Pub. 12 2014-2015 Issue 3

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S I S S U E N O . 4 , 2 0 1 4 20 new jersey auto retailer How To Cut Through The Clutter of Online Vehicle Sale Options BY DAVID KAIN It is amazing how many options are available for dealerships thatwish tomarket and sell their products and services online. Many dealers often ask “howdo I cut through the clutter of options and select the ones that I really need and will work for our dealership?” The following article will provide dealers with some guidance in navigating the complexity of options. At the center of any successful Digital Sales Operation is a SUCCESS ENGINE comprised of the People and Processes where leads/calls/ texts/chats enter theCRMand aremanaged in anorganized structure to ensure every client feels great about the experience. When the processes are combined with quality communications by talented team-members…magic happens. Customers are happy and they buy your products and services. Once youhave thisworkingwell youhave the luxury to explore opportunities to grow. If a dealership ignores this vital component, theywill likelywastemarketing dollars because the prospects generated won’t purchase the dealership’s products. Dealerships MUST get their various processes in working order. Dealership Website Second only to the process, is the need for an effective dealership website. Thismay seem like a simple consideration but dealers should take the time to determine their Business Goals (New vehicle sales, used vehicle sales, parts & accessory sales, service & body shop scheduling, etc.) and make sure they are reflected on the dealership’s website. Also, despite the efforts of OEMs to create branded sites that work well for dealerships, it may be best to operate a parallel site. In most cases, for single point stores, this complicates theDigitalMarketing strategy so some dealers may choose to stay solely with theOEMsite, whileworkingwith a vendor to ensure the site is sufficiently customized. Dealership groups may want to consider a hybrid strategy where a “group” site that feeds into “child sites” so each franchise gets their traffic while maintaining a group branding benefit. Be sure to take the required branding elements by your OEM seriously, since some brands hire outside vendors to audit dealershipwebsites. In some cases, instead of working with dealers to improve the sites, OEM’s may charge ridiculous fines for items that a quick phone call or email could have fixed. Get Mobile Withmore than50%of auto shoppers using theirmobile device to shop for a vehicle, dealers are encouraged to focus particular attentionon the development of a robust Mobile website. Recent studies have shown that a mobile site that is not easy to navigate may cause customers to no longer consider that particular dealership.Don’t take the risk…work with a company that can ensure an awesome mobile experience. Website Conversion Because a dealership’s own website leads will close at the highest rate (double and sometimes triple third-party leads), it is imperative that dealers design and manage their websites to ensure high conversion rates. When traffic arrives at a dealer’s website, it must inspire the visitors to call, complete a form, text, chat or print out vehicle detail pages and walk in. Average website conversion rates are typically 2 or 3%, meaning for every 100 visitors a dealer will receive 2 or 3 leads. With some effective designupdates, dealers candouble and triple these results before addingonCoupons, TradeEvaluationForms, LiveChat, Finance Forms, etc. Conversion rates have been shown to rise when add-ons are integrated into a dealer’s website.