It’s been a hot topic for a little while now, and it’s time to re-evaluate how you’re doing. Go to Google and search for “[insert your make] repairs in [your city/neighborhood name]”. If you’re searching for Chevrolet repairs in Palo Alto, I’ll tell you what you’ll find: the only dealership on the first page is in 10th place.

Online marketing for vehicle service and repairs has been dominated by the little guys. The people who understand that they need to be visible to potential customers before they can win them over. The same people who advertise faster service and walk-in visits. The same shops you thought were harmless to your dealership.

They’re the ones who your customers find first in a Google search.

Independent shops and chain stores know where their bread and butter comes from. It comes from the customers who defect from your dealership for one reason or another. When you look at it from the customer’s point of view, the micro-moment that helps them choose their oil change service center or their tire replacement facility nearly always begins with a browser search.

An Online Presence Is for Service Also

The stats vary widely depending on the source. Some places say around 70 percent of your customers service at your dealership in the first year, then drop to 50 percent after the first year. Other sources say it’s more like 27 percent continue to visit your dealership after the first 12 months are up. After that, the numbers continue to plummet. That’s because they’ve sourced your competition online.

Now, what if you were on the first page of your Google search organically? That’s bound to have an impact on your customer retention. And that comes down to an online presence for service-related searches, not just for the sales department.

Valuable Web Content

In order to improve your ranking and boost up to the first page, you need to invest some time, effort, and money – yes, money – into web content. It requires you to determine the most searched keywords in your vicinity and to create content that applies to real-life customer searches. ‘tire sale near Denver’, ‘timing belt replacement in Manhattan’, ‘engine light diagnosis in Georgia’ – all examples of keywords that could help make you relevant online.

Have blogs and FAQs posted on your service page of your dealership’s website. And, like all good advertising, have a call to action on the page. Make it simple for the customer to follow through to your service department to schedule an appointment or talk to the staff.

Create Cool Videos

Videos are still on an upward trend. They engage the audience when the video is done well and can provide the same or better information as a written article, along with a visual. You can get creative with videos for your customers. These are a couple ideas you can work from:

• Have a popular service advisor take your customers on a walk-through of the service department. Keep the monologue upbeat and the language professional. A script can help with the verbiage, but it flows better when it’s organic.
• Create how-to videos for your customers on relevant topics. Use the technician who has the most people skills to film it. You can choose topics like ‘how to replace your cabin air filter’, ‘the importance of xxxx maintenance’, and ‘why you should get a wheel alignment’. Everyone wants to see someone with expertise starring in the video.
• Like I mentioned in my previous blog, use creative video options like 360-degree videos. It’s a good way for customers to learn more about cars, car repairs, and your service department.

Immeasurable Benefits from an Online Presence

Here’s the hang-up you’re bound to have about getting visible online: you won’t notice a direct difference. The only measurable results are click-through rates on your calls to action, and that’s not likely to be hugely captivating.

If you want a true metric, it’s necessary to look long term. Measure the difference between your in-store traffic from one year to the next. Compare the sales figures in the 12 month spans before and after your website focus.

Another point to keep in mind is that you may be just stemming the flow. If you’re losing customers to the competition, if your customers are defecting, that rate may slow or stop because of your online emphasis. It could take years to turn it in the right direction