By: Big Tom LaPointe

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. - C. S. Lewis

Shared: From your friends #*@TechAutoCareers.com®* the online resource for the *Automotive Sales Fraternity™*

Holy speed of light, Batman! Another year has blown past in a digital blur. The car industry rocked it in 2015, so isn’t it natural to assume that 2016 will climb at the same pace? Nothing is automatic with the frantic pace of data, and experience teaches us that each car deal is a unique battle. Mobile web traffic officially passed that of desktops, and millennials are on the verge of overtaking baby boomers as the biggest car buying segment. So what’s a car dealer to do in 2016 to get the ball rolling a bit faster? Here are seven musts for your digital ‘to-do’ list for the next year:

1. Boost SEM and sharpen SEO – the battle to get in front of shoppers will only get more frantic
2. Take a critical look at your dealership website – Google says having a SCHEDULE A TEST DRIVE button easily accessible at the top of the page is a critical element for generating website leads, and make sure you have plenty of high-quality inventory images (especially for used cars)
3. Examine your entire mobile positioning – it sounds daunting because it is, but that’s where your customers are. Look at your mobile website, texting rules and opt-in, mobile chat, how inventory appears on third party mobile sites
4. Develop a video strategy – product videos, inventory videos, and department videos are all great content
5. Install / upgrade live chat – 70 percent of web traffic never returns, and chat gives you a valuable tool to capture more of that information for better quality leads that generate more profitable deals
6. Enhance your social media plan – invest time and money to get ahead of your competition in this crucial space.
7. Up your Google Analytics implementation – this is a biggie, and it’s massive; you may not be able to scale all the way up, but move to the next level. Brian Pasch classes and videos are a great resource for this.

The lingering effects of the recession remind us that good times don’t always roll, and it’s only a matter of time before we see an economic dip or another jump in gas prices. So getting proactive with these key digital marketing tools can position you to not only position you to grow your car dealership in 2016, but defend against another downturn in the economy. Happy New Year and Happy Selling!

About I.C. Collins

I.C. Collins is grateful that he can pursue something that is both interesting and has value on several levels. For over three decades in the Automotive Sales Industry a bottom-line guy Collins doesn't shy away from telling the truth in ways that cut through the noise to deliver streetwise and corporate knowledge from someone who's been there and done that, many times over.

He aims to create “a long-lasting major brand that for generations is a company that is business-critical to the leading brands in the world. We are focused every day on creating something that’s valuable and has permanence.”

P. S. Urgent if you’re looking to optimize your interpersonal skills for success get your copy of " How to Succeed in the Automotive Sales Industry " today @TechAutoCareers.com. Then settle in for a satisfying read that will surely enhance your interpersonal skills for success this year, it is not just a book we are a service.

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