technology
Making Your Vehicles Stand Out Online
by : Glen Garvin
Digital Dealer Magazine, April 2008
Each month millions of potential car buyers go online to research and shop for used vehicles. In fact, studies show that in 2006, 59 percent of all pre-owned vehicle shoppers used the Internet during the buying process. Internet research and shopping is no longer a trend, it’s now part of the dealership sales cycle.
So what happens when someone goes online to research or buy a vehicle? Most consumers will use a search engine to find the information they want, and end up at portals with thousands of vehicle listings. And that means lots of competition for the sale.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking; consumers often narrow their list of potential vehicles by using detailed search criteria and, by default, this will reduce the number of vehicles in the search results. Let’s look at this two ways: First, for the consumers who narrow their search, there will still be competitive listings and it is even more important for you stand out amongst those final listings. Think of it like Dancing with the Stars, you don’t need to stand out in a really crowded field; you just need to be “good enough.”
When the contestants are narrowed down to just the best, you need to differentiate and stand out. Secondly, we should consider the buyer who hasn’t yet decided on their make or model, because they’ll often research many different makes and models. They’ll come across hundreds…maybe thousands of vehicles. There’s no doubt you need to stand out.
But wait, you say, you’ve also paid your third-party lead provider a nice premium for a high ranking on their site. Yes, that will help drive consumers to your listing. But how do you get someone to focus on what you’re selling? What can you do to differentiate your listing and make your vehicle stand out online?
The first step is using enough photos to showcase all aspects of the vehicle. In 1921 the New York Times ran an article entitled “Use of Pictures for Advertising.” It was based on a national study of large retailers and concluded not only that “people want pictures,” but that images used in advertising a) attract attention, b) arouse interest and c) create desire. That was over 85 years ago, but if you think things have changed since then in the world of advertising…not. It’s still the rule of thumb when it comes to promotion. In the retail auto industry, displaying nine vehicle photos is common and probably acceptable, but never less than six. Many dealers see the value of showcasing their vehicles, especially ones that might be uniquely equipped, with upwards of 20 photos.
The quality of the image is also important. This is determined by photo resolution or pixels, short for “picture element.” Pixels are small color samples of the image. The more pixels a digital image contains, the clearer the photo. The industry standard for photos has been 800 x 680 pixels. That might have worked 10 years ago, but not today. With the introduction of flat screen desk monitors, the standard size of monitors has increased to 19 inches. Many people are using screens that measure 23 inches or more. Photo resolutions of 800 x 680 don’t transition well to screens that size. Trying to enlarge the photo beyond its normal resolution doesn’t work either; trust me. You’re going to need a photo with a minimum 1024 x 768 resolution in order for it to appear clear and sharp on someone’s monitor. And here’s something else you should know: blurry, poor quality images are not only a big turn-off to buyers, they make your dealership look second-rate.
Videos are another great way to make your vehicle stand out online. They elicit curiosity because the viewer wants to see what’s going to happen next. Videos can also engage a buyer faster and with more emotional impact than almost any other online sales tool or technique. It’s an ideal format for providing in-depth data on vehicle owner history, emphasizing what options the vehicle has above and beyond the standard package for that make and model, or pointing out the vehicle’s rarity or other unique aspects. Don’t forget to add some flare to the presentation with music and professionally done voice-overs.
You’ll also attract and interest online buyers by focusing on differentiators in the listing’s features and seller notes sections. For example, in the features section, make sure OEM certifications are noted. Many buyers are drawn to certified pre-owned vehicles because it means the car has been fully inspected, is in good condition and comes with a warranty. And remember to provide complete data on unique options and equipment. What is it about this car that makes it a must-have?
In the seller notes section, emphasize selling points such as fuel economy, low mileage, excellent condition, one owner, how well the vehicle was taken care of, any accident history, the maintenance history of the car and availability of maintenance records. Use this section to really sell the vehicle on an emotional and personal level. Emotion leads to elated customers having outstanding experiences when shopping and purchasing a vehicle. This aspect of car sales has largely been ignored online, yet is a critical component of the sales cycle. Describe how the buyer is going to feel when they get behind the wheel of the car. Talk about the lifestyle benefits to owning this vehicle. Create content for this section that will have an impact on the consumer.
Finally, make sure that vehicle history reports from companies such as CarFax and AutoCheck are available. It will make the buyer feel more comfortable with their purchase. Consumers, rightfully so, are fearful of being “had.” These types of reports increase consumer confidence and reduce objections. They also shorten the negotiation and buying process.
Each vehicle in your inventory is unique and has its own story. All of the content in your listing, from photos and audio/visual to features/seller notes, should work together to tell that story in a way that compels a customer to take ownership during the buying process. When that happens, more sales are closed and higher grosses are achieved. It’s a win for everyone – the customer enjoys the purchasing experience and gets the vehicle they want, and the dealers sell more cars at a reasonable profit.
http://www.digitaldealer-magazine.com/index.asp?article=1881
Reuse. Recycle.
I’ve always thought that as bandwidth expanded and became less of a hindrance to online multimedia (I don’t know anyone that’s still on dial up!), we’d see a lot of crossover and repurposing between traditional media (television, radio, newspaper, direct mail) and new media (internet, email, mobile, etc.). But to a great degree, that crossover has yet to materialize.
The question, of course, is this: What are you waiting for?
Why are your radio spots and television spots not featured on your website? Why are the coupons and offers available in the newspaper not downloadable from your website? How much information about your inventory can I get via my cell phone? Why do your sales people still not have email addresses (honestly, it happens)?
All these things are possible. More importantly, they’re smart business. Not only does it help to integrate your overall marketing mix, but repurposing content from one platform to another costs next to nothing. The TV spot is already created, the offer is already on the table and the art is done, etc. So get it out there already. With so many customers going online, you can’t afford not to put your best in front of them each and every time.
D. Jones
Marketing Strategist/Creative Consultant
SmackDabble, LLC
Playing Nice With Others
Improve the customer experience through more flexible technology.
It sounds crazy to say, considering most of us can’t remember how we ever lived without it, but the Internet is just growing out of its infancy. And one of the downsides to still being a new technology is that there’s yet to be any standardization. Much like BetaMax and VHS, or the recent battle between Blu Ray and HD DVD, there are a number of competing technologies out there being used to build web sites and integrated web systems.
JAVA, .net, ASP, PHP, HTML… the list of coding languages and formats goes on and on. They all work just fine and they all have their place. The problem is that they don’t all play nice together. And that limits your flexibility when it comes to adopting new technologies and using new web marketing tools.
In short, these technological limitations can restrict your ability to sell cars and reach maximum profitability. That’s unacceptable, but what can you do about it?
Well the first realization that you should arrive at is that there is absolutely no reason that all your web technology should come from one provider. Different providers bring different things to the table, and by combining their technologies, you can expand your capabilities and ensure that you have the best of everything.
“Sounds great, but didn’t you just tell me that different technologies don’t mix?”
Yes, but a few enterprising companies have set out to address that specific issue. These companies provide “plug and play” web tools that are specifically engineered to work with any system you might have. These tools allow you to add new functionality without upsetting your current system administrator.
How might this work? Well perhaps your current web system doesn’t allow for streaming video. Or maybe your site doesn’t perform well on the major search engines like Google and Yahoo. Well, by employing a plug-and-play video technology or search engine optimizer, you can add this functionality to your site and provide a better experience for your customers.
And after all, isn’t improving the customer experience what it’s all about?
Your Ad Agency (probably) HATES the Internet
As we all know, the Internet has drastically changed the way companies of all makes and models go to market. But what is often overlooked is how the Internet has undermined one of the key players in many marketing circles – the advertising agency.
Marketing Strategist/Creative Consultant
SmackDabble, LLC
It Won’t Be Long…
As wireless Internet access proliferates through our society (some cities are even experimenting with free city-wide access), it won’t be long before most U.S. consumers have high-speed internet access everywhere and always.
What will that mean to your dealership? What will it mean when someone who is cruising by your dealership on a Sunday afternoon can check your website from their car? What will it mean when a customer has real-time access to your competitions’ web sites from inside your showroom – even while they’re negotiating with you on price? If these things haven’t already happened to you (likely via handheld internet devices), it won’t be long.
Is your dealership ready to handle a consumer with this much information at their fingertips? How will it change the way you do business? How will it change the way you communicate with customers and prospects?
D. Jones
Marketing Strategist/Creative Consultant
SmackDabble, LLC
Technology: The Great Automator
Throughout recorded history, new technologies have been developed that eliminate the worries, hassles and time-consuming chores of daily life. Dishwashers, electric irons, lawnmowers… right on through to the microwave and the Roomba®. Arguably the best and most life-altering of these technologies were the ones that automated daily chores, freeing us up to spend our time on activities that were more relaxing, enjoyable or – in the case of business technologies – profitable.
Ever since the inception of the automobile dealership, owners have sought to drive business through innovative marketing strategies and tactics. And as new technologies have developed, they’ve changed the way dealerships reach out to customers and prospects. First radio, then television, then the development of sophisticated database-driven direct marketing… all have changed the way you market. And then in the late 90s, the Internet began to show promise. Slowly it changed the way that dealerships conducted advertising and marketing, but for many dealerships, the internet remains more of a hassle than anything. It’s just one more thing you have to do. One more master you have to stop and serve every day, week and month.
But now those daily hassles and maintenance items can be eliminated through a variety of tools that automate much of your digital marketing – freeing you and your sales staff to concentrate on selling to qualified leads rather than chasing bad ones. These tools follow simple rules that you set up one time and once you flip the switch, you can forget about it. The system proactively markets to your customers when it’s most appropriate to do so. Customers are automatically reminded when it’s time to come in for service or when that new model they’ve been waiting for is in stock. These technologies drive the lead to you and your team… all you have to do is do what you do best – close them.
This trend follows that of most any other emerging technology as it matures. First it shows promise, but not much in the way of results. Then the results begin to come for those willing to deal with the short-comings and work-arounds inherent in dealing with new technology. Then, finally, it all comes together and the promise that was there in the beginning is realized en masse. That is the stage where it all comes together and things not only become possible but easy and even automatic… That’s where the internet is now for America’s dealerships.
Has your dealership arrived at the Promised Land? If not, ask yourself why.
D. Jones
Marketing Strategist/Creative Consultant
SmackDabble, LLC
How to Ensure ROI with Internet Advertising
From Digital Dealer Feb. 12, 2008
by : John Federman
According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, in just 10 years, Internet advertising for automobile companies has gone from a fraction of a percent to 11.5 percent of total advertising spend. That’s nearly $680 million a year spent on online advertising.
Why the increasing emphasis on online advertising? Because it engages prospective buyers at the moment they’re most likely to be interested…just after conducting research online about a particular vehicle. Today, more than 80 percent of shoppers turn to the web first when researching automotive purchases, according to another study by Capgemini. Not surprisingly, the ad dollars are following the consumers. However, while you may already be investing in online advertising, it is imperative that you take a step back and set goals for your online campaigns, and implement measurement techniques that will help you assess the success of your online spending.
When considering your options, it is imperative that your dealership considers exactly how online customers will interact with your brand.
Organizations that spend in search engine advertising will pay a premium for popular terms such as “Ford” or “sedan.” With web site tracking and analytics tools, it’s easy to see which keywords are generating the most traffic for your site. However, as effective as search marketing may be in delivering eyeballs, the reality is that most car purchases happen offline. For that reason, it’s imperative to track how your advertising is performing across channels.
Think beyond the click
Studies show that live customer service remains the best way to close online sales leads for complex purchases, such as automobiles. The Capgemini study report referenced earlier also found that:
• 34 percent of consumers said they expect to receive a response to a web inquiry within four hours.
• Half of the respondents say they would look for a new dealer if they don’t get their response fast enough.
• 25 percent say they would look for a new manufacturer or both a new dealer and a new manufacturer.
This means the goal of most dealer advertising initiatives should be to get customers on the phone and into the dealership as soon as possible. This means dealers must have the ability to track which ads are delivering phone calls and not just clicks to their web site.
Call tracking and click-to-call technology gives customers browsing online auto listings the option to connect with local dealerships via telephone, and gives dealers the ability to track which ads and keywords are generating phone calls.
Click-to-call allows online buyers to transition seamlessly into immediate telephone or PC-based voice contact with businesses from any online medium, including web sites, e-mails or directory listings. Call tracking technology allows dealers to assign unique local or toll-free telephone numbers to individual ads to track inbound phone response to online and offline campaigns, directory listings and advertisements, and provides a 360-view of call detail that offers more data on callers that can be used to supplement additional marketing efforts.
These two technologies also form the backbone of pay-per-call advertising where advertisers are charged by publishers on a per-call basis, rather than a per-click basis like other online advertising models.
What most advertisers find is that callers typically convert at a much higher rate, and have a much shorter sales cycle compared to standard web site contacts.
Drive offline leads
Research shows that consumers typically begin researching a vehicle purchase online and can take anywhere from 30 to 45 days to make their decision, which is why it’s critical to capture that last mile from initial contact to conversion.
One emerging trend is the use of save and send features on dealer listings. These services allow consumers to save or send information about an automobile in the electronic format of their choice – on the desktop, the web or mobile device – predisposing to return to that listing.
Save and send tools extend the shelf life of automobile listings by encouraging consumers to save data from their preferred dealers. Visitors can return to the information at their leisure and can even share attractive offers with friends and family members who may be looking to purchase an automobile. Online browsers can use a variety of information delivery methods including SMS, Skype, e-mail or fax leading you to potentially net two reservations using just one listing and transferable data. Dealers can even track online leads that come into the dealership if consumers decide to print out their stored listing, or if they’ve stored it to their mobile device.
The majority of consumers that conduct local searches transact offline, and most car buyers buy from dealers in their immediate area. Therefore, the ability to convert local online traffic to a phone call or a visit to a dealership is vital as consumers are shopping on the Internet. With technology, tracking phone calls can measure the quality of a lead and making sure that advertisers are able to convert online traffic into valuable leads.
Dealers are leveraging call tracking and monitoring programs to improve performance across channels and help close in on that “last mile” to conversion by extending the utility of online ads through services like click-to-call and save and send. More importantly, these services provide granular ROI data that helps prove performance to advertisers.
The online influence of offline automobile purchase is indisputable. Consumers have already made the transition and now rely on the Internet as their primary research vehicle for these kinds of purchase. As online automotive buyers become more sophisticated and begin to use a variety of online sources to research their purchases, dealers must be able to quantify every advertising channel to guarantee they don’t lose potential leads.
http://www.digitaldealer-magazine.com/index.asp?article=1749
The Internet Is A Fad?
“The Internet is a fad, it is going to be like CB radios.”
- Blake C., circa 1997
That was 10 years ago. And, I’m happy to say, it couldn’t be further from the truth. The internet has so integrated itself into the way we communicate and access information, that few among us could imagine a day (or even a few hours) without it.
But despite this reality — which any rational person will concede is true — there are still business people who behave as if Blake C.’s quote above is true. And few industries have been slower to adapt than the automotive retail business.
We see many dealerships in our day-to-day dealings that, although they’re dabbling in various internet tactics, don’t seem to be taking it seriously. We here at Dealer Impact believe that what we’re seeing now is only beginning of how these new technologies will change the way people buy (and sell) cars. And as with any business dealing, first mover advantage is key — so why dabble? Get organized, get aggressive and revel in the awesome car-selling power of this new technology that was once labeled a “fad.”
D. Jones
Marketing Strategist/Creative Consultant
SmackDabble, LLC
The Industry Matures
I think it’s safe to say we’ve reached a point where it’s safe to say that this Internet thing isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the industry is growing out of its adolescence and is maturing.
What’s that mean? Well I think it means that we’re not going to see any more massive growth spurts in the size or effectiveness of digital marketing. The gold rush is over and we should all adjust our expectations accordingly. We’re entering an era of steady, growth, where the victories will be smaller and you’ll have to be a lot smarter to achieve them.
It’s time to outsmart your competition, not outspend him. It’s time to zig when he zags. It’s time to make a new path, not follow the leader. That’s how you win in a maturing industry.
D. Jones
Marketing Strategist/Creative Consultant
SmackDabble, LLC
Meet the Clip Culture Crowd
Ward’s Dealer Business, Sep 1, 2007 12:00 PM
The MySpace/iPod/Text/Blackberry/YouTube generation gets information from a myriad of sources, all originating from the Internet.
“And it’s all about what type of information they want, and when they want it,” says Brian Page, general manager of Dealer Data Services.
He recommends that dealers interested in selling to these young consumers maintain an Internet presence that draws their attention.
One way to do that is with rich content.
“The explosive growth of YouTube took even the most experienced of Internet pundits by surprise,” says Page. “The next generation now spends more time watching videos online than on TV.”
There is a name for this new phenomenon: The clip culture.
“In addition to vehicle specs and photos, vehicle videos are a great way to attract shoppers who would rather be engaged in the process and kick a virtual tire than a real one,” Page says.
It also helps if website content informs and provides a means for interactive communication. Page says it’s a question of “pulling in” the consumer as opposed to “pushing out” a marketing message, such as “Come down to Joe Brown’s Honda today!”
“Additionally, having actual photos of a vehicle, as opposed to stock photos, or at the very least, accurate colors on stock photos, increases the odds that a savvy consumer will click through to learn more about the vehicle,” he says.
To create a positive online experience for this new generation, dealers must realize what many young shoppers are like and how they gather car-shopping information.
“Impatience with outdated or inaccurate information; the ability to navigate the Internet swiftly and thoroughly to find exactly what they are seeking; and short attention spans are qualities of this growing user group,” Page says.
“To meet these shoppers’ needs, it becomes critical for dealers to keep inventory accurate and up-to-date, to have inventory listed on as many web sites as possible, and to provide rich, informative content that will attract and hold attention.”
http://wardsdealer.com/interneteletter/auto_meet_clip_culture/
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