution? That is one HUGE reason to ensure a quality live chat partner is there to respond to chat requests on your dealer website. Snowstorms, hurricanes, floods, and even tornadoes can interfere with a store’s ability to respond to website live chat requests. But those are the times when it’s needed most. Hundreds of cars are often wrecked or destroyed during weather events, and countless other vehicle owners ponder an upgrade at the same time.
It is one of the fundamental arguments for using a third-party chat provider to handle either all chat requests, or at least on a backup status to facilitate chat conversations when dealership staff aren’t available for whatever reason, whether it’s after hours or a major weather event.
Our thoughts and prayers are for the safety of everyone affected by this epic blizzard of 2016.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom LaPointe CarChat24 CHAT GURU
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with nearly 20 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been involved with the internet from the beginning, building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to BDC / internet sales and viral marketing.
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Preston Automotive Group MD/DE
Want live chat to work? Don’t play ‘hide the salami’
It’s one thing to try to view the auto industry through the eyes of a consumer when you work for a dealership. It’s quite another to attempt to view it as a vendor. But to TRULY get the feel for what it’s like to see the industry like a car shopper, one needs to actually shop for – and buy – an automobile. And during the past 10 days that’s exactly what I did.
For most of us in the industry, we either have the inside track on factory employee pricing or a shot to buy trades near cost and typically avoid pricey dealer fees. But my journey through the auto industry has put me in a position about every five years in which I have to purchase a vehicle on the open market, either with stores where I’m not really connected or on eBay. Yes, I know how to work a deal and where fair numbers should be on my trade and my purchase vehicle, but it can still be like a lion’s den.
So what does this have to do with live chat on your dealership website? Only EVERYTHING! When dealers put chat on their website it’s basically offering shoppers a contract – a contract that they’re offering buyers a new way to interact with the dealership that meets the website visitors on their own terms. It’s an acknowledgement that the auto industry is changing to create a better experience for car buyers from first contact.
Quality dealerships and quality chat providers tend to strive for chat conversations that offer car buyers on their websites a good experience, with the goal of generating accurate lead information. But when a dealer perpetuates old-school car sales games with pedestrian behaviors like hiding the real prices behind bogus discounts or credits they blow the deal before it starts. It’s one thing to throw out a TV ad for a new vehicle with every improbable rebate thrown in, like military AND college graduate AND loyalty, or similar. But to have an AutoTrader.com ad with used car prices displayed $2,000 below list price with a ridiculous qualifier print that offers an arbitrary $1,000 “additional trade allowance” and $1,000 discount for “financing through the dealership” is a slap in the face to buyers.
What makes it even worse is when a dealer plays these ‘hide the salami’ games with live chat. Take this example:
[10:27:25 AM]<HB>Hello, how may I help you?
[10:28:07 AM]<Customer>I saw a certified 2011 santafe. Still have?
[10:28:44 AM]<HB>I can check for you, Okay?
[10:28:55 AM]<Customer>Ok
[10:30:15 AM]<HB>I am showing I have this vehicle on line but for me to be certain I need to physically check for you,okay?
[10:30:57 AM]<Customer>Assumin g you what is current price? No trade, cash deal?
[10:31:10 AM]<Customer>Assuming u have it
[10:31:44 AM]<HB>I am almost certain, I can secure the vehicle for your visit
[10:31:55 AM]<HB>When are you available to come in?
[10:32:19 AM]<Customer>That isn't the question... how much is it listed for?
[10:32:55 AM]<HB>I am checking it for you do you happen to see the stock number
[10:33:55 AM]<Customer>Not on my phone
[10:34:20 AM]<HB>You are referring to the one with 53,098 miles on it?
[10:34:59 AM]<Customer>Like 30k
[10:35:35 AM]<HB>What color is the Santa Fe I have several 2011's
[10:36:03 AM]<Customer>Silver I think. Awd
[10:38:26 AM]<HB>I believe the internet price is 14,996
[10:39:50 AM]<HB>Who do I have the pleasure of working with?
[10:40:12 AM]<Customer>Do I have to trade or finance for that price?
[10:40:39 AM]<Customer>Tom
[10:41:18 AM]<HB>Hi Tom yes that is the bases of that promotion thru our Dealership
[10:41:44 AM]<HB>Managesr are very motivated to earn your business
[10:42:01 AM]<Customer>My original question...what is the price no trade and cash deal?????
[10:42:21 AM]<Customer>List price?
[10:42:21 AM]<HB>$16,996
[10:43:06 AM]<HB>Who you like to make a offer?
[10:43:10 AM]<Customer>Thank you.
We can debate the finer points of chat strategy (like avoiding very poor grammar and typos with pre-written scripts), but the customer experience here was epically frustrating. For starters, first she said she still has the car then asks me which car I’m asking about (lie number one). Then she says she has several; there are only two (lie number two). Then she ‘believes’ the internet price is 14,996 (lie number three because that’s the listed price). Finally, after being asked three times, she finally acknowledged the price. By then I was done being yanked around, and so would anyone else looking for a smooth transaction.
I have no qualms with her asking early and often for contact information. It’s one thing (though not a good thing) to avoid answering the price question directly, but lying outright? That’s a travesty in the era of dealers of trying to generate leads with live chat, text, and social media. It doesn’t matter if a dealer uses smoke signals or two tin cans on a string, they need to treat shoppers with integrity and respect. And if business practices NEED chat operators and call centers to use classic ‘tin man’-style tactics, like ‘bait and switch’ or ‘hide the salami’, than a managed chat system will never work, and self-managed chat will only end up costing deals, like this situation. I may have actually pursued that vehicle and worked a deal, but I was so disgusted with the experience, I went for other options.
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with nearly 20 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been involved with the internet from the beginning, building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to BDC / internet sales and viral marketing.
No Comments
Preston Automotive Group MD/DE
Want live chat to work? Don’t play ‘hide the salami’
It’s one thing to try to view the auto industry through the eyes of a consumer when you work for a dealership. It’s quite another to attempt to view it as a vendor. But to TRULY get the feel for what it’s like to see the industry like a car shopper, one needs to actually shop for – and buy – an automobile. And during the past 10 days that’s exactly what I did.
For most of us in the industry, we either have the inside track on factory employee pricing or a shot to buy trades near cost and typically avoid pricey dealer fees. But my journey through the auto industry has put me in a position about every five years in which I have to purchase a vehicle on the open market, either with stores where I’m not really connected or on eBay. Yes, I know how to work a deal and where fair numbers should be on my trade and my purchase vehicle, but it can still be like a lion’s den.
So what does this have to do with live chat on your dealership website? Only EVERYTHING! When dealers put chat on their website it’s basically offering shoppers a contract – a contract that they’re offering buyers a new way to interact with the dealership that meets the website visitors on their own terms. It’s an acknowledgement that the auto industry is changing to create a better experience for car buyers from first contact.
Quality dealerships and quality chat providers tend to strive for chat conversations that offer car buyers on their websites a good experience, with the goal of generating accurate lead information. But when a dealer perpetuates old-school car sales games with pedestrian behaviors like hiding the real prices behind bogus discounts or credits they blow the deal before it starts. It’s one thing to throw out a TV ad for a new vehicle with every improbable rebate thrown in, like military AND college graduate AND loyalty, or similar. But to have an AutoTrader.com ad with used car prices displayed $2,000 below list price with a ridiculous qualifier print that offers an arbitrary $1,000 “additional trade allowance” and $1,000 discount for “financing through the dealership” is a slap in the face to buyers.
What makes it even worse is when a dealer plays these ‘hide the salami’ games with live chat. Take this example:
[10:27:25 AM]<HB>Hello, how may I help you?
[10:28:07 AM]<Customer>I saw a certified 2011 santafe. Still have?
[10:28:44 AM]<HB>I can check for you, Okay?
[10:28:55 AM]<Customer>Ok
[10:30:15 AM]<HB>I am showing I have this vehicle on line but for me to be certain I need to physically check for you,okay?
[10:30:57 AM]<Customer>Assumin g you what is current price? No trade, cash deal?
[10:31:10 AM]<Customer>Assuming u have it
[10:31:44 AM]<HB>I am almost certain, I can secure the vehicle for your visit
[10:31:55 AM]<HB>When are you available to come in?
[10:32:19 AM]<Customer>That isn't the question... how much is it listed for?
[10:32:55 AM]<HB>I am checking it for you do you happen to see the stock number
[10:33:55 AM]<Customer>Not on my phone
[10:34:20 AM]<HB>You are referring to the one with 53,098 miles on it?
[10:34:59 AM]<Customer>Like 30k
[10:35:35 AM]<HB>What color is the Santa Fe I have several 2011's
[10:36:03 AM]<Customer>Silver I think. Awd
[10:38:26 AM]<HB>I believe the internet price is 14,996
[10:39:50 AM]<HB>Who do I have the pleasure of working with?
[10:40:12 AM]<Customer>Do I have to trade or finance for that price?
[10:40:39 AM]<Customer>Tom
[10:41:18 AM]<HB>Hi Tom yes that is the bases of that promotion thru our Dealership
[10:41:44 AM]<HB>Managesr are very motivated to earn your business
[10:42:01 AM]<Customer>My original question...what is the price no trade and cash deal?????
[10:42:21 AM]<Customer>List price?
[10:42:21 AM]<HB>$16,996
[10:43:06 AM]<HB>Who you like to make a offer?
[10:43:10 AM]<Customer>Thank you.
We can debate the finer points of chat strategy (like avoiding very poor grammar and typos with pre-written scripts), but the customer experience here was epically frustrating. For starters, first she said she still has the car then asks me which car I’m asking about (lie number one). Then she says she has several; there are only two (lie number two). Then she ‘believes’ the internet price is 14,996 (lie number three because that’s the listed price). Finally, after being asked three times, she finally acknowledged the price. By then I was done being yanked around, and so would anyone else looking for a smooth transaction.
I have no qualms with her asking early and often for contact information. It’s one thing (though not a good thing) to avoid answering the price question directly, but lying outright? That’s a travesty in the era of dealers of trying to generate leads with live chat, text, and social media. It doesn’t matter if a dealer uses smoke signals or two tin cans on a string, they need to treat shoppers with integrity and respect. And if business practices NEED chat operators and call centers to use classic ‘tin man’-style tactics, like ‘bait and switch’ or ‘hide the salami’, than a managed chat system will never work, and self-managed chat will only end up costing deals, like this situation. I may have actually pursued that vehicle and worked a deal, but I was so disgusted with the experience, I went for other options.
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with nearly 20 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been involved with the internet from the beginning, building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to BDC / internet sales and viral marketing.
No Comments
Preston Automotive Group MD/DE
Are your chat leads counterfeit? Three huckster ways contact info is weaseled from shoppers
I once heard a manager at a Tom Stuker phone training class joke that if every vendor promise came true their dealership would be selling a million cars a month. And so it goes with managed chat providers and even some chat software. There are live chat vendors who pitch insane lead counts to dealers that have no basis in reality, and often the leads they do provide are little more than names from a phone book. One definition for weasel as a verb is to “achieve something by use of cunning or deceit.” That precisely describes some chat leads.
An effective chat program can convert about a half a percent of unique visits to leads, and a stellar program can get up around one percent. But what is a quality chat lead? It’s one in which the shopper actually said they would like someone from the dealership to contact them, not one in which the email or phone was hijacked. Here are three weasel tricks to capture contact info:
- What is your email address in case we get disconnected? It’s a viable phone up technique, but asking for contact information up front risks the shopper bouncing out and certainly isn’t an OPT-IN lead.
- Would you like a transcript of this chat conversation? Again, this is hardly an OPT-IN lead, and can you even call it a lead?
- Requiring name and email before the chat even starts. This is REALLY NOT a lead! Would you ask for a shopper’s phone number and email the moment they walked on your lot? The same applies to a website chat conversation. If you give them a good experience with chat, you will earn their information and an INVITATION to contact them with more information and to start your selling process.
Handing names harvested this way to a dealer hardly constitutes a lead, and yet that’s what happens. In fact not only is this not a true lead, but can actually create a hostile relationship with shoppers who were misled into giving up their info and start receiving emails or phone numbers out of the blue. Furthermore, gathering information this way and making contact risks violating federal and state laws in the U.S. and Canada.
One of the key appeals of live chat for auto shoppers is the ability to shop with anonymity, and pushing for contact information up front or weaseling information out of them violates this premise. Just like on the lot or the phone, if you help buyers with their journey to purchase a vehicle, they will open up with not only personal contact information, but insight into their needs and wants that can help you move them closer to a purchase.
Managed chat and chat software give dealers a great way to start the sales conversation with shoppers, but how it is set up is a major factor in its success – or failure on dealership websites.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom LaPointe CarChat24 CHAT GURU
www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with nearly 20 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been involved with the internet from the beginning, building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to BDC / internet sales and viral marketing.
1 Comment
AutoStride
Good stuff Tom!I'm building the first Smart TV (Roku) automotive marketplace / lead conversion system that is already converting some really high quality leads. Only been in existence for a week and has produced over 300 leads. Particularly because of the pre-populated data (one-click process), with permission given to process it, of course. Application itself works @ https://channelstore.roku.com/details/55248/autostride. Website @ http://autostride.com. Nothing fraudulent about these, all legit!
Preston Automotive Group MD/DE
Are your chat leads counterfeit? Three huckster ways contact info is weaseled from shoppers
I once heard a manager at a Tom Stuker phone training class joke that if every vendor promise came true their dealership would be selling a million cars a month. And so it goes with managed chat providers and even some chat software. There are live chat vendors who pitch insane lead counts to dealers that have no basis in reality, and often the leads they do provide are little more than names from a phone book. One definition for weasel as a verb is to “achieve something by use of cunning or deceit.” That precisely describes some chat leads.
An effective chat program can convert about a half a percent of unique visits to leads, and a stellar program can get up around one percent. But what is a quality chat lead? It’s one in which the shopper actually said they would like someone from the dealership to contact them, not one in which the email or phone was hijacked. Here are three weasel tricks to capture contact info:
- What is your email address in case we get disconnected? It’s a viable phone up technique, but asking for contact information up front risks the shopper bouncing out and certainly isn’t an OPT-IN lead.
- Would you like a transcript of this chat conversation? Again, this is hardly an OPT-IN lead, and can you even call it a lead?
- Requiring name and email before the chat even starts. This is REALLY NOT a lead! Would you ask for a shopper’s phone number and email the moment they walked on your lot? The same applies to a website chat conversation. If you give them a good experience with chat, you will earn their information and an INVITATION to contact them with more information and to start your selling process.
Handing names harvested this way to a dealer hardly constitutes a lead, and yet that’s what happens. In fact not only is this not a true lead, but can actually create a hostile relationship with shoppers who were misled into giving up their info and start receiving emails or phone numbers out of the blue. Furthermore, gathering information this way and making contact risks violating federal and state laws in the U.S. and Canada.
One of the key appeals of live chat for auto shoppers is the ability to shop with anonymity, and pushing for contact information up front or weaseling information out of them violates this premise. Just like on the lot or the phone, if you help buyers with their journey to purchase a vehicle, they will open up with not only personal contact information, but insight into their needs and wants that can help you move them closer to a purchase.
Managed chat and chat software give dealers a great way to start the sales conversation with shoppers, but how it is set up is a major factor in its success – or failure on dealership websites.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom LaPointe CarChat24 CHAT GURU
www.carchat24.com/ 24/7 Interactive Automotive Dealer Website LIVE CHAT Solutions Hosted or In-House Options – FREE web chat software 727-638-0195
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Tom has an MBA in Marketing and is an automotive writer and author with nearly 20 years experience in virtually every aspect of the retail auto industry. He has been involved with the internet from the beginning, building websites at Johns Hopkins University in the 90's, and has been a performance leader in nearly every dealer role, from sales and service, to BDC / internet sales and viral marketing.
1 Comment
AutoStride
Good stuff Tom!I'm building the first Smart TV (Roku) automotive marketplace / lead conversion system that is already converting some really high quality leads. Only been in existence for a week and has produced over 300 leads. Particularly because of the pre-populated data (one-click process), with permission given to process it, of course. Application itself works @ https://channelstore.roku.com/details/55248/autostride. Website @ http://autostride.com. Nothing fraudulent about these, all legit!
Preston Automotive Group MD/DE
Are you nuking your live chat! 5 deadly risks
Just like in the 90’s when shoppers wouldn’t lease because they had already had a bad experience with is, such is the situation with auto dealers adding QUALITY chat to their dealership websites.
“We tried chat and it didn’t work for us”
Again and again we hear that chat didn’t work. But like leasing, it depends on the structure and the company with which you partner. There are dozens of nuances that affect the success of live chat, including, software, customer interface, operator console and tools, scripting, and much more. Just like a little tweak can make a massive difference in a Major League Baseball player’s batting success, little things can make a HUGE difference in chat.
Here are five ways to unintentionally blow up your chance of success with chat:
- Slow or no response to chat request (including OFFLINE notice)
- Demanding too much info too soon (name, contact info, department)
- Robotic or illogical responses
- Too much delay in conversation
- Bad information or (worse) lying
Regardless of the time and money to implement live chat or any other website service, the last thing you want is for it to self-destruct for these or any other reasons. To ensure your dealership has a chat strategy that can get you as many leads and (most importantly) car sales, be sure to shop carefully, compare return on investment, and examine reviews. Chat can be a great website tool when steps are taken to protect from a nuclear catastrophe.
No Comments
Preston Automotive Group MD/DE
Are you nuking your live chat! 5 deadly risks
Just like in the 90’s when shoppers wouldn’t lease because they had already had a bad experience with is, such is the situation with auto dealers adding QUALITY chat to their dealership websites.
“We tried chat and it didn’t work for us”
Again and again we hear that chat didn’t work. But like leasing, it depends on the structure and the company with which you partner. There are dozens of nuances that affect the success of live chat, including, software, customer interface, operator console and tools, scripting, and much more. Just like a little tweak can make a massive difference in a Major League Baseball player’s batting success, little things can make a HUGE difference in chat.
Here are five ways to unintentionally blow up your chance of success with chat:
- Slow or no response to chat request (including OFFLINE notice)
- Demanding too much info too soon (name, contact info, department)
- Robotic or illogical responses
- Too much delay in conversation
- Bad information or (worse) lying
Regardless of the time and money to implement live chat or any other website service, the last thing you want is for it to self-destruct for these or any other reasons. To ensure your dealership has a chat strategy that can get you as many leads and (most importantly) car sales, be sure to shop carefully, compare return on investment, and examine reviews. Chat can be a great website tool when steps are taken to protect from a nuclear catastrophe.
No Comments
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