Written by Mat Koenig CEO & Founder of KonigCo LLC.
Learn more at www.konig.co

Automotive dealers have been doing a great job lately when it comes to focusing on being conversational with consumers and giving them opportunities to connect with the dealership. Time tested tools like email and chat have been around for a while and many dealers have been embracing the wisdom of industry leaders on sties like dealerEliete.net and AutomotiveDigitalMarketing.com to take their social media communication to the next level.


One area where the Automotive Dealer Community has been missing opportunity is mobile conversion, and there seem to be some obvious reasons why we've been slow to adapt, but more obvious reasons why we need to shift gears and make mobile our focus.


Reason #1 - "We just don't know how."


I speak to dealers every week and this is the most common thing I hear when we talk about increasing opportunities using mobile strategies but the bigger picture is that many of the folks trying hard to sell cars just flat don't understand 'why' having a mobile strategy is critical for the dealership. 


The 'why' is the part that's keeping us from making the 'how' a priority so I'm going to do my best to help you see the 'why' with three pieces of info:

- A March Study by Google & Nielsen showed that over 80% of mobile users search at home on a mobile device because it's faster and easier than  getting up to go to the computer.

- The same study also showed that 55% of mobile conversion happens within 1 hour of that mobile search (Call, Text, Chat, Email or walking in the store)!

- What you may not know is that in November of 2012, Nielsen did a study with xAD/telmetrics that showed 49% of MOBILE AUTO SHOPPERS say that they intend to make a purchase within 24 hours!

The 'how' is easy in most cases: 

1. Make sure your website is mobile compatible, fast and easy. 

2. Make sure mobile shoppers are seeing your incentives on your mobile site too and make sure they're above the fold.

3. Give them a reason to convert and give yourself a way to call them (shameless plug for AutoCapture)

2. Make sure you have a YouTube channel with playlists that are dedicated to: Customer testimonials, Vehicle Demonstrations, Dealership Events (fundraisers, charity events, etc.) and have a link to this on your mobile site so people can really get to know why you're so great!

Reason #2 - "I heard...xxxx...and we don't want..xxx..."

As with any unfamiliar territory, we hear horror stories of the pains experienced by the trailblazers that came before us and when it's an area that feels 'new', some of these horror stories aren't in the too distant past.

Example: One of our dealers was at his 20 group meeting where an uninformed consultant made the blanket statement: "Dealers, you need to stay away from anything to do with text messaging because XXXX Dealership (dealer group name intentionally ommitted)  just had to settle a multi-million dollar lawsuit because of texting."

Obviously this guy was an ignorant idiot with no idea what he was talking about. 

NOTE: I don't believe all consultants are idiots. There are great consultants out there like Joe Webb at DealerKnows and Brian Pasch a PCG to name a few.

Back to the moron who gave bad advice. This consultant told dealers that they needed to fear a technology that, according to a Cars.com and Nielsen study done in June of 2012 (download the PDF here) is one of the top ways that mobile shoppers prefer to communicate with a dealer!

It makes sense to be weary of making the same mistakes that others have made, but we can connect with consumers and meet their needs without assuming the risks that others have taken.

NOTE: The lawsuit that consultant moron referred to wasn't a 'texting' issue. It was a 'texting without permission to do so' issue and you can get sued for emailing without permission too which is precisely why you don't go spraying & praying with any email or sms marketing. In fact, for your sales department you will get more powerful results with mobile shoppers if you use sms for lead generation and delivery of mobile incentives than outbound marketing. You can see how in my shameless plug #2 right here.

If we've learned anything from Google's Mobile Search Moments or the Google book ZMOT: Winning the Zero Moment of Truth (download it FREE HERE) it's that we MUST engage the consumer in that critical moment (ZMOT) where they're looking at our product online, our dealership online, our staff online, our services online and give them a reason to make their First Moment of Truth (FMOT) take place in OUR dealership! 

In today's day & age phones are getting more and more useful, heck, my Droid DNA is HUGE compared to my old iPhone 5 and I can do everything from set up a new client account to creating a video right from my phone.

Just last night, from my phone, I ordered an iPod Nano from Amazon, purchased tanning lotion for my wife and I, purchased tattoo supplies (I have 25 and counting and have been an artist for 18 years too) and purchased Jeffrey Gitomer's Sales Bible from Audible! PLUS, since I can control my laptop remotely from my phone I also managed to move 3,400 songs from my macbook air hard drive over to my Apple Time Capsule - ALL FROM MY PHONE!!!

Today's shoppers live and breathe their mobile phone. Google has shown us that people would rather give up television that be without their mobile phones. Many would give up chocolate and beer before they would give up their phones. Over 90% of people are within arms reach of their phone 24 hours a day and that alone should be enough reason for use to make MOBILE MATTER AT OUR DEALERSHIPS!

New products will continue to emerge in the Automotive Industry on a daily basis and many of them will help our deaerships increase sales and profit, however, if we don't grasp the basic principles of engaging with potential buyers, where they want, and how they want, we're going to continue missing opportunities and keep leaving money on the table.

Helping the best get better, 

Mat