After my "best idea" win at DSES (thank you again, Driving Sales!) I've got lots of messages about how to capture customers from coast to coast with VR videos. It only made sense to break it down for you. You can view my winning presentation here! The process is simple, and can be completed in minimal steps.

The idea began when we started receiving e-leads from different provinces and cities all over Canada. How did we sell to people we would never have the chance to meet? And even better, WHY would they chose us over their local dealers for purchase? 

We started out with Google Cardboards, and Youtube videos shot on cellphones. The app "VR Converter" converts the videos to being VR capable, and it's a FREE download on either Apple or Android devices. It was a simple, cost effective way that allowed customers to transport in to our dealership and "meet" us. The response was positive, and we captured a lot of out of town sales.

The downside of Google Cardboards? The wait. You don't get an instant transaction, which let's face it, some salesmen will want. The customer has to wait to receive the cardboard in the mail, and then manually put it together - that being said, if you send them the instructions, and some content to keep them engaged, most will be happy to wait! 

We saw the biggest success when we invested in a 360 Camera. This took our video quality from low res, to high, professional quality videos that put the customer in control. The 360 camera creates videos that are similar to a Google Map view meaning the customer can spin the video around, and see whatever feature of the vehicle they want no matter WHAT the salesman is focusing on. It makes for a completely transparent vehicle walk around, and a VERY interactive test drive! You can even look out their windows as though you are riding shot gun. 

The videos again can be uploaded to YouTube or Google Drive. YouTube actually has a "googles" feature meaning if you're sending a 360 video with cardboards, you customer can click the google view and watch a professional VR video. Here is a similar camera to the one we purchased. 

It's THAT simple to be trendy, digital forward, and engaging. 

-- A 360 camera or cell phone
-- FREE app (VR Converter)
-- Your choice to include Google Cardboards or send it in real time 
-- Google Drive or YouTube

After this, we would send dealership walkarounds, introducing their Business Manager, our shop, and body shop. The possibilities are endless of what you can do, and hopefully you start delivering as many vehicles coast-to-coast as we do! 

Have you tried selling via videos and VR? Drop your comments below and tell me what you're doing to stay on the digital forefront! 

Do you feel like you've entered inception? A blog about how to blog, and what to blog about? - Now that we've got this obvious joke out of the way... let's talk blogging. 

Entering the automotive world, our website blog seemed stale. Explaining the same features of the same models and essentially rewriting what was already out there. How do you keep a blog on your website has relevant, new and fresh content that isn't the same as every other Toyota dealership? Blogs drive up SEO, and click rates, so abolishing them all together may actually work against you. Here are some tips to give your blog a facelift. 

1. Blog About Local Events

Not everything has to be automotive related. In fact, in order to be community-relevant, it's a great idea to do the opposite and blog about real-time, local, community events. This works in your favor two-fold. First, it sparks interest in your readers and shows you are connected to and care about the community and puts real faces behind your vehicles (who doesn't want to learn about all the best Halloween events coming up for adults and kids alike?!) Second, it will drive traffic to your website. When consumers search for these local events, your blog could come up, and boom! You have an unexpected visitor browsing around your website. 

2. Industry News 

Instead of the cliche next model, why not blog about that huge launch event... (think 2020 C8 Corvette), OR that new feature people have been hearing whispers about for months. Technology auto shows, launch events, and product reviews of desired and anticipated products are a great way to drive up clicks and get attention without just going over a model you already have, and everyone knows everything about. 

3. Be Informative

This is my favorite. Remember that not everyone is a car expert. As much as we don't want to admit it, a lot of the people working in your building aren't experts. Use this to your advantage. Blog about vehicle how to's, blog about your customers most asked questions, and blog about learning the answers to things. I was never a car person prior to working in the industry, and neither were lots of the people I recruited. How great would it be to have vlogs of your sales staff trying to open a Corvette roof, or check their own oil? Remember comedy, and reliability is gold. 

4. Service Specials, Reminders, and How To's 

Do you really need to change your wiper blades? Do you really need winter tires? How often do you have to change your oil? These are all questions everyone asks themselves when that time of year comes around. Instead of letting them ask, answer for them prior to compelling reasons to book. 

5. Blog About Your Customers

Delivery photos, product reviews, and things customers enjoyed in the experience. You're getting your customer to sell you, for you in a simple post. 

Remember the most important things are being relatable, offering value to the reader, and a reason to keep visiting, while selfishly hoping you gain more clicks, and more SEO visits through your posts! Plus, it's fun for the people you work to write, and engage in! 

I work for a GM dealership and paying attention to my website, and website provider was something that I gave little thought to... even though my leads and my income came DIRECTLY from these two things. Once CDK dissolved it's clause with GM, and I became immersed in this world of chose me vs the other guy, I began to notice quickly a lot of what was working on our website, and what wasn't... 

Here are the top takeaways I learned that is key to having your website stand out in the crowd. 

Always, always go mobile-first

You never think about it as your sitting at your desk, staring at your website a hundred times a day how few people actually aren't doing this. So close out of your website editor, and go to your mobile-first website editor. Your customer is likely sitting on their lunch break researching their next car on their iPhone, or laying on their couch with their tablet... few people are actually loading up their desktop nowadays. 51% of people look up what they need to on their mobile device, 45% use their tablets, which leaves a lowly 4% using a desktop computer. So why are you making changes using your desktop view? 

Check everything on your mobile site first. Go to your mobile site RIGHT NOW and play around with it, and ask your friends and family to as well. You'll be amazed at what insight someone from a non-car world has in terms of user-friendly, and simplicity. You may understand the "find out more" form when clicking the price section because it drives you a lead... they might understand from a consumer perspective that this feels annoying and even invasive. 

Don't ever make them SEARCH for that SEARCH bar... 

Get it? But seriously. If your search bar isn't front and center at the top of EVERY page, you're doing something wrong. No one wants to keep searching for the back button to search for something new. Today's world is all about quick and easy. Make sure it's the quickest, and easiest to search something on your website. 

Lose all the junk

What may seem important to you, or driving leads on your home page is probably annoying your customer. Why is it showing me your new car inventory in four different places? This is wasted real estate. Your homepage can be flashy, and have all the information in the world on it, as long as it's easy to use, and it doesn't take you longer than a minute to scroll through the whole page. Less is more.

Speaking of less is more...

All those dropdowns underneath your main page headings? STRIKE THEM. Well maybe not all of them... but having ten different pages under each header is confusing, and annoying to your customer. As much as you want to have the flashiest website with the most information and most pages possible... you really, really don't need it. Cut the junk. Have simple pages.

VDP's

Make sure your VDP's are accurate, informative, and answer the question. Gone are the days of being vague to drive leads. You'll actually get more if all your info is out in the open, and if your customer can see it all upfront. List the features, CarFax, and any other need to know info clearly. When it comes to images and videos if you got 'em flaunt 'em. THIS is where you want to overload your website... with images, 360 spins, videos, etc. Have the customer see the vehicle before they buy them... and clearly. 

Why YOU? 

A link to real human connection always sets you apart. A "staff page" introducing your customers with photos, bios, and why to shop from you always offers a real-life connection you can't beat. 

You hear it all the time... the internet sells the car. With online being the driving force behind the primary stages of customer purchases, your online presence is wildly important to ensure your automotive marketing efforts don't go on deaf ears.

Using Search Engines and Google My Business 

Before they even make it to your site, your customers will be searching for you. Search tools are key, the right keywords specific to your busy, and a mobile-friendly search optimization page is key to a seamless experience to find your dealerships information at first glance. Google My Business with your locations address, directions, and reviews will be one of the things that your customers see first - make sure you have a high Google Rating, you respond to all negative and positive reviews, your information is correct and easy to see, and that a customer can easily find, and view you. 

Your Website 

You've completely lost the game before you started if you don't have a simple, easy to use, mobile-first website. The more you cram your website with drop down options, long, information-heavy homepages, and difficult to use websites... your customer is closing that browser and going somewhere else. Flashy is fine, but it has to be simple, user-friendly, and again, mobile-first.

360 Views 

Ever growing in popularity are 360  views of vehicles in place of the 30+ photos dealers are used to. Programs like "Spin Car" allow a customer to visually see, touch and spin around every vehicle before they see them. This is your best marketing for your buck. Taking them on a visual, yet virtual tour of the vehicle so they can exactly what they want to be is marketing at your customer's fingertips. 

Social Campaigns

We talk a lot about the value of social media, and how it can boost your sales, but social is an easy, relatively low-cost way to drive sales, and the best part is your customers are likely already doing a lot of it! You can get a huge benefit from trial and error in terms of geotargeting Facebook campaigns according to age, and area and easily keep track of where your best leads came from, and what to change for next time. 

Provide Added Value 

Why do you only need to contact your customer when you want them to buy something? Why not share with them the importance of Apple Car  Play, or why you should change your wiper blades? People like subscribe to things that add value to their lives... don't always make it about the next sale. 

Everyone Like's To Feel Special 

Personalized discounts, personalized emails based off what customers are looking at, or when they were last in go a long way... instead of blanket marketing to your database try and go model specific, or sperate out sales vs service... or even better... make it as personalized as possible. No one can deny the emotional attachment of seeing your own name light up on the screen, with your own information offering something specific to you.  

The automotive industry is constantly changing, and evolving. The last decade has seen RAPID growth and change due to the rapid growth and change associated with technology, and social media. 

Technology, innovation, social media, and media in general has enhanced and evolved the car buying experience so much that 60% of buyers now start their shopping process online. What used to be a decision that took only a mere 7 days can now take upwards of 90 days from the initial research process to taking the keys... which can be incredibly frustrating at a dealer level. While the online world is scary, and many dealers resist it, understanding a consumers research phase is key to not only selling more cars, but success and dealer expansion. 

The Research Phase: 

Imagine a world where you decided to buy a car... you walked in to a dealership... and you purchased the car - while some of you may feel familiarity in this universe, to new age car dealers this is completely foreign. Today, consumers spend upwards of 50+ days researching their future vehicles before even THINKING of stepping foot in to a dealership. According to Google, 90% of Car Shoppers do at least 2 hours of research online before ever walking in to a car dealership. 90%!! 65% of these people are spending at least three weeks online researching. 

What used to be brand, or model specific, now the research is completely open ended - 60% of shoppers have NO IDEA what they are shopping for! Instead of selling your brand, educate these lost consumers and teach them about your brand, models, makes, and why they should chose you! 

Video research is becoming increasingly more popular, (not to mention effective) and 60% of buyers spend at least 3 hours on sites such as YouTube watching videos of test drives, options, vehicle features, reviews and much, much more. 

What does this all mean for YOU?

Your website reach and targeting can't just be brand specific - the world is ever changing and people have NO IDEA what they want anymore! Make your website, social content, and video content engaging, informative, and educational and so broad that you aren't only speaking to yourmodelline of customers but so that you're speaking to ALL customers... because 90% of the time, they have no idea if they are GM, BMW, Honda, Toyota, or the like, specific. 

Video content is HUGE, and growing ever popular. Not to mention the most engaging form of education you can get!  - use this to your advantage, and make AS MANY videos about EVERYTHING as you can. 

Dealer Blogs are becoming ever popular, and dealers are using blogs, and social places to not only educate consumers on vehicles but to sell themselves. Make blogs, engaging social spaces, and exciting websites so consumers don't pass you, and go somewhere else for info! - but we will cover this next time! 

In a world where the internet sells cars, and videos are a huge part of this - have you got on the bus of using Virtual Reality to sell vehicles as well? 

It's no shock that VR is gaining popularity in many industries, so it didn't take long for the car business to jump on the VR bandwagon as well. Car manufacturers themselves have begun using VR, and augmented realities to showcase their vehicles, and make their brands more appealing than their competition. According to Digi-Capital, the augmented/virtual reality forecasted revenue is to hit $120 billion by 2020. This means, if you as a dealer haven't jumped on the VR bus, you're missing out on over a 100 billion dollar industry.

Car dealers take advantage of this VR world to deliver world class experiences to their customers, that they simply can't get at the dealership down the road. Imagine going in to three Chevrolet dealerships in one day... the first two offer the typical selection of different makes and models in their showroom, but the third was populated with VR headsets, apps to download, and an interactive experience that felt like you were at an arcade. You were able to customize your ride; from color, interiors, features, and extras all from your headset.  I don't know about you, but I'd not only be shopping at dealer 3, but completely forgetting about my experiences at 1 and 2 - no matter how great! 

An example of a VR showroom today is the Audi virtual showrooms in London. While not all of their vehicles are VR capable, a lot are! The capabilities of virtual reality allow customers to have a 360-degree look inside and outside the car, open doors and even listen to how their potential new car sounds.

Obviously it takes a little while to get to this Audi standard, but you can start out at in an easy, relatively cost effective way

Google Cardboards: https://vr.google.com/cardboard/ - ship your remote customer a VR headset that they can build themselves so they go on a VR walk around, and test drive with you. I promise you even though it isn't "fancy" the wow factor will still be next level.

360 Cameras: Making your VR test drive dreams come true - and it does all the hard work for you! 

Apps like VR converter: downloadable on any smart phone, making any video go from normal to high def VR in a matter of minutes.

What's stopping you from taking your dealer experience from the norm, to a next level, show stopping experience?