Maximize your visibility in the online purchase journey
Written by contributing writer Jayme Jenkins, vice president of marketing at LeadVenture.
On average, consumers spend nearly seven hours online each day, according to the Digital Global Overview Report by Kepios. This includes searching for information on units, parts and services they want to buy. With consumers spending so much time on the internet, dealerships have recognized the importance of having a strong online presence to get found by potential buyers.
With the right mix of marketing tools, you can get in front of the right online shoppers anytime and anywhere. Modern marketing technology solutions are designed to work together to give every shopper a personalized, cohesive buying experience, even if every individual takes their own unique path to purchase.
The modern buyer’s journey
Even if most shoppers jump back and forth between marketing channels and may not follow a direct path to purchase, there are a few common stages where you can intersect their journey with the right marketing channels.
Awareness
This is the point where potential customers are researching on the internet to find what they want and where they might be able to buy it. This is the perfect opportunity to get your marketing messages in front of shoppers, before your competition. Utilize SEO and paid ads to ensure that your dealership reaches the top of the search results page. This is also a great time to leverage social media to engage with your audience as they formulate opinions and find a dealership they can trust.
Consideration
As shoppers begin to consider their options, you can edge out the competition by making the buying journey simple for your shoppers, no matter which marketing channels they choose. You can use your digital storefront to deliver the information shoppers expect to find – including detailed product listings and clear calls to action – and make it easy for them to compare units.
Evaluation
When shoppers are ready to make a decision about the right unit and dealership, you can remind them of your offerings and your dealership’s reputation. Implementing a mix of automated email marketing, online review management and retargeting ads can help you deliver the messages each shopper wants to hear. They can also help you to engage with your audience and reassure them that buying from you is the very best decision.
Purchase and post purchase
Make the online-to-in-store purchase experience seamless for your shoppers by offering convenient payment and financing options that reduce the time to sell. And remember, just because you’ve closed a sale doesn’t mean the buyer’s journey is over. You want to keep your customers for a lifetime, and that means delivering personalized emails when it’s time to service their unit or consider a trade-in.
Check out Dealer Spike’s new eBook, “Be Where Your Customers Shop: Your Guide to Integrating Marketing Channels to Achieve Your Dealership’s True Potential” to learn more about the modern buying journey and how modern marketing solutions can ensure your dealership reaches a wider audience and still personalizes each shoppers’ experience.