You must watch it! Touching…
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This is how consumers are shopping for vehicles through Google in your local market. How do you appear show up?
I made this using Google’s Search Stories creator…pretty cool and easy to launch
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I was watching videos on YouTube, decided to search for my name, and I found this video by Tim Jennings. Tim was in our booth at NADA and I discussed how dealers could use streaming video services like uStream to engage consumers on their websites.
Ahhhhh…the wonders of the Interwebs…
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Here are some visuals to assist:
On Base Percentage + Slugging
On Base Percentage
Slugging Percentage
* H = Hits
* BB = Bases on balls
* HBP = Times hit by pitch
* AB = At bats
* SF = Sacrifice flies
* TB = Total bases
Basically, OPS calculates how many times a baseball player gets on base (through a hit or walk) + how often they get a hit divided by the number of at bats they receive.
After discussing this with ‘The Boss’ (DISCLAIMER – We normally don’t talk about math equations like this, I was recapping my fantasy baseball draft from Sunday), we questioned what would be the website equivalent to baseball’s OPS? The two factors that come into play on websites are traffic and conversion.
We calculate conversion on our client’s websites using a simple # of form submissions + phone call received / unique visitors. This is a pretty standard way to show conversion, but it’s not the best way to determine optimal website performance.
The concept is that if your conversion is sky high, it could be a result of your traffic being low. This could be the result of your website not being properly optimized and the only visits you’re receiving being from customers that know who you are and seek out your website.
On the flip side, your conversion could be low and this could be a result of your traffic being sky high. This could be driven through an incredibly successful online marketing campaign that is getting people to your site, but they aren’t turning into a lead due to your content, location, or product/service set not being relevant to their needs.
So the question is, what would the OPS equivalent be to websites? It’s necessary to take both traffic and conversion into account and I’m hoping some of your statheads out there have some ideas!
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Why spend time updating content on Facebook and Twitter?
A year ago, the social marketing stampede began and local businesses around the country ran out to get their slice of the Internet’s new pie. After signing up for their new shiny toys, these businesses start to post content about their products, services, involvement in the community, or take an approach of ‘no content is bad content’ by firing off any random link + story they find ‘interesting.
I follow 100s of dealerships on Facebook and Twitter (crazy right?). In the dealership world, social content normally falls into 3 categories:
1. Look at the cars we have for sale (as if they will surprise ‘Fans’ that they have inventory)
2. Look at what’s happening at the dealership (sometimes good info; often times salespeople goofing off)
3. Check out our special, promotion, event, etc. (the most value-added info a consumer can receive, in my opinion)
The biggest disconnect I’ve witnessed between the social and digital marketing strategies of dealerships is how much content is on their online profiles vs their website. With CMS tools allowing dealers to add pages to their websites within a few clicks, it’s important to tie this content into who your dealership is online. I like to use the analogy that your dealership’s website is a mansion with multiple rooms, all needing some TLC in order to be decorated appropriately. The majority of dealership websites are launched with out-of-the-box stock images and information throughout.
The section that always blows me away are dealership’s ‘About Us’. If there was ever an opportunity to express who your dealership is, IT’S HERE! Why are you #1? Why should they buy or service a car through you vs all other local options? Be proud of what you do and the products and services you offer. You’re unique! Demonstrate to the world why…
Another section that is a wasteland is ‘Specials’. While this section of websites has improved in recent years, I can’t begin to explain how many dealership websites I visit and get a ‘No Specials Available At This Time’ message when I click specials. Here’s a hint…if you’re not going to post any specials, have your website provider remove the Specials link ASAP. Seriously. It’s doing more harm than good having no content in this section. If you want to run your business like a pirate and provide your customers with a ‘GARRRRRRRR, No Specials For You Matey!’ when they do what is offered by clicking on your Specials link, be my guest. But imagine how you would react if you were presented with a similar experience online. You’re already a car dealership, no need to start wearing an eye patch and having a parrot on your shoulder.
Back to how the above rant relates to social profiles for dealerships. Before you venture into the social web, take a deep dive into EVERY page on your dealership’s website. Improve the engagement levels on your website by caring. Take videos/pictures of every department and update your staff pages. Differentiate your service, parts, and finance departments by taking the time to show to customers what makes these profit centers special. Provide content that will assist your clients and prospects in buying, leasing, financing, and servicing cars, you’re the expert in the community and they expect this from you.
Once you’ve properly decorated your dealership’s online mansion, THEN it’s time to expand the content to the social web. Having this information on your website allows you to direct your fans and followers back to your website, thereby solidifying your dealership and brand as being the one-stop source for all things automotive. Watch your traffic and consumer engagement SPIKE through your efforts of providing the information they expect from a dealership’s website.
Having pretty dealership Facebook and Twitter pages are the new ‘it’ thing in digital marketing. Get ahead of your competition by not chasing these shiny toys and putting your energy into the cornerstone of your online presence, your dealership website.
Below are examples of dealerships that have become master interior decorators through their websites, follow their lead:
http://www.auctiondirectusa.com/
http://www.johnmarazzinissan.com
http://www.ridehomehappy.com/
http://www.frankmyersauto.com/
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Although The Yugo: The Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History isn’t related to Internet marketing opportunities for car dealerships, it is a good read for insight into the wild and wacky realm of how cars are built and distributed.
When I think of Yugos, I envision images of junkyards. Look up ‘Piece of shit car’ in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of the Yugo. The quality and concept of these cars was failed from the beginning as Yugoslavia, the home of the Yugo, has never been know for their innovative auto manufacturing.
At the center of the Yugo story is Malcolm Bricklin, who could be the most infamous man in all of automotive. After bringing Subaru to the United States, Bricklin was certain that he’d be able to repeat the feat through Yugo and multiple other failed ventures. His tale is one of an entrepreneur that didn’t let speed bumps get in his way. It’s remarkable how many times this guy has tried and failed to bring an auto brand in the US. Bricklin’s 9 lives are still going strong with his new company Visionary Vehicles, which is trying to bring electric vehicles to the masses.
What surprised me about the Yugo story is how popular the brand was prior to landing in the US. For a goofy, small car in the early 1980s, the Yugo had hype around their US launch similar to the Scions and Smart cars of today. People were on waiting lists for up to 6 months to get a Yugo. The 1st cars that landed were heralded as the future of automotive. Sub-$5000 vehicles for the masses are what the media thought American consumers wanted. Other manufacturers worked to fill their product voids for these new small cars. In the end, the Yugo lived up to all of it’s sub-$5000 hype. A ridiculously unreliable car that could be almost considered disposable.
The Yugo story ends with manufacturing halting in 2008. If you didn’t hear about the Yugo production stopping, you’re not alone. By the time the vehicle was done, the Yugo was laughable and unsaleable everywhere but in Yugoslavia. The plant is still intact and the last time someone showed interest was…you guessed it, Malcolm Bricklin.
If you’re looking for a quick read for insight into the inter-workings of the automotive industry, I recommend this as a quality look inside.
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This is such a fresh approach to selling a used car online. Imagine if this was the consumer experience when people were looking at your inventory online. Do you think customers would be passionate about what’s on your lot? I do…
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If you haven’t setup a Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube account for your dealership, you probably won’t be reading this post. A majority of dealerships have at least gone out and grabbed their name on these social networks before someone else (aka competition) does.
A question that I don’t see asked regularly is who controls the username, password, and content for these services within the dealership. With turnover in retail automotive being what it is, it is critical to understand what who can log in and how content is pushed into these channels. One of the worst things that could happen to your dealership’s online reputation is having a disgruntled former employee hold the keys to your social castle, allowing them to hold court by taking your name hostage. Imagine the online battle that could erupt when you’re opponent is in the driver’s seat…scary stuff.
At the recent NADA Convention in Orlando, 100% of the conversations I had included something about social media. Dealers and OEMs want to get involved, but don’t know where to start. My suggestions and recommendation were always the same:
1. Are you currently using Facebook, Twitter, and/or YouTube for personal use? If so, then you might be ready to start engaging customers through these channels. If not, then it’s time to crawl.
2. What is your role at the dealership? If this answer is Internet Sales or Marketing/eComm Manager, how active is your owner in social networking? It is my opinion that if a business is privately held, then whomever owns the business should be it’s social voice. Having someone else engage consumers on your behalf is like hiring a stunt double to represent you at a party. How do you think that would work out?
3. Think about who you are in the community. This is a bigger concept than the ‘post all of your community involvement/charity work in your market’ approach. Imagine having a local aspiring journalist (preferably one with some photography skills) act as a reporter for your dealership. If you sponsor little Jimmy’s baseball team, have the reporter take pictures of the games and report who hit the game winning home run. Let all the parents of the team know that they can check your dealership’s Facebook page to get a recap of each game. Watch the parents become ‘fans’ and active participants within these event posts. That’s social networking on a local level!
I sincerely think its best for a dealership NOT to participate in social media. Without a solid strategy and processes within a store, your brand’s online reputation through social media could be more harmful than profitable.
REMEMBER – You only have one shot at impressing your Facebook Fans and Twitter Followers before they click the notorious ‘Hide’ and/or ‘Unfollow’ buttons. Make sure you’re doing the right thing!
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