The debate is over — online marketing is essential to the success of a modern car dealership. Actually the debate ended a few years ago, but that doesn't mean that sorting through all the different methods and channels for marketing online has become any easier. In fact, online marketing has only become more complicated as it has become more important.The rise of the mobile web means that consumers are browsing your website on a multitude of different devices, social media has only grown in importance, new search algorithms have made SEO and SEM more complicated, and of course none of this means that traditional online marketing (can you call online marketing traditional yet?) has gone away.Complicating matters further is that what works in one dealership may not work in another. An online marketing plan for a dealer in downtown Los Angeles will be very different from that of a dealership in rural Iowa. The best strategy for your dealership must ultimately be determined by education, experience, experimentation, and data.To help you navigate the waters of online marketing we spoke to several experts on auto dealership online marketing. They were Joe Webb Founder of DealerKnows, Glenn Pasch CEO of PCG Digital Marketing, and Scott Pechstein Vice President of Sales for Autobytel Inc. We asked them a series of questions about the current state of online marketing and how dealers can use it to grow their business. We're also interested in what you think about online marketing, so visit us at DealerMarketing.com/forum and give us your thoughts and opinions.<h3>Dealer Marketing Magazine: What is the best type of online marketing for dealers to reach local customers (SEM, banner ads, pre-roll video, social media marketing, etc.)? Why?</h3>Joe Webb: The simple answer is “Targeted.” Every dealer is different, and where some see success surrounding certain types of display or search marketing with click-thru rates, others see little more than impressions. The more targeted you can be when attempting to reach down-funnel, in-market shoppers, the more successful your click rate often will be. Retargeting can have a low cost, but yield great returns. Pre-roll (which I was doing back in ’05) can make very lasting impressions for front-of-mind awareness with consumers, but little click-thrus. Dealers must be sure they simply aren’t spraying and praying display ads across endless sites, with no specific call-to-action to engage that consumer. There must be a rhyme to their reasoning.Glenn Pasch: I feel that the most cost effective way to reach local customers is the use of remarketing banner ads and video pre-roll. With the abilities to set your target areas, following people who came to your site with specific messages, tailored to their shopping needs, it really effective. YouTube is so popular, why would you not want to have your pre-roll ad playing to in market shoppers.Scott Pechstein: The best approach we've seen among our member dealers is one that integrates web-based leads with mobile applications. Recent statistics show that 90% of text messages are read within three minutes of delivery, text messaging produces engagement rates that are six to eight times higher than email and 49% of mobile auto searchers purchase the same day of their research. The statistics are too compelling to ignore. Consumer preference for communicating has rapidly switched to texting over phone calls or emails. Therefore, a solid mobile component that includes text leads and text message-marketing — through a texting platform that monitors and tracks conversations between customers and sales staff, one that manages opt-ins and opt-outs, and one that protects dealers from violating today's very stringent Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) guidelines, is absolutely critical to success.<h3>DMM: What does the rise in content marketing and evolving search algorithms mean to dealers' search marketing?</h3>GP: With the changes to search, good content is now more important than ever. The problem is, there are many who keep telling dealers it is just SEO to their site that helps their search. We feel good content both on and off site will help attract customers and help search results.JW: Content and content creation have been terms bandied about for quite a few years now. Simply put, if you’re building a library (which your website can be), the more pages to be read or media able to be consumed will make your library more appealing to readers. A quantity of content isn’t the measurement, but quality. Hiring a digital ambassador to generate unique content in multiple mediums will help you attract the eyes of consumers and of Google.<h3>DMM: How can dealers use social media to connect with consumers?</h3>JW: They can use social media much the same way they connect with each other. By being a supportive part of the community. Engage in friendships, listen to your customers, be thankful, be grateful, be supportive, be funny, share interesting news, evergreen content, valuable discounts. These are those people you like being connected to online. Become human in your social media activities. Organic search and visibility of status updates on FB, in particular, are going by the wayside. Dealers should hire someone familiar with the platforms full-time or engage with an outside agency that can help direct their efforts.GP: Social media is a long term play. With FB changing its reach, it is becoming more of an advertising platform. It is still cost effective to use it, because many have not realized its ability to target using Polk Data, but soon they will. As for Twitter, Instagram, Google + etc, these are more for long term building of brand, showing who the dealership is more than just pushing sales.<h3>DMM: What can dealers do to take advantage of the explosion of the mobile web?</h3>SP: Having a fine tuned mobile strategy is key. This strategy should include texting (by way of a secure platform that monitors conversations, manages opt-ins and opt-outs, and protects you from violating strict legal guidelines) since most consumers prefer to communicate by text today versus phone calls or emails. It should also include a custom mobile website (not an existing website that's been re-purposed for mobile) that's built for maximum lead generation; one that is easy to use and intuitive to navigate, with large photos and videos that properly showcase your inventory; and one that integrates text messaging capabilities. Finally, a solid mobile plan should also include customized apps that enable you to build loyalty and communicate with your customers, even when they're not in the sales funnel, to keep them coming back to your dealership.GP: First they have to make sure they have the proper website. Many platforms are focusing on adaptive and responsive sites so make sure your site works well on all mobile devises. Secondly, make sure that you are properly setting up your paid search with click to call. We are seeing a growth in calls from mobile devices so if you are not focusing on this area, you are losing opportunities.JW: Simply put, they can promote it. Beyond choosing between an adaptive or responsive mobile web design, they can champion mobile usage in the showroom (and with showrooming customers) by bringing mobile technology to the forefront. Even OEMs recognize the usage of mobile in the showroom, and several are creating great mobile apps to educate both the sales floor and the customer. Putting your dealership’s mobile device with carefully selected apps that can help influence a consumer decision rather than letting them research and price compare on their own device can truly show you are adapting to a more mobile consumer experience.<h3>DMM: What is the biggest aspect of online marketing that dealers often fail to take advantage of?</h3>GP: Having a unified message across offline, online, and on site marketing. I have seen this too many times where one aspect does not gel with the other aspect. Remember all offline marketing is driving shoppers to your online presence. If it is not a similar message, look and feel you will confuse customers and lose opportunities.JW: If there is something significantly overlooked by most dealerships when it comes to internet marketing it's not a tool, but a concept and practice. Internet marketing does not, and should not, only be handled by one or two people in the dealership. Every employee is an internet marketer. They have the same online habits as your typical customer. They’re social. They’re searching and researching. They’re mobile. They have a phone in their pocket that is a higher-powered video camera than what you could buy in a retail outlet 10 years ago.To truly become an internet dealership, we must involve every employee as a content creator and mobile web communicator using the smartphones they already have in their pockets. Everyone needs to be an online evangelist from the store and use technology as a way to further improve the consumer experience. When it becomes a group effort, and all departments are utilizing technology, the content you’ll generate will help you position yourselves as leaders into the future. These digital initiatives on the floor are just some of the things we work with our dealer clients to embrace and implement. Still to this day, the best marketing you can employ at your dealership is your own people.SP: Actually, there are a number of aspects dealers often fail to take advantage of. For starters, the general consensus in the industry is that the traditional buying funnel still exists. The reality, however, is that it has changed dramatically.There is no longer a funnel, but rather shopping consideration happens throughout the entire process. What's more, most dealers don’t have a clear mobile strategy and are not harnessing the enormous capabilities and opportunities that mobile brings, such as lead generation, marketing, and loyalty building among their customers.Further still, they're not taking full advantage of their dealership's desktop and mobile website capabilities. When it comes to a traditional desktop website, there are technologies that enable dealers to guide consumers through every aspect of their website, much like they would guide consumers through their physical showroom, including helping customers configure new cars, browse used car inventory — even complete a finance application. And many dealers repurpose their existing desktop website for mobile without relying on customized designs that provide maximum lead generation capabilities, easy and intuitive navigation for handheld devices, and integrated text messaging features. Mobile is the new frontier in car sales, yet many dealers aren't ready for this new frontier.

Online Marketing to Reach Today's Consumers

<a href="https://www.dealermarketing.com/subaru-of-america-inc-announces-departure-of-chief-marketing-officer-dean-evans/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> <img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/Dean-Evans.jpg" class="lazyload" style="display: block; margin: auto;"></a>Cherry Hill, N.J., May 2, 2014 — Subaru of America, Inc. today announced the departure of Dean Evans the company’s chief marketing officer. Evans reported to SOA president Tom Doll. Evans was responsible for the company's marketing, corporate communications and customer service operations and commenced his position at SOA on September 7, 2011."We wish Dean well as he pursues other opportunities," said Doll. "Dean brought strong digital talent to Subaru and leaves behind a strong bench within his group.”Evans led Subaru’s marketing team during a time of unprecedented growth with the company enjoying three of its five consecutive years of record sales during his time. Marketing duties will be carried out by Alan Bethke, vice president, marketing in an interim period until the company announces its longer-term strategy to replace Evans.<h2>About Subaru of America, Inc.</h2>Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru boasts the most fuel efficient line-up of all-wheel drive products sold in the market today based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy standards. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero- landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information, visit <a href="http://www.subaru.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.subaru.com</a>.Additional information and news from Subaru is available at <a href="http://www.media.subaru.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.media.subaru.com</a>.

Subaru of America, Inc. Announces Departure of Chief Marketing Officer Dean Evans

<a href="https://www.dealermarketing.com/has-any-customer-ever-said-they-wanted-to-buy-this-way/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> <img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/k12861249-beard-business-man-brunette-woman-at-desk-ignore-article.jpg?auto=format&amp;w=269" class="lazyload" style="display: block; margin: auto;" width="269" srcset="
			https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/k12861249-beard-business-man-brunette-woman-at-desk-ignore-article.jpg?auto=format&amp;w=269&amp;dpr=1 1x,
			https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/k12861249-beard-business-man-brunette-woman-at-desk-ignore-article.jpg?auto=format&amp;w=269&amp;dpr=2 2x,
			https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/k12861249-beard-business-man-brunette-woman-at-desk-ignore-article.jpg?auto=format&amp;w=269&amp;dpr=3 3x,"></a>It’s been over 20 years since I was a car salesman. I loved being a car salesman, and I was good at it. Still, I left the business. One reason that I left was that I got tired of selling against my customers’ wishes. I’m not talking about selling my customers cars that they didn’t want, and I’m not talking about pushing people into things. I’m talking about the most customer-unfriendly part of the car buying experience — what I call the “desk dance.”The “desk dance” is the time-honored negotiation process in the car business, where the salesman gets an offer from the customer and then says, “I have to go talk to my manager.” I’d always hoped that this was one of those sales practices that had been phased out of the car business; unfortunately, recent trips to dealerships have shown me that it isn’t. But it should be, and there are several reasons why.First of all, it insults the customer’s intelligence. In this day and age of the internet, the customer is probably walking in armed with a general idea not only of the car’s retail price, but the invoice cost. There’s a good chance that they have also looked up the average trade-in on their car, as well. For the salesperson to pretend that he/she doesn’t know the essential figures means that either the salesperson is lying, or that the salesperson is the least informed person in the entire dealership about the financial aspects of the sale. Neither is a winning strategy.Second, this strategy actually works against the gross. In my time in the car business, I worked for two different dealerships. The first was a classic car-sales “control the customer” model, where we had to do the phone call to the desk, followed by the <a href="https://www.dealermarketing.com/auto-dealership-sales-training-for-a-new-era/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">desk dance</a>. The second was a revelation. It was a long-standing Oldsmobile (RIP) dealership, and the first time I went to my sales manager to work a deal, he pulled out his book, looked, and said, “OK, get me at least this much, and you’ve got a deal.” Done. I went back into my office, got well over the minimum that I needed, and made a nice commission. For the year that I worked there, every deal was the same and my minimum-commission deals went from 50% of my deals to 12%. Why?Simple. The customer respected me at the second dealership. Because I didn’t constantly have to run to the desk, the customer had more respect, and I was more empowered to do deals. The buying experience was more pleasant for both of us, and the customer ended up paying a little more for a better buying experience.If you’d like to build better customer relationships, get more gross on your deals, and have stronger salespeople, get rid of the desk dance and empower your salespeople to negotiate and sell on their own. Give them the guidelines, as my manager at the second dealership did, and then let them do what they do best. Troy Harrison is the author of “Sell Like You Mean It!” and a Speaker, Consultant, and Sales Navigator. He helps companies build more profitable and productive sales forces with his cutting-edge sales training and methodologies. For information on booking speaking/training engagements, consulting, or to sign up for his weekly E-zine, call 913-645-3603, email <a href="mailto:tharrison@dealermark.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tharrison@dealermark.com</a>, or visit <a href="http://www.troyharrison.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.TroyHarrison.com</a>.

Has Any Customer Ever Said They Wanted to Buy this Way?

<a href="https://www.dealermarketing.com/three-simple-changes-for-increasing-your-internet-sales-now/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> <img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/k10271740-steps-to-the-target-article.jpg" class="lazyload" style="display: block; margin: auto;"></a>Online initiated sales have been growing in our industry for some time now. In fact, here at Ciocca Hyundai in Lebanon, Pa., 60 percent of our new and used vehicle sales come from our internet department. Whether your store sells 30 or 300 cars a month, you can positively impact your internet sales with a few easy adjustments.<h2>#1 Get in the Chat Game</h2>Offer <a href="http://www.autodealerchat.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">live chat</a> everywhere your phone number is: on your website, third-party listings, etc. Sometimes a shopper is at work and can’t call, but he can chat with the dealership. He gets the instant answers he’s looking for, and you get the opportunity to draw him off his device and into the dealership for a test drive. (We use Contact At Once! because they can place chat everywhere and generate more sale opportunities for us.)Here’s a chat conversation tip to help: Don’t ask for contact information upfront. Instead, get their name and build rapport. Think of it like a phone conversation, only typed. Once you’ve sufficiently answered their immediate questions, ask something like: “My cell phone number is 717-222-3333 — what’s yours?” In my experience, the prospect often provides it without hesitation!<h2>#2 See Objections as Opportunities</h2>Be prepared not to accept the first objection. I cannot tell you how many potential deals would have been lost had we stopped at the first “no.”Say a prospect discovers the vehicle is out of her price range and says so. Offer her another option, such as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. If online shoppers say you’re too far away, let them know how far others have driven to purchase from your dealership. Maybe even offer to let them take the car overnight to see if it’s the right car for them! Whatever you do, don’t accept that first (and sometimes second) “no.”<h2>#3 Partner with the Right Website Provider</h2>Finally, understand that your online showroom is as influential to sales as your physical showroom. So partner with a premium website provider for an effective website with a low double-digit or single-digit bounce rate and a fast page load speed.According to Google’s <a href="http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/research-studies/digital-drives-auto-shopping.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">November 2013 Digital Drives Auto Shopping Study</a>, the “average” bounce rate in our industry is 40 percent…which reflects the less than stellar websites customers are contending with today. (Let’s admit that the “average” dealership website is hardly premium.) Test it yourself: Hook up wireless devices to a local hot spot or public Wi-Fi, navigate to your website and view inventory pages. The relative connection speed added to a slow page load time equals frustration. In fact, it’s the difference between people shopping your inventory and abandoning your site altogether. Plus, a premium website provider will listen to your suggestions and tailor the calls to action across your site for the shoppers who respond to different things: price, availability, special perks, etc.These three changes can make a mountain of difference to your dealership and your internet sales! Megan S. Barto is the Marketing Director at Ciocca Honda in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Ciocca Hyundai of Lebanon in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. She has been with the Ciocca Dealerships since early 2007. In her spare time, she’s a mother, an athlete, and plays guitar in a Harrisburg, PA rock band. Megan is highly active on twitter where she’s affectionately known as <a href="https://twitter.com/skeetle" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@skeetle</a>.

Three Simple Changes for Increasing Your Internet Sales Now!

<a href="https://www.dealermarketing.com/using-online-channels-to-market-to-millennial/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> <img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/k3376700-young-people-with-computers-article_53b336ec91bf9.jpg" class="lazyload" style="display: block; margin: auto;"></a>Millennials, born between 1982 and 2000, are the first generation bigger than the infamous baby boomers, and according to industry experts carry $170 billion annually in spending power. Highly educated, millennials may have a hard time getting their first job, but over the long term have huge value as consumers. Automotive brands that can capture their brand loyalty early are well positioned to earn more of millennials’ wallet share as they age.Millennials are extremely technology dependent — they are rarely without their mobile devices. That has big ramifications for auto brands and dealers who rely heavily on traditional media such as newspaper advertising.So how can brands and dealers market most effectively to millennials?<h2>Get on social media, and monitor your online reputation</h2>Many millennials don’t make a move without consulting their social media network. If someone they admire likes your brand, you’re in. They are also much more likely to check out <a href="https://www.dealermarketing.com/google-death-is-only-part-of-the-battle/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">online reviews</a> at sites like Yelp. Check out your profile and make an effort to raise your ratings. Respond to reviews, even negative ones, publicly to show that you truly care about the customer experience.<h2>Let them handle much of the research and buying process online</h2>Your website should be crafted using responsive design techniques, meaning it looks great and functions well whether it’s viewed on a PC or a mobile device. First impressions count, and a bad first impression on the web can meana millennial never returns to your site. Worse, millennials will share a bad experience via social media, so the effect is amplified.<h2>Don’t spam</h2>Email marketing can be extremely effective with millennials if it’s targeted and relevant. They expect a personalized approach that emphasizes customer benefits, not marketing-speak. But because many millennials don’t use email as frequently as other generations, auto brands and dealers should also…<h2>Explore mobile marketing</h2>Millennials tend to text far more often than they email. This can be a plus for marketers, because text messages have a 99 percent read rate, with 90% read within three minutes of delivery. Moreover, data shows that dealers enjoy on average a 31% response rate across their <a href="https://www.dealermarketing.com/four-ways-to-capture-the-mobile-consumer/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SMS campaigns</a>. That’s a significantly higher response than a typical email.<h2>Don’t worry, the salesperson is still relevant</h2>Though millennials prefer to handle most of their research online, in the end they still want to drive a car before they buy, and they want a trusted advisor. That’s where your salespeople come in. Keep in mind that, as with email marketing, a transparent approach emphasizing benefits and not marketing speak is best. This generation values frankness more than any other.You may have the perfect cars for millennials, small, fuel-efficient models packed with technology, with an edgy design, but if your marketing isn’t right, those cars won’t sell. Keep these tips in mind to make sure you’re speaking millennials’ language. Craig Vore is the insights manager at Outsell. He is responsible for driving strategic analytics and creative innovation in Outsell's Digital Engagement. Outsell provides to their clients in channels including web, direct mail, email, mobile, and social marketing.

Using Online Channels to Market to Millennials

<a href="https://www.dealermarketing.com/mobile-marketing-drives-more-calls-to-the-dealership/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> <img src="https://cdn1.dealermarketing.com/wp/iPhone-article.jpg" class="lazyload" style="display: block; margin: auto;"></a>From sales to service and everything in between, dealers across the U.S. are feeling the results of a successful mobile marketing strategy. Mobile apps are improving customer retention as they provide customers an in dealership experience even when they’re out of the dealership. <a href="https://www.dealermarketing.com/mobile-marketing-strategy-for-dummies/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Responsive Email Design</a> (RED) email campaigns are dramatically increasing open rates and click rates, while progressive mobile channels, like the mobile wallet, are delivering super targeted coupons and special offers driving more traffic to the sales and service drives.An outcome of this mobile explosion is that mobile solutions are flooding dealerships with more phone calls than ever before. Before mobile apps and RED email campaigns, call to actions such as ‘Call to Schedule’ were nearly impossible to locate and even more difficult to select on a mobile device, but now these action buttons are placed front and center on a mobile device, allowing functions like one tap dialing to ensure quick and direct interactions.One of the nation’s largest dealer groups has experienced hundreds of additional phone calls and an 18% increase of service appointments in just one month, as a direct result of their new mobile optimized email communications.But there are obstacles that will stand between your dealership and the positive results that come from an influx of phone calls. Customers tap the call button when they think about it, but not always when you’re open, so calls come in outside of hours and when your advisors are busy, so make sure you provide the support your dealership needs to make sure that every customer is taken care of and every call is answered.Contact a trustworthy vendor that offers inbound and overflow automotive call support through a customer interaction center. Call support gives your dealership the ability to make the most out of every opportunity, setting more appointments while keeping ASMs focused on selling in the store. With inbound support, every call can be answered and appointments can be consistently set when your sales and service personnel are busy. This even allows you to track and report on inbound service appointment calls.And overflow support is critical. Make sure that every call is answered, even if it’s coming in outside of business hours, giving your dealership the 24/7 availability it needs to drive more sales and service revenue, all while improving the <a href="https://www.dealermarketing.com/customer-service-change-takes-time/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">customer service experience</a>.Make sure the vendor’s call center agents are trained to do everything your internal operators can do, from giving out driving directions and hours of operation, to setting appointments, transferring calls and capturing hot leads.Prepare your dealership today and bring your mobile marketing strategy full circle with the support it needs to succeed. Mike Martinez is chief marketing officer of DMEautomotive, the industry leader in science-based, results-driven automotive marketing that provides a range of marketing services to the biggest and most innovative automotive organizations in the industry. For more information, email <a href="mailto:dme@dealermark.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dme@dealermark.com</a>.

Articles by:MICHAEL BOWEN