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

The Power of Testimonials

Okay so you are sitting in front of the TV and this new fangled “got to have gadget” comes on the tube and you hurriedly jot down the number, but before you make the call, you like 80% of the population search the internet for information and more importantly – user reviews/testimonials to help with your decision to purchase or not.

User testimonials are the life blood of any product or service. EBay feedback score is a great example of how testimonials can make or break a company. If 2 out 1000 feedbacks are negative then you are doing very well, but if its 2 out of 10 you may want to look for another profession.

Thankfully AutoXloo’s Dealer Management System gives you full control over not only what testimonials get displayed, but in which format. Our clients understand that textual testimonials are neccessary for Search Engine Optimization and are used primarily for getting new visitors to your website while “Video” testimonials keep them there and influence the sale.

That’s right, video testimonials are the most powerful form of advertising for any product and/or service you offer. If a potential customer sees 5, 10, 50, 100 people tell them they should buy a car from your dealership what do you think your chances are your going to receive a phone call? I would have to say pretty good!

Now I know what you are thinking – this sounds great, but it must be complicated. Actually there is very little work on your part at all. Remember the user submits the written text and you can record the video at your desk upon completion of the sale right at your desk using a webcam (2.0 megapixel or better is recommended) and that’s it! Within 2 minutes you have one of the most influential advertising tools live on your website!

Look for future articles on how to create the perfect video testimonial!

Call AutoXloo at 727-475-4455 for more information about this and other products and services we offer!