As a dealer you may be wondering 'how important is digital marketing for me?'.
In short, nowadays it is almost pivotal. Therefore, knowing the basics and what you should be doing can provide massive returns on anytime you invest in a digital marketing strategy.
As more and more people start to use the web for everything from finding out where to go, answering their questions, as well as fulfilling transactions, it becomes increasingly important for brick and mortar stores to have an online presence. Maybe you have noticed this already, but on average, a car shopper will only make two visits to a dealership - the rest occurs online. This means that the car buying journey has to be engineered not only through in-store sales but also through providing the right information to the customer at the right time on their journey.
Dealers looking to tap into this market should, therefore, seek to answer a few fundamental questions that are frequently asked via web-based platforms:
Which car is best
Is it right for 'me'
Can I afford it
Where should I buy it
Am I getting a deal
All of these questions require an understanding of your audience. As an established dealer, you probably already have insights into the answers to these questions depending on what type of customer has walked into your school. Being able to understand 'personas' and answer questions for them will greatly enhance the capacity of your online venture to fulfil clients' requests. Such personas can include families, businessmen, first-time buyers and city drivers (to name a few). Each persona requires different answers to the above questions. Users that then see this content on your website will be finding out what they wanted to know, which is ultimately going to drive larger amounts of traffic to your store and potentially result in conversions.
That being said, if you are new to the industry, or are unconfident about engaging in web-based marketing, there are a plethora of companies out there that can aid you in this endeavour. These range from complete services for creating a digital strategy involving creating a website and getting it known, to consultancy activities to point you in the right direction. Outside companies can also be beneficial in providing information about your potential clients and where you can best promote to them and what you should be promoting. Such a style of data-driven marketing has become somewhat of a trend nowadays in order to target user preferences for a much more successful return on investment.
One final note - Mobile devices are the next big thing. If you are not optimising your online presence for mobile devices you will fall to the bottom of the pile. As more and more users are searching on their mobile devices, having a site that appeals to this will be of massive benefit. Think about how many times you use your mobile to find 'the closest shop to me', or 'Chinese takeaways near me' - the same applies for dealerships.
With the right approach to your modern marketing practices, your dealership can establish itself in a position of authority and strength in your locality, enabling greater returns on your investment and conversions in store.
