Volume 6, issue 5

May 2008

No More Excuses
There are no more late adopters. 

For years, we've heard the excuses. At first it was, "most of my audience would rather shop on the lot," and then it was, "Some my audience still doesn't have internet access," a short time later we heard, "There are still some people out there who don't use the web to do their background research," and even later we got this, "There's still a group of consumers out there who refuse to use the internet, so we have to stay in the paper and on television."  

Well all of those excuses had merit and one time or another. And now, we're here to say, that the time for all of those excuses has passed. The number of people who are both capable of purchasing a new or used automobile, and are non-internet users is so incredibly small as to be unworthy of your time and attention. And the same can be said for dial-up internet users... don't you worry about them anymore either. The age of the late adopters has come and gone. And even those that came late to the online party have gone the way of the dinosaurs. 

So what does that mean to your marketing? A few things... 

1. No sense in segmenting your marketing into digital and non-digital formats, now. Every consumer is a digital consumer
2. Assume that every customer is going to visit your web site. Count on it. It's already happening.
3. Assume those customers know as much (or more) about pricing, options, financing, special offers and manufacturer's incentives than your sales people do.
4. Don't shy away from multimedia content, embrace it. Your audience is broadband.
5. Focus on the user experience of all your digital marketing. It's just as, if not more, important than the experience a customer has when they visit your lot.
6. Don't apologize for being digital. In fact, target your competition who isn't up to date on technologically.
7. Realize that all your materials, now more than ever, need to work together. 

These are just a few of the ways an all-online audience will change the way you approach identifying and reaching out to new customers. The days of the late adopter are long gone. Act accordingly.

Dealer Impact Triples Internet Leads For Yes Team in 3 Months

Sometimes little things can make a big difference. That's certainly what happened when The Yes Team put the iDeal Marketing System to use. The Yes Team began using the iDeal Digital Marketing System in December of 2007 and the results were immediate and decisive.

"The coupons and '30-second Approval' campaigns were two of the most effective lead generators for us right out of the gate," Said Shelley Burkle, BDC Manager for The Yes Team. "Those two pieces alone generated nearly 200 leads in March... 26 of which turned into sales."

The Yes Team's next best lead generator was 3^rd party leads from GM, which generated 44 leads in the month of March. However, only 2 of those turned into sales... a paltry 4.55%. The Dealer Impact coupon and "30-second Approval" campaigns generated nearly 5 times as many leads and had a conversion rate nearly 3 times as high.

In addition to tripling leads, the Yes Team is currently topping 40 sales per month through the iDeal System - a dramatic increase over their previous web system.

Not bad for month 4. "I'm still not using everything the system has to offer. I'm constantly working with the team at Dealer Impact who help me invent new ways to use the system." Who knows where The Yes Team will be in month 12.

Dealer Impact Client Karl Chevrolet Garners Top Honor

General Motors recently announced its 2007 GM Certified Used Vehicles National Sales Leader award winner, and Dealer Impact client Karl Chevrolet of Ankeny, Iowa took top honors.

Karl Chevrolet sold 1,816 GM Certified Used Vehicles last year and has been one of the automaker's top certified dealership since it joined the program in 2004.

"Karl Chevrolet's position as the GM Certified national sales leader for the second consecutive year reflects the peace of mind and value GM Certified brings to their customers," commented Paul Pejza, manager, GM Certified Used Vehicles.

"The program's success is the direct result of the commitment of dealers like (owner/principal of Karl Chevrolet) Carl Moyer who provide customers with great value and the high-quality used-vehicle purchase and ownership experience that only a GM Certified dealer can provide," Pejza added.

Dealer Impact supports Karl Chevrolet's digital marketing efforts in many ways thru the iDeal System. To learn more about the ideal system, click here.

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