The world of online marketing has been changing a lot, especially in the past few years. Technology keeps updating, customers are getting harder to reach, and the way we make searches is changing. What was working for you in the past may not work for you anymore.
To keep up with the ever-changing automotive industry, it’s crucial to stay up to date with the recent marketing trends. Keep reading to learn more about 4 digital marketing trends that car dealerships need to pay attention to.
- Mobile Optimization.
At restaurants, while riding the bus, or in line at the grocery store, you’ll always see people using their cell phones. The number of searches made on mobile devices continues to grow each year. Your marketing efforts should be tailored to the mobile user. This means that your website needs to be responsive and compatible with any device, and your pages need to load quickly.
On a mobile version of your website, buttons need to be easier to click. People can use a mouse to click on small buttons on their computer or laptop, but it can be challenging to touch these buttons with a finger on a smaller mobile device. The content of your pages should be easy to scroll through and read. Avoid using pop-ups on your website if you can because they can quickly ruin a user’s experience on a mobile device.
- Managing Online Reviews.
According to Google, there has been an 80% increase in mobile searches that include the word “best” in the last two years. More and more consumers are searching for online reviews and ratings. Think about the popularity of websites like Yelp. People love sharing their experiences and giving recommendations to others.
Not only are customer reviews essential for gaining trust, but they also help your search engine rankings. A portion of how high your dealership website ranks on Google comes from whether or not you have enough positive customer reviews.
While you can’t control what a customer decides to say about your dealership, there are various ways to improve and manage your online reviews. Check regularly where reviews are posted to see what people are saying about your dealership. If a recent customer seemed like they had a good experience, let them know you’d appreciate their online feedback. Reply to reviews to show how thankful you are for their business. If someone leaves a negative review, use it as an opportunity to respond to them with empathy and offer follow-up solutions.
Over time, you will build a positive reputation online and to search engines, which will increase your number of customers and sales. Not only is this a great digital marketing strategy, but it’s an inexpensive way to build your business.
- Quality Over Quantity.
In previous years, it may have been better to have the longest email list or the highest number of advertisements. However, given the thousands of ads that are thrown in our faces every day, most consumers tend to ignore advertisements. Your marketing messages, whether they be through email marketing campaigns, social media posts, or online ads, need to be engaging to your customers.
Having too many advertisements, especially to users who aren’t likely to be interested, is a waste of your time and money. It could also damage the reputation of your dealership by annoying online consumers. A wiser and more cost-effective way to market your dealership is to target your messages and efforts to specific audiences. Look for the demographics of your potential customers, and focus your marketing messages to those who were already searching for cars online.
It’s also important to focus on your leads. It is a better use of your time and effort to invest in those who have already shown an interest in your dealership.
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Campaigns.
While Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts might be more cost-effective in the long run, they take a long time and don’t always guarantee results. PPC campaigns, however, show instant results and can be relatively inexpensive if done carefully. According to WordStream, 64.6% of consumers click on Google ads when shopping on the internet.
A proper, effective PPC campaign requires a careful selection of keywords, writing ad copy, and regular management. Not only that, but you should create a welcoming landing page for when potential customers click on your ad. The user should be directed to a page that is relevant to what they were searching for, not just your homepage.
Some other things to consider are investing in ad extensions. Google allows ad extensions such as call extensions, app extensions, location extensions, and many more.
As we move towards a more digital age, your marketing efforts must do the same to be successful and effective. Reaching your customers through digital and mobilized platforms doesn’t have to be complicated. Keeping up with digital marketing trends and implementing new strategies will help your dealership stay on top of the game.
Interested in learning more? AutoJini provides marketing services specifically for automotive dealerships including but not limited to Pay-Per-Click (PPC) management, local SEO, email marketing, Google AdWords, and much more. To learn more about our digital marketing services, click here