Top 3 Digital Marketing Tips for Dealerships
Car dealerships today almost can’t compete without compelling online information, online representative live chats and other digital tools that keep a dealership connected to customers.
So why is there so much focus on digital marketing?
For one, consumers spend more than 11 hours daily online and more than 67% of users check their phone to search online or engage with apps. This includes shopping for expensive items like a home or car. Consumers are using phones more than ever today to research vehicles and you need to be present!
Second, consumers are not only online, but are online with several devices. They’re multi-channel and multi-device. In the US alone, 213 million adults access the internet from four different devices, switching between them on average three times per day over the course of completing a task. And when researching cars, 6% of shoppers use multiple devices, averaging 1.7 devices per shopper.
A report released in 2016 revealed a consumer can have 900+ digital interactions throughout a process of leasing a vehicle, beginning with just searching for a car on Google. For example, if someone types in “where should I buy a car?” or “which car is best?” are you going to show up in the search results?
As a car dealership you need to be investing in digital marketing to get in front of shoppers and to take your business to the next level.
Here are 3 powerful online digital marketing tips for dealerships…
- Understand SEO. Search engine optimization, or SEO is the process of showing up on search engines and having your website visible. There are two big factors that play into this—on-page and off-page SEO. Keyword research, placement and page optimization are all techniques of on-page SEO that we help dealerships with.
Keyword research. Keyword research includes identifying and placing certain words that are highly searched for on your website so that search engines can find your content. We usually recommend using a mixture of long tail and short tail keywords since short tail have higher volume, competition and cost but lower focus and conversions. Long tail keywords have lower volume, competition and cost, but higher focus and conversion rates.
Page optimization. Page optimization is critical to SEO and each page of your website plays into it. From the structure and title to permalink and images, your website is scanned by Google to determine how user-friendly it is. The better it is, the higher it’s optimized and the more people will see your content.
- Use content marketing to connect with consumers. Content marketing not only provides consumers with information but helps your SEO. Content is one of the top two factors Google uses to rank your website, so the more engaging content you have on your website, the better. Posting content to your website will drive more traffic and increase leads. This can be through content such as videos, podcasts, blogs and photos. Creating content doesn’t have to be expensive and we can help you create and execute content plans so you can begin posting and updating your website regularly.
- Run Pay Per Click (PPC) ad campaigns. One of the easiest, most cost-effective ways to market your dealership online is through PPC campaigns on Google or another search engine. Google Ads is the leading search site for running PPC ads. You can also use Bing!, Yahoo, or any other search site that may be relevant to your potential customers. All of the search sites PPC ads work on a bidding-based system, meaning your keywords are bid against other advertisers. This can cost anywhere from less than one dollar, to more than $500. Luckily, we are able to set up and run these digital ad campaigns for you, so you don’t have to worry about losing money or not getting clicks. Our live reporting is available 24/7 to you, so you always know how your campaign is performing and what changes we implement to get you better results! Effective PPC campaigns are critical to online success when potential customers search before a purchase.
Online digital marketing is powerful and affordable. It’s crucial for dealerships in order to stand out from the competition and connect with consumers who are shopping for cars online. The three aspects of digital marketing we’ve touched on above are techniques we can start with to get your dealership ahead of the competition and most importantly, selling more cars!
Are you ready? The future of the industry is here, now. Whether you like it or not people are using the internet to make their next purchasing decision. The only choice you have is if you want to be a part of the conversation!
Contact us today and let us help you plan and execute your next digital marketing campaign to grow your brand!