Internet Marketing for Dealerships That Works!

I talk to dealers on a regular basis.  When I talk to independent dealers who are just getting into the car business, they tell me about 90% of their promotional budget is spent online.  They may try a print ad here or there, but remain very skeptical of the results.  And most of them tell me they don’t invest anything in classified advertising, feeling this ad format is past the point of being effective.

On the other hand, when I speak with independent dealers who have been in business for awhile, their advertising budget is typically spread more broadly across classifieds, print, and some online.  The question here is, are they doing this because they get a good return on investment from each of the different media, or because it used to work, so the assumption is that it must still work in 2009.  Most of the stats tell me this can’t be true.  Newspaper readership is down significantly, 80% of customers start their search online for a vehicle, and craigslist is hugely popular in local communities. 

The most successful independent dealers that we work with are aggressively and proactively leveraging many Internet tools to sell cars.  Not all of them use the same tools – some rely on enhanced vehicle pictures, others aggressively list vehicles online using craigslist, AutoTrader, oodle, Google, cars.com, and even international listings, while some find a competitive edge through SEO, vehicle video, blogging, and “puff” vehicle descriptions. 

The important points:

1. Decide what tools work best for you and use them to their full capacity.
2. Test the different tools available to you.  Most are very low cost, low risk and can be hugely effective in online lead generation.
3. Whatever you do, do it 100%, because if you don’t someone else in your area will. 
4. DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS – Internet shoppers want complete information available online, with just a few mouse clicks. 

When dealers had to pay “real money” for classified ads, they invested the time and effort to make the ad appealing, interesting, and added a “hook” to entice customers to call.  What I see many times is the same care is not paid to online listings because so many of the tools are very low cost or free.  You’re missing a HUGE opportunity here.  We encourage our customers to be more aggressive in using the tools we make available to them – they are affordable AND effective.  To find more information about how we can help you cost effectively leverage the Internet to sell more cars, I’ve provided links to some popular tools:

Etch-A-Word – text annotation for vehicle pictures – great merchandising tool!

International Online Listing Sites – broaden your reach and sell more cars

Video Customer Testimonials – the most effective advertising

Google Search Marketing – Patented search technology from AutoXloo

Live Chat – Connect with your customers instantly on your website

Dealer Community Network – online dealer to dealer trading community

Effective Online Vehicle Listings

In the last several years, most dealerships have transitioned from advertising their vehicles offline (classified ads and television) to online (dealer websites, online listing sites, craigslist).  An important lesson from this transition is that vehicle listings online can be VERY effective as a cost effective lead generation system. To further amplify the effectiveness of this lead generation machine, AutoXloo offers several tools to “turbocharge” your listing effort. 

ETCH A WORD - text annotation on pictures.  Great merchandising opportunities!  Check out the details at the AutoXloo website.

CANNED IMAGES – are standard pictures that can promote the dealership, the salesperson, or services offered by your dealership. In addition to vehicle pictures that showcase a specific vehicle, canned images included in each vehicle listing allow you to increase your customer’s trust and confidence.

Enhance eBay Vehicle Listings with AutoXloo

There are dealerships who have eBay auctions and other online vehicle listings down to an art, providing detailed information to buyers so they are comfortable completing the transaction even if they are thousands of miles away.

These dealerships have eBay stores, dedicated bays for taking quality pictures and a commitment to providing enough detailed information to earn trust and convert shoppers to buyers. Providing detailed information and pricing vehicles competitively are a must for selling online. Important dealership details include general information about your dealership, customer testimonials, guarantees and warranties, terms of sale, financing options and delivery and shipping details.

Important vehicle details can be provided leveraging today’s technology, including templates, vehicle photos, detailed options, vehicle condition information, and video. Vehicle pictures and videos ensure a buyer of overall car condition.

Think of the different touch points that you have to reassure the customer when listing your cars online. Many of these touch points cost you nothing, other than investing a little more effort in listing the car. This extra effort can make all the difference in separating your car from others listed, and reassuring the customer that they can have confidence in doing business with you.

Text Descriptions on the Vehicle Photos – Some dealers help their vehicle pictures come to life by using text annotation tools in Paint or Photoshop. AutoXloo’s patented Etch-A-Word tool gives you drag and drop capability to make text descriptions on the phots a snap! This single function can dramatically separate your listings from your competition. Click Etch-A-Word to see a demo of this innovative product.

Graphical Vehicle Report – This visual illustration of the car allows details about the exterior, interior and mechanical condition of the car to be noted in a visual format. Convenient point and click reporting simplifies the complete online listing and provides comprehensive vehicle condition reports to prospective buyers. See a demo of this powerful product by clicking Graphical Vehicle Report.