GetAuto analyzed 10 of our highest trafficked demographic market areas to reveal trends of which cars are selling best on our site. Our analysis revealed facts on which listings outperform others and why. 

Vehicle Descriptions:

Cars with descriptions generate four times as many leads compared to listings that do not have descriptions.

Descriptions are a way to be creative about the vehicle. Any opportunity you have to pre-sell the car through describing the features should be utilized. This way, by time a consumer visits the dealership, they are already eager to see the vehicle. 

You’ll want to include the features of the car in the description as well as any other selling points you believe may entice the consumer. Depending on the environment of the dealership (i.e. professional, relaxed, “neighborhood”), you can tweak the descriptions. While some dealerships prefer a luxurious description that creates a feel of exclusivity, other dealerships may prefer descriptions that generates a family-friendly feel.  The type of description you want will depend on the atmosphere and inventory of the dealership. 

 Dominion Performance Network’s mission is to help you sell your vehicles! Please reach out to us for support at 866.336.0172 or sales@dpnleads.com.  You can also visit us at www.dpnleads.com.

GetAuto analyzed 10 of our highest trafficked demographic market areas to reveal trends of which cars are selling best on our site. Our analysis revealed facts on which listings outperform others and why. 

Pricing:

Cars with prices listed generate 8 times more leads than cars that do not have pricing. Of those that have prices, ones that are listed below market value generate 7 times as many leads.

Shoppers researching online want a ballpark of prices for vehicles. It’s understandable that dealers would prefer to negotiate pricing while talking in person; however, providing a price online helps create a sense of confidence in the buying process for the consumer.

The internet is a significant resource. If you do not list the price and consumer is interested in the vehicle, there is a chance that the consumer will research fair pricing whether you list it or not.

Dominion Performance Network’s mission is to help you sell your vehicles! Please reach out to us for support at 866.336.0172 or sales@dpnleads.com.  You can also visit us at www.dpnleads.com

GetAuto analyzed 10 of our highest trafficked demographic market areas to reveal trends of which cars are selling best on our site. Our analysis revealed facts on which listings outperform others and why. 

Images:

80% of leads generated had at least 4 photos of the vehicle listed. Of those, 50% had a range of 4-10 photos.

In advertising, photos sell.  Inventory images of the vehicle allow consumers to answer questions about the interior colors, major damage, etc. Providing consumers with inventory images allows them to gain an understanding of what the vehicle looks like, which ultimately helps sell the car.

The types of images you should include are:

• The four sides of the vehicle
• Rims/Tires
• Tire tread
• Interior front seats
• Interior back seats
• Trunk space
• Dashboard
• Inside door panels
• Shifter
• Under the front hood (engine, etc)
• Other features (i.e. TV on headrests, Cargo cage/netting, heated seats)

Keep this punch list of photos in mind when you're putting together your vehicle listings to get the most bang for your online merchandising buck. 

Dominion Performance Network’s mission is to help you sell your vehicles! Please reach out to us for support at 866.336.0172 or sales@dpnleads.com.  You can also visit us at www.dpnleads.com

You have the opportunity to increase your sales conversion using web leads.  It can be hard to connect with consumers via email, so you will want to consider using a streamlined follow up tactic. When you receive a web lead, you may want to call immediately, but you should also send an email that contains the following:

·         Confirmation of the inquiry being received by the dealership

·         Consumer’s name

·         Year/Make/Model of interest

·         Contact information for the dealership

·         When the consumer can anticipate hearing from you regarding the vehicle of interest

To help with the initial follow up contact, develop email templates that you can use to deal with your inbound inquiries - contact us for some that dealers in the Automotive Digital Marketing Professional Community said have benefited them.

Dominion Performance Network’s mission is to help you sell your vehicles! Please reach out to us for support at 866.336.0172 or sales@dpnleads.com.  You can also visit us at www.dpnleads.com .

Email leads from third party sites like GetAuto can be a great resource for generating sales opportunities. Although the sites can ensure you receive quality, verified leads, it’s up to you to bring them in to close the sale. Here are four tips to help expedite that process after you receive the lead:

Tip #1: Respond within 24 hours

If a consumer is inquiring about a vehicle online, they are expecting instant answers. The faster you reply to their inquiry, the more likely the interaction will evolve into an in-person sales opportunity.

Tip #2: Professional email response. Personalize when possible

As web interactions have evolved, the formality of emails has declined. Slang and short-cut misspellings replace actual words. While you don’t want to come across as unnatural, make sure to maintain a level of professionalism in your email response.

Tip #3: Email and call during different times of the day

When researching online, some people may send emails, but do not have the time for a call. For instance, if they are at work or on a lunch break. Spacing out your follow up methods increases the chances of interacting with the consumer.

Tip 4: Implement a follow up plan

In some cases, a consumer may not be ready to purchase a vehicle immediately. You will want to make sure to note specific vehicles they have expressed interest in to send them follow up information.

Dominion Performance Network’s mission is to help you sell your vehicles! Please reach out to us for support at 866.336.0172 or sales@dpnleads.com.  You can also visit us at www.dpnleads.com.

Most dealers would agree that to sell the maximum amount of cars, online marketing is a must. Simply put, dealers need to have their inventory well-represented across the internet.  Advertising on lead generation sites is an effective way for dealers to get exposure. These websites allow dealers to post their vehicle inventory and leverage consumer traffic to drive inquiries called leads. The two most common types of lead generation sites are subscription-based and performance-based. There are important differences in the way these sites generate leads and charge dealers, so it’s key to evaluate both.

Subscription-based lead generation sites use the power of a strong local or national brand to drive consumer traffic. They execute aggressive marketing campaigns through multiple channels, such as web, print, television, and radio to make sure the general public is familiar with their names and offerings. This market saturation results in higher traffic to the site, more vehicle searches, and increases the potential for leads to dealers. Dealers that utilize subscription-based sites typically pay a flat monthly membership fee and are offered incremental merchandising options for additional fees.

There are a couple items to know before signing up with subscription-based sites. First, being associated with a well-established site means you can expect to pay more per month. Second, there is typically no guaranteed lead volume promised to dealers. So, dealers are paying as much for advertising as they are for actual leads.

Performance-based sites have the same goal as subscription-based sites, but have a different method of charging dealers. Dealers typically post their entire inventory for free and pay only for the leads they receive. These sites focus heavily on optimizing their sites for lead generation since they are paid on a lead-by-lead basis. Dealers can also set a spend maximum, making performance-based sites budget-friendly, low-risk investments with maximum accountability.

Performance-based sites typically do not have the same level of consumer brand recognition that large subscription-based sites do, so the traffic is often lower nationally.  These sites are often very competitive at the local level. In addition, because these sites charge by the lead, they usually allow dealers to “return” duplicate or bad leads.

When deciding which type of site to advertise on, remember your goal should be getting your cars in front of every shopper in your market. Different shoppers go to different sites. One size does not fit all shoppers. In order to get the maximum amount of quality leads, you should have a balanced mix of subscription-based and performance-based partners. The most successful dealerships use both types of sites.

Chris Lewis is the National Sales Manager of www.GetAuto.com & www.DominionPerformanceNetwork.com. He can be contacted at 888-227-670 , or by email at chris.lewis@dpnleads.com.

Studies show that 50% of sales for most dealerships start with a phone conversation. Understanding how to approach a phone lead is instrumental in converting a prospect from a shopper to a buyer. While phone leads could be considered an easy close, many dealerships struggle with them - losing opportunities and money.

For instance, most dealers only identify themselves 70% of the time while on the phone. Prospects want to know who they are calling and they have specific questions they want answered. Dealers also have less than a 30% chance of getting a prospect back on the phone. If you are not answering their questions immediately, you can almost guarantee the prospect is calling a different dealership after they hang up.

GetAuto’s mission is to help dealerships sell more cars, so, we are excited to offer these best practice suggestions to help increase the closing ratio on phone leads. Consider these ideas when handling your next call:

When answering a call

• Have a smart (and personable) front line – phone greetings should always be friendly, enthusiastic, and professional
• The person who answers calls needs to be educated on dealership inventory
•  Get the first and last name of the prospect as well as his/her phone number (make sure to provide yours)
• Remind the prospect of what he/she saw on the website (How did you hear about us? What site?)

While on the phone:

• Be informative and answer questions, but do not flood the prospect with information
• Don’t try to sell over the phone – the goal should be to gather information and get the prospect in the door

Setting the appointment:

• Ask the prospect when he/she would like to come in for a test drive and make sure to mention any promotion that could help close (i.e.: we are currently offering 5 free oil changes with every car purchased)
• Ask questions about why the prospect has a current interest in this vehicle. This information can help you select similar vehicles that match the prospect’s needs
• Educate the prospect on the dealership’s  process of test driving the vehicle and discussing options
• Consider an “internet special” offering to solidify the prospect’s visit to the dealership

Remember:

• The prospect is looking for immediate answers
• The goal is to get the prospect in the dealership, not to sell the car over the phone
• Treat every prospect as a long-term client – convey genuine concern for their welfare
• You have multiple toll-free numbers assigned to your dealership. Make sure you know where the call came from
• Always answer professionally. Some phone leads will have a “whisper” before connecting phone lines

The phone leads you receive can be a valuable resource if you understand how to handle each call. Make the most out of your marketing investment by implementing these best practice suggestions.