Dealerships might receive leads via online ads or even on their website. These leads might be from serious buyers or they might lead absolutely nowhere. The ‘dead-end’ leads can frustrate sales team members who might spend hours answering questions or working with the potential customer.
How can dealerships gain more leads that result in a sale? While there isn’t a magic potion to ensure that every lead ends with a purchase, here are 10 tips for higher-quality leads that could help dealerships identify serious buyers:
- Use carousel ads
- Identify the sales-qualified lead
- Use Predictive Marketing Software
- Promote Offers, Sales and Incentives
- Simplify communication and outreach
- Implement SEO strategies
- Offer shopper-friendly resources online
- Create compelling content
- Be active on social media channels
- Don’t scrimp on the photos
Take a Ride on the Carousel
Carousel ads are impactful and effective because they allow businesses to promote or advertise multiple products via one ad. For dealerships, this means that different models can be featured; this allows the ad to reach more buyers and perhaps multiple segments of buyers, too.
For example, a carousel ad can focus on used/pre-owned inventory all priced within a specific budget. In addition, these ads can be targeted to a specific age group and/or geographic scope, too.
A carousel ad also could highlight only new models. This ad could be designed to reach those who have a larger budget or buyers who want a new car.
Carousel ads can be designed to allow businesses to include a unique link for each product/car. This lets buyers or potential customers click the link and visit a page dedicated to that car or new model or perhaps a page that lets them enter their contact details to receive more information about a vehicle.
Depending on the marketing goals of the dealership, these ads can be designed to reach the right customer and lead them to the next phase of the buying funnel, too. While not every lead might result in a purchase, the dealership marketing team can structure and target these and to ensure they reach the right audience and include links that enable the customer to reach out to the sales team.
Identify the Sales-Qualified Lead
AutomotiveMastermind also recommends that the marketing team needs to be able to work in tandem with the sales team to identify the Sales-Qualified Lead. This means that dealerships and the marketing/sales team need to know and need to agree upon which leads are going to be more likely to develop into a purchase.
The site notes that the dealership has to identify what is considered a good lead. This definition could vary per dealership.
Maybe a customer inquiring about a test drive is more interested in buying the car. However, the customer also could simply want to drive an expensive car they perhaps cannot afford. For one dealership, a test drive request could be a great lead, but for a luxury auto brand dealership the sales team might need more information about the customer to consider that request promising.
Use Predictive Marketing Software
AutomotiveMastermind also recommends that dealerships utilize predictive marketing software to score leads. This can help the marketing and sales team better understand the quality of a lead. The site explains that this type of program “…automatically scores leads by associating a numerical value to each prospective customer, impacted by a dealership’s marketing interactions, first and third party data and more.”
Promote Offers, Sales and Incentives
A simple tip for helping to improve lead quality is for dealerships to promote their offers, sales and incentives effectively. Can potential customers find information related to promotional APR, lease deals and any other special promotions quickly and easily via the dealership’s website?
If buyers have to hunt through a website to find out which vehicles might be offered for a lower price or which vehicles are eligible for a lease deal, they might click out of the site and visit a competitor. Create a page dedicated to incentives, promotions and sales and make the link to the page easy to find and obvious on the homepage, too. These promotion-focused pages also could include a contact link so the buyer can reach out to a sales team member.
Simplify Communication and Outreach
Many car shoppers now research and shop for a car online. Those who prefer to shop from home might want to easily reach out to a member of the sales team for more information about a vehicle they like.
Does the dealership offer a chatbot feature that lets buyers find the information they need? Is there a customer service person dedicated to offering online assistance via a chat function? Communication and outreach should be easy for buyers—whether they shop in-person or online.
Dealerships could miss hot leads if they don’t make it easy for a customer to contact sales or customer service online.
SEO Can Improve Visibility
There are typically many car dealerships in major cities and in the suburbs, too. This means that each dealership must ensure that they are visible to buyers. To draw attention to a physical location, dealerships might rely on tall or colorful signage. How can dealerships stay visible online, though?
SEO methodologies can be crucial to amplifying a business’ visibility on the internet. Website content, blog articles and other information needs to be optimized in order to be ranked favorably by Google and other search engines.
There are many ways to optimize content. One of the easiest methods is to use keywords that are most likely to be entered into the search engines by users. These keywords need to blend seamlessly into content; in addition, the content also needs to provide value to readers. While optimizing content with keywords could help the dealership gain visibility and appear higher on searches, quality content also is rewarded by Google.
Dealerships also need to maintain their Google Business Profile, which might be the first result that Google users see when searching for the dealership. Ensure that the address and contact info remains consistent across all social media sites, the dealership’s website and its Google Business Profile.
By optimizing content, the dealership can become more visible to potential customers. This increased visibility could help improve sales leads, too.
Offer Shopper-Friendly Resources Online
Buyers who are shopping for a car from home might be looking for resources that help them learn more about a particular model that they like. What does the dealership offer online to help simplify the research process for buyers?
To amplify the user experience (UX) and perhaps even extend the amount of time individuals spend on the site, dealerships could incorporate augmented reality experiences that allow them to explore the car using a phone or tablet. In addition, immersive 3D spin photos also allow customers to explore the car’s interior and exterior features.
Immersive experiences that enhance exploration could help buyers feel more confident that this is the car for their needs. They might reach out to the sales team to schedule a test drive or see the car in person.
Create Compelling Content
Content can attract customers to further explore the dealership’s website. For example, the dealership could offer a blog that includes content focused on car care tips, maintenance or other interesting topics. The dealership also might include fun topics related to their geographic area (i.e. “The Best Burgers in Atlanta”).
This content could lead customers to explore the website further. A blog article also could show up in an individual’s Google search, and the article could introduce them to the dealership and encourage them to check out different cars if they are in the market to make a purchase.
Be Active on Social Media Channels
Social media channels also could be a source for leads. Customers could reach out to the dealership via Facebook or their other social media accounts.
Don’t forget the importance of social media channels. Be active on accounts and respond to inquiries promptly. Engage with customers and embrace the fun side of social media, too!
Don’t Scrimp on the Photos
Modera recommends that dealerships use high-quality photos. While used inventory might require DIY photos, dealerships should ensure that these photos are still high-resolution and professional. Be mindful of the background and photograph all the details of a model.
For new models, dealerships can use professional stock photos from EVOX Images. Choose from full stills images of the interior/exterior, interactive spin photos, three-angle color images or even photos that show the details of the base trim.
EVOX Images provides a wide variety of photo options for each model. In addition, dealerships interested in creating augmented reality or virtual reality can access libraries with digital assets compatible with these technologies. Explore all the high-quality photos available via EVOX Images to provide customers with the best look at new vehicle models.