Menu

Internet Advertising

Internet advertising is the promotion of products and services via the internet.

Driving Customers Away

Why Your Website Could be Driving Customers Away

/ , , , , , , , , , , , /

A dealer’s Website is designed to drive sales, but if it’s not presented correctly you could be driving customers away instead. In the current digital age, the “online dealership” is an integral part of the way a dealer does business. The best ones strike the perfect balance between collecting valuable information and providing a seamless browsing experience. Sadly, though, many dealership Websites miss the mark, leading to frustrated potential customers who ultimately opt to abandon their online search. In this post, we’ll explore the issues that hinder the online car-shopping experience from the customer’s point of view, and discuss what can be done to offset them.

The Online Customer Objectives
When a customer visits your Website, they typically have one of the following four objectives in mind: (1) Browse your current inventory; (2) Get an approximate trade-in value; (3) Get potential finance information; and (4) Schedule a service appointment. The fourth one is not applicable for the purposes of this blog, so we’ll focus here on the first three.

The Pitfalls of Overly Complicated Websites
Most of today’s dealership Websites make it difficult and frustrating for customers to achieve the objectives we listed above. Here are a few of the common issues we see, over and over again.

(1) Annoying pop-ups. Seeing a pop-up once is not bad, but if it continues to appear each time someone navigates their way to a new page, it quickly leads to irritation.
(2) Excessive information/Overwhelming Information Requests. Requiring too much personal information upfront – and online – can deter potential customers. People are reluctant to share sensitive data online and often aren’t willing to spend the time to enter in a large amount of personal data.
(3) Complex navigation. Overly complex Website navigation systems can make it more of a challenge than it should be for customers to quickly find out what they’re seeking.
(4) Button overload. Too many call-to-action buttons placed haphazardly on a dealer’s Website can leave a potential customer confused and irritated.

The Consequences of Customer Frustration
When your customers encounter these obstacles, their frustration level rises. They can leave your Website feeling like they’ve wasted their time and might even question its trustworthiness. And the worst part of this is, because this interaction occurs online, you’ll never get the chance to engage in person with these would-be potential buyers.

Remember, your dealership Website is your digital showroom, and it’s where many potential customers will form their first impressions of your business. By addressing the common issues that frustrate visitors and simplifying their online journey, you can enhance the user experience and don’t have to worry about driving customers away – the last thing you’d ever want to happen.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.

Directly,Above,Shot,Of,Magnet,Pulling,Leads,Letter,Blocks,On

Beyond the Web: The Real Origins of Internet Leads

/ , , , , , , , , , , , /

Have you ever wondered about the real origins of Internet leads your dealership receives? Think about this: your customers are exposed to multiple touchpoints – online and offline – before they get to the point where they’re ready to buy – and your dealership’s online leads are no exception.

It’s easy to just assume that someone discovered your dealership through an Internet lead or even a Google search, but the reality is that dealers should look beyond just the World Wide Web.
The truth is, when a customer responds directly to an Internet lead, their journey to that point in time often begins offline with something else driving them there. It could be the captivating jingle of a radio advertisement, the visual impact of a TV commercial, the recommendation of a trusted friend, someone reading the dealership nameplate on the car in front of them at a traffic signal, or even someone searching for a dealership selling your brand through an online map service. These avenues act as catalysts, sparking curiosity and prompting individuals to seek further information online. In other words, while the Internet provides a vast array of platforms to engage potential customers, it is quite often not the initiator of the actual journey itself!

Why This Matters
When you understand the origin of Internet leads, you are better able to plan, project and allocate to get the biggest bang for your proverbial buck.

Knowing the true sources of your leads allows you to invest more in channels proven to drive leads, and make the necessary adjustments to the ones suddenly exposed as being less effective than you may have initially thought.

You only know for certain that you have a successful Internet lead when that person actually engages with you. And when you can be sure your Internet leads are truly authentic, your number of good leads goes up and your spend decreases because you’re ridding yourself of the hidden waste. And if/when this happens (we can show you how to make it happen), will your store be ready? An upcoming blog post will tell you how to be sure you’re prepared, because most Websites actually deter leads from becoming real customers.

The Takeaway
So remember, while the Internet plays a crucial role in attracting leads to your dealership’s Website, it’s also vital that you recognize the multifaceted nature of the customer’s overall car-shopping experience that got them there.

When you acknowledge and optimize all these different and diverse channels so they work in concert together, you’ll enhance your dealership’s online presence, maximize its potential and, most important, sell more vehicles.

If this blog has you curious … or even left you with a question or two you’d like us to answer, please feel free to give us a call at (321) 397-0777.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.

Close,Up,Hand,Holding,Mobile,With,Digital,Advertising,And,Icons,

Peel Back the Curtain on Your Digital Ad Spend

/ , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /

Many automobile dealers don’t really understand what they’re buying when it comes to their digital ad spend; they just know they need it. Because they’re so busy selling cars, they don’t have the time to fully research or comprehend the intricacies of online technology. As a result, they don’t know where their ads are running or how to measure their success.

This lack of knowledge can lead to wasted money and effort and, in a lot of cases, excessive levels of frustration. It’s not unlike how car customers felt decades ago; they didn’t know how much profit the dealer was actually making on their transaction; they just knew they needed a car. It’s this feeling of “flying blind” that is so unsatisfying – and no dealer wants to feel as if they are being high grossed by vendors. To bridge the knowledge gap, dealers depend a great deal upon their advertising agencies. And while they can be invaluable partners, the dealer’s lack of understanding leaves them vulnerable to miscommunication, a lack of transparency regarding a campaign’s effectiveness and, worst of all, being severely overcharged.

It doesn’t have to be that way! Your current digital advertising provider should be able to peel back the curtain for you and show you what they’re doing, tell you why they’re doing it and, most important, justify the fees they charge. Ask them for data that justifies the fees … and then make sure you understand it.

For example, does your store do Google VLAs, the paid ads appearing in search results? It’s very possible the answer is yes. But how do you know if you’ve been getting a good deal? Make a request to your vendor to explain how they are helping you reach your goals, then ask them what they’re paying for the VLAs and how much mark-up there is passed along to you. In addition, ask them to provide you with their CPM (cost per thousand) and their exact demographic information, so you can discover how they get the statistics they’re showing you. You’ll likely be surprised at what you’ll find, and we can confidently say there’s a very good chance you’re paying more than you should for your digital ad spend.

If you discover that this is, indeed, the case, we’d love to have a chat with you! JKR Automotive Advertising will never hide anything from you; our pricing structure features complete transparency, and we have the industry software necessary to back up all our decisions. We provide each client with in-depth reports about our work for them, every time. You can count on us to always be honest and upfront with you.

Why do we do things differently from everyone else? Because we are different.

Having Trust Issues?
If you cannot say you completely trust your online advertising vendor, you owe it to yourself to ask questions! And if you don’t get the answers you want, JKR Automotive Advertising stands ready to help!
When you let JKR become your strategic advertising partner, you’ll reap the rewards in the form of increased sales, as well as a surge in foot traffic and Website visits. Best of all, we achieve fast results for our clients, who then wonder how they ever got along without us. Call us today at (321) 397-0777 to get things started.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.

Don’t Get Stuck in These Web Entanglements!

Don’t Get Stuck in These Web Entanglements!

/ , , , , /

An automobile dealer’s Web site is an extension of their physical dealership facility and, as such, should not be viewed as any less important than other parts of your overall automotive advertising arsenal. Your website should be user-friendly and easy to navigate, allowing customers to quickly find the information they seek. It should also showcase your dealership’s unique offerings and highlight any special offers or promotions. Additionally, it should be visually engaging and provide potential customers with a sense of comfort and professionalism.

So how does a dealer make all this happen in a way that maximizes opportunity? It’s easier said than done, as there are a number of mistakes that can, quite frankly, cause an automobile dealer to lose out on additional business. Below are just a few.

The Pitfalls of a Flawed Plan of Attack
Flaw #1: Choosing to work with third-party Web site providers. With the belief that the convenience third-party vendors offer allows the dealer to focus on other things, it seems like a fine idea on the surface. But, not so fast! In doing so, they have voluntarily turned over control of their all-important virtual showroom to someone else; the very companies who are selling the exact same cookie-cutter Web template to your competitor down the street! Think about that for a moment. Do you really think these companies have your best interest in mind when you’re “just another client” to them? Worse yet, there is nothing that makes your Web site unique if it’s just like everyone else’s.

Flaw #2: Making a customer struggle with wasted time/multiple clicks to get to where they want to go. It is very simple; if you do this, they’ll leave your Web site. It’s inevitable, as we live in a world of instant gratification – and it might even be worse than you think. According to a study mentioned in this article by Microsoft, you now have only eight seconds to capture someone’s attention before they opt to move on. When you persuade a customer to go to your virtual dealership for a specific offer, this is a golden opportunity that must not be lost! The exact thing a customer is researching must be easy to find, with nothing deterring their efforts in any way.

Flaw #3: Don’t bog the customer down by insisting upon too much information from them during an online visit. Oftentimes, customers are resistant to giving out too much personal information online and, as a result, it can chase them away. In addition, so much can change – good or bad – between what they believe to be true after their Internet visit versus what really happens during their trip to your dealership facility. Keep your focus squarely on making the online experience as seamless as possible.

Flaw #4: Avoid excessive pop-ups. While you might think you’re helping things by providing potentially effective information or assistance with these pop-ups, you may very well be doing the opposite. And when a customer opts out of receiving further pop-ops, make sure this request is honored immediately or they’ll leave … immediately.

Flaw #5: Often, dealers don’t understand the special knowledge it takes to be in charge of their virtual dealership. If your Web site personnel don’t possess the requisite knowledge, you cannot optimize your online potential, no matter how well-laid-out it might be. It’s similar to your physical showroom. Even with the area’s most beautiful dealership facility, if you don’t have helpful, knowledgeable employees, eventually people will stop visiting you.

How to Avoid These Pitfalls

If you’d like to know more – including why the third-party Web sites that you pay $900-$1,500 a month for aren’t working, give us a call today at (321) 397-0777, and we’ll give you the full explanation.

JKR Automotive Advertising: We Move Cars.



Radio Ads Motivate Customers to Visit Your Website

Radio Ads Motivate Customers to Visit Your Website

/ , , , /

What’s the best way to get customers to visit your Website? Knowing your audience profile (who they are, where they’re coming from, how much time they spend on each of your Web pages, what devices they’re using to find you, etc.) is half the battle to achieving a successful online advertising campaign.

 

The other component is making your customer base aware of you and getting them interested enough to look for your dealership on the Internet. It has always been our experience that radio is the most cost-effective way to do so, no matter which of the four types of Website traffic you use. Let’s take a closer look at each one and how radio directly impacts them.

 

Direct Internet Traffic: This is the easiest of the four to define; it’s when someone hears your radio spot and is compelled to go directly to your Website to review an offer they’ve just heard. You can clearly understand how this happens and why it occurs often.

 

Organic Search: This is similar to Direct Traffic; however, the customer arrives at the Website in a slightly different manner. When a potential customer is motivated to look for the dealer website but doesn’t know the exact address, they type in the keywords that lead them there. But ultimately, the result is the same.

 

Paid Search: While it doesn’t operate under the same premise as Direct or Organic, Paid Search is still dependent upon someone first searching for you or your product/service. Again, outside motivation is needed, same as above.

 

Referrals: Even though radio doesn’t have a direct effect in this case, when a dealer saturates his market with radio impressions, it creates awareness for the brand. This, in turn, causes traffic on review sites and, ultimately, increased traffic at the dealer’s website.

 

The Proof is Available

Recent advancements in software allow dealers to run specific reports that can accurately measure the results of each type of Web traffic. A lot of dealers miss this opportunity because they don’t immerse themselves in available data. But if you take the time to learn how to run these informative reports, you’ll quickly notice the undeniable parallel between when your radio ads run and the times there are significant spikes in radio impressions – proof positive the ads have the desired effect. (Note: If you don’t, you should seek help finding the right marketing mix for your store.)

 

The Takeaway

Online advertising should always be part of a dealership’s marketing strategy. But it should not consume the lion’s share of your ad budget because, while it is perfect when you are retargeting your audience (reminding those who have shown a willingness to visit your Website), it is not effective when it comes to people who are not familiar with your dealership or its online presence.

 

JKR Automotive Advertising: The car dealer ad agency.

Load More