Today, technology must create a customer journey that allows a consumer to buy online, or start online, and pick up right where they left off in the showroom. The technology exists to accomplish this. Proof of that is right in front of our eyes in the Carvanas, Beepis, Vrooms and other such companies. They’re already leveraging technology to take sales away from dealers.…
ContinueAdded by Bruce Thompson on January 4, 2016 at 8:49am — 1 Comment
Ever wonder why CarMax is the largest seller of pre-owned vehicles, selling more than any other company? They retail 160,000 used vehicles just about every quarter and make approximately $2,200 per unit front-end profit -- over $350M. If you do the math on 153 locations, each store averages 348 unit sales per month and grosses right at $800,000. In addition…
ContinueAdded by Bruce Thompson on December 10, 2015 at 8:54am — 1 Comment
As we head into 2016, one of the most exciting new technologies that some dealers are experimenting with are beacons. Beacons are small, inexpensive hardware devices that can be attached to a wall in the showroom or placed around a dealership's lot. Using Bluetooth technology, the beacon detects nearby smartphone devices and can send customers push notifications with a welcome…
ContinueAdded by David Metter on December 10, 2015 at 8:32am — No Comments
Most of the time the goal of a dealership's advertising is to reach car shoppers and convince them to visit your store. But what about the customers who are already in your dealership? You're probably thinking there's no need to advertise to them. If they're in your showroom, there's a pretty good chance you can close them. And you're right - unless one of your competitors…
ContinueAdded by David Metter on November 23, 2015 at 8:29am — No Comments
More than fifty percent of car shoppers are viewing dealership websites with their mobile devices, so having a mobile marketing strategy to connect with them is not only recommended, but critical for future survival. The benefits of "going mobile" are many and well documented, including the ability to make relevant offers to a specific target market, and the ability to…
ContinueAdded by David Metter on November 12, 2015 at 7:58am — No Comments
You’ve heard quite a bit about millennials, Gen Xers, and earlier generations. Now it’s time for Generation Z to get some time in the spotlight. Gen Z is generally made up of individuals born between the years of 1995-2012, and for automotive dealerships, that means this generation is just barely starting to scrape the surface of buying. However, they are a group to watch for…
ContinueAdded by Joseph Little on November 5, 2015 at 4:15pm — No Comments
Today, social media platforms - Facebook, in particular - offer in-depth analytics and data that dealers can use to market to car buyers. Dealers who understand how to use and leverage Facebook ads frequently see wildly successful campaigns for very little spend. On the other hand, there are many dealers who place much less confidence in sales attribution when…
ContinueAdded by Paul Moran on October 30, 2015 at 8:27am — No Comments
There’s no doubt that people are in love with their phones. As a result, memes and jokes constantly circulate the Internet about how some people no longer participate in “normal” activities because they simply can’t put down their phones. People aren’t reading newspapers anymore - at least not in print - and they’re fast-forwarding through commercials. So where are they? You…
ContinueAdded by David Metter on October 8, 2015 at 8:11am — No Comments
In an unprecedented move, AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson recently announced that AutoNation will no longer sell any vehicle with an open recall – new or used. According to Automotive News, this effectively grounds up to 10 percent of AutoNation’s…
ContinueAdded by Chris Miller on September 24, 2015 at 8:46am — No Comments
The other day, a friend of mine was in the market for a new tech toy. As he researched the different available brands, he noticed a huge difference in pricing - from $325 all the way up to $1800 -- but was unable to tell the difference between any of the brand offerings. The features seemed the same. They all looked the same. He read reviews, even those were…
ContinueAdded by Mike Gorun on September 15, 2015 at 9:43am — No Comments
Finding your target market is a key part of a successful marketing strategy. Whether you want to highlight new inventory, promote an event, grow your service department’s customer base, or simply boost business, defining your ideal audience is key.
It’s easy to be generic when marketing because the hope is always to…
ContinueAdded by Joseph Little on August 27, 2015 at 3:56pm — No Comments
Have you ever walked down the street and all of a sudden had your phone alert you that you’re near a Starbucks or Walgreens, automatically displaying your loyalty card in Apple Passbook or Google Wallet? Or perhaps you have received push notifications from Waze and other apps that deliver real-time notifications based on your location. As consumers increasingly…
ContinueAdded by David Metter on August 27, 2015 at 12:21pm — No Comments
An article published on Wards Auto shared some interesting views from a recent session at the Automotive Customer Centricity Summit. The article stated that John Finkel, director-client experience and training for Nissan’s luxury unit, Infiniti, does not believe that a 1-hour car…
ContinueAdded by Joe Orr on August 19, 2015 at 8:30am — No Comments
Think about the brands that reach you and catch your attention, whether television ads, ink and paper, or online. How do they speak to you? How do they approach you as a consumer? Chances are, your favorite products are delivered to you courtesy of companies that have taken considerable time…
ContinueAdded by Joseph Little on August 17, 2015 at 2:17pm — No Comments
Dealer websites today are filled with conversion widgets. In most cases, customers will choose only one form or call-to-action (CTA) to convert on. If the CTA that they chose was “value my trade,” then you can be pretty sure that the value of their trade-in is their hot button. Or perhaps they filled out a credit application. Those may be pretty low-funnel…
ContinueAdded by David Metter on August 13, 2015 at 8:39am — No Comments
Ever since cellphones gained video recording capability, people have insisted on shooting video vertically. Despite all the harassment and corrections received from peers when sharing a vertical video - “Hold the phone sideways!” - Some things never change. Those black bars that bookend the video when taken vertically certainly aren’t the most attractive. They…
ContinueAdded by Timmy D. James on August 12, 2015 at 8:34am — No Comments
In today’s fast-paced world, new technology is constantly being developed that provides auto dealers with new and innovative ways to connect with customers. The days of index cards and Outlook as a CRM are long gone. Now we have robust technology that makes it a simple process to connect with customers on many levels, including e-mail, text, chat, video and social…
ContinueAdded by Paul Moran on June 10, 2015 at 9:40am — No Comments
With almost everything consumers purchase, there’s an owner’s manual or set of instructions for them to use. For decades, car manufacturers have included an owner’s manual with new vehicles. Sadly, it is no secret that this tidy three hundred-page booklet is one of the least read publications produced in mass quantity.
Some car dealerships require that…
ContinueAdded by Richard Holland on February 26, 2015 at 8:35am — No Comments
In this high tech age, there are numerous tasks that an Internet or eCommerce Director has to tackle in order to correctly market their dealership and its inventory. In the past, you were doing a great job if you were writing custom detailed vehicle descriptions and taking multiple photos of your pre-owned vehicles. You were a superstar if you were also doing these things…
ContinueAdded by Timmy D. James on December 8, 2014 at 9:30am — 1 Comment
Starbucks recently announced plans to roll out a delivery service in some key major markets. This follows on the heels of an initiative which allows customers to place their drink orders via smartphones, so as to minimize wait times.
Starbucks has a very loyal customer base and many locations…
ContinueAdded by Richard Holland on November 28, 2014 at 8:47am — No Comments
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