With the trends focused on increased mobile usage, it is important to note that with these trends come changes in how the customer *expects* to navigate your site. Not having a cohesive, easy-to-use mobile site can cause a significant decrease in not just traffic, but conversion!

Customers have been are continuing to use apps like Repair Pal & Open Bay. Both of which offer the customer a simple, easy, & engaging experience. So what can we take away from them? A couple of things, actually.

Here are a few things to avoid when managing or creating your mobile service experience:

Bad Menu Option’s

There is such a thing as too many tabs/menus on your browser. This rule is most important for your mobile customers. The menu should be a hamburger style menu and only offer the most pertinent information. The most important information to provide your customer is booking an appointment, service menu (with pricing), and current specials.

Think about it. A hamburger has 2 sides to a bun, meat, cheese, and some condiments/fluff also known as your meet the staff page and/or your blog. The meat, however, is the conversion points. That is the appointment scheduling tool and your click to call! The buns - which is your website - houses all of the important information together into a cohesive, easy to use site!  

Most, if not all, website platforms offer the ability to turn-off/hide desktop items (known as break points) on the mobile site.

No Social Ad’s (and if you do, bad ones)

Part of having good conversion is offering your services on multiple platforms. Having a strong offer with a strong call to action will certainly increase your click rate. In turn, there should be an increase in service appointments booked online.

The mobile coupon does not have to be a free oil change either! Instead, you can offer an end of the summer tune-up. Offering a last minute “road trip” special which bundles a few items. Allowing the dealer to still turn a profit even with a coupon.

Another coupon - conversion idea - is an amount off where the customer has the ‘coupon’ texted to their device. This has proven to be extremely effective with our store.

What kind of coupons have you had success with?

Too Many Clicks

Ever find yourself clicking the back button multiple times to get back to the home page? You aren’t the only one. This click happy reaction stems from not having the right CTA’s readily available on your mobile site. In turn, causing frustration and - more often than not - higher exit and bounce rates.

When is the last time you checked your “top exited pages?” This will give you some potential insight as to what is and isn’t working on your mobile platform. Make sure to give it a test run before making changes. Remembering, if it takes more than 5-6 clicks to get to the desired information the chances of the customer converting is much less likely.

Pop-Up’s

As tempting as it may be to “pop-up” a surprise coupon for your customer. Don’t. Not unless you have made sure that the coupon does not disrupt your customer creating a negative distraction as s/he is browsing your website.

Popping up coupons on mobile can also disrupt your CTA’s - especially if the CTA/Coupon is not relevant to the service customer. As most of the coupons on dealer websites pertain to sales, not service.

Do you have a lead accelerator for service?

Too Many CTA’s

There is such a thing as having too many options. And having too many options can actually lead your customer to not choosing any of them! Less is more. Offering the *right* options is all it takes.

Think about it. So you offer 6 different CTA’s. But when the customer clicks on any one of the CTA’s and the landing page doesn’t have anything do with the offer the customer will exit. Of course, exiting without having converted.

This is the case with the “coupon,” aka lead accelerator tactic. Wherein, the customer clicks on a service menu option and s/he is given a dollar amount of their purchase of a new car! Bet you they wish it was $$$ for their service appointment.

Bottom Line: Mobile marketing is essential for your core business. And while there is so much to say and so little real estate - ‘content’ becomes an integral part of your website's core. Having relative, easy to browse content will convert more customers. Converting more customers equates to more profits.

Whether you are using a marketing company or have a guru in house.  Don’t be afraid to take a minute and give your mobile site a test run. Use the website as if you were a customer going to the dealer. Noting that if it is hard for you - who works in the dealer - to use the site then perhaps it just needs some TLC!

How has your mobile marketing changed? What are some tips you’d share to those revamping their mobile marketing efforts?