Lead more customers to your dealership this holiday season

BY LAUREN LABUNSKY

The holidays are a busy time for everyone. For businesses, it’s also a time of year to maximize the opportunity to draw in holiday shoppers. Are online ads for your dealership making as much of an impact as they could be? If your digital advertising strategy is limited to search engine ads, the answer is no. Targeted Digital Advertising can help your business capture more ad impressions and conversions on additional online platforms. 

Many dealers will be familiar with Website Retargeting, even if they don’t recognize the strategy by name. This is when a website visitor browses your site, perhaps taking some time to look at the specific bike they are interested in, then leaves and browses elsewhere online. Website Retargeting prompts ads for your dealership and even that particular unit on other websites, almost as if the ads are following your past website visitors around online and enticing them to return to the purchase they were considering. 

Behavioral Targeting is a tool that dealers may not have prior experience with, but it’s arguably even more effective than Website Retargeting. This strategy takes effect before a prospect even knows that your dealership exists. It takes place when someone is conducting online research related to your inventory – for example, looking up dirt bike-friendly trails on a local blog for outdoor enthusiasts. As that person is browsing local trails and the types of vehicles allowed on them, Behavioral Targeting would prompt an ad for your dealership and a trail-appropriate bike to pop up. Behavioral Targeting works with both keywords within content on related websites and searches that people make on related websites. If that same riding enthusiast made a search on the blog like “off-road riding areas near Seattle,” Behavioral Targeting would prompt an ad for your dealership’s newest ATV unit.

Geofence Targeting is another element of Targeted Digital Advertising that offers a unique opportunity for dealers. This tool allows you to “geofence” or draw a virtual map around any specific location(s), then run ads for your dealership to location visitors via mobile device. With certain providers, ads continue to run for those visitors for up to 30 days post-visit. Especially when activated in strategic locations, such as a powersports tradeshow or your competing dealership across town, Geofence Targeting can make a huge impact in bringing increased attention and traffic to your business. 

Targeted Digital Advertising tools present out-of-the-box opportunities for your dealership to connect with customers online. Especially in this upcoming holiday season when prospects are looking into powersports purchases online (and in person!) these powerful and advanced tools give your dealership an increased chance of bringing more customers into your store. 

Lauren Labunsky is the public relations manager at Dealer Spike, a leading web services provider for powersports dealerships. The award-winning digital advertising company is focused on helping dealers increase sales through powerful, distinctive website design and a full suite of online marketing tools to drive results. Dealer Spike’s expertise comes from real-world dealership experience and a team of professionals who also ride. When you work with Dealer Spike, you’re working with digital marketing experts who have a passion for your industry.