Today is a new day - a day of dealers focusing more on their own websites versus paying someone else to deliver internet leads to them. So what does this mean for dealers? The obvious thing is the need to get traffic to the dealership’s website and convert it into quality leads. Automotive dealers are in a daze trying to figure out how to make their sites rank well in search engines. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is great for so many reasons but there are a million blogs on SEO so I am going to give you a different spin on optimization – optimizing site layout for conversion.
- Site layout is important because site visitor tendencies will dominate specific pages or things of interest. How you display those things can and will determine how successful you are. Google has tools to help with this in the webmaster tools. Change your site layout and move things around often to accomplish the most effective conversion.
- Remember “The Fold”. The fold is an old newspaper term that has been adopted by the web design business. If you can accomplish showing what’s important above the fold so people don’t have to scroll down you will have better success. Some people will scroll down but some will not.
- Colors are important….remember “red” means stop, “green” means go, and “black” can mean cold. Does stop mean stop hear or stay away? Does green mean go here or keep going?
- Are you promoting too much on the home page? Too much shows clutter and people need to know what’s important within 2 seconds. A video will postpone that 2 seconds to 6 seconds so be careful with your use of video.
- Call to action….what in the world do you want them to do? It has to be a common goal. (Here is my plug…Chat is perfect because it allows the site visitor to ask their question and gives the dealer an opportunity to schedule an appointment or schedule a follow up action).
All of the above need to be considered when you are optimizing your site. Conversion is extremely important. Dealers want shoppers to land on their sites and buy a car. The shopper has questions and wants to see it, smell it, touch it, drive it, show their friends, compare to others, and once they feel comfortable they buy. You need a common ground. Chat is just that.
Which chat solution? You need to take a few suggestions from the professionals. Companies like Cars.com and Carsdirect.com have been researching the most effective chat solutions to convert site traffic to leads. Take it from the big boys….after examining different chat companies they chose ContactAtOnce! (I guess most reading this blog already figured that out!)
And as with all things internet, you’ll need a way to track everything…..I suggest Google Analytics or Omniture. The price is right for Google (free) but it will be more work and it is all about you and how well you keep up with it. Omniture is your analytics assistant. They will share with you information about your site that would take years to learn with Google Analytics. They are not cheap but how important is your website to your business? Invest wisely in your website and convert more website traffic into quality leads.
I hope this helps someone. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments and I will answer them.
We all know how wonderful live chat is and how it benefits the dealership; however, is it being used effectively? Every chat customer is a potential buyer and should be treated that way. Here are a few common sense tips that you already apply in phone conversations but are sometimes forgotten while chatting:
- Answer a customer’s questions promptly, even if you are looking up information for them. In a phone conversation you’re naturally going to say, “Hang on for a second while I check on that info.” In chat the need to acknowledge the customer is even more important because they can’t hear that you are actively doing something and might think you forgot about them. In the ContactAtOnce client you can use the predefined Status shortcuts to help you out, for instance “Bear with me a moment while I look that up.” Is the very first shortcut in the Status group.
- Be polite and professional. In a phone conversation, if a customer gets heated and begins to raise their voice, you remain professional and do not raise your voice back. The same goes with chat, you do not have to YELL just because the customer is YELLING. Your attitude could make or break the customer’s experience and could send them, and their money, down the road to your competition. You would never want your receptionist to answer the phone “ABC Dealer, what do you want?”, just as you would never answer a chat “You’re bothering me, what do you need?”. As your mom said, “Be nice and saying please and thank you can go a long way”. And remember that if you use another application that requires caps to turn off your caps lock when you answering the conversation.
- Tell the customer who you are. Just as you would on the phone, say “Hi, My name is ___”. Usually the customer will respond with their name, and you didn’t even have to ask. Now that you have their name, it will be easier to get their contact information later in the conversation. For example, if the customer asks if a certain vehicle is available, you can say “Mark let me check on that for you, but it could take several minutes. Can I call or email you when I have the information?” Since they asked the question, they want the answer, and will usually give you their contact information.
Cars.com launched a new blog on Friday. It includes news, tips and success stories so dealers can improve their online sales, while also providing an avenue for dealers to share feedback and advice with one another - basically the same concept as this blog except with a broader scope.
The blog, dealeradvantage.cars.com, is an extension of the Cars.com DealerADvantage monthly newsletter, Webinar series and local market workshops.
One of the featured posts in the new blog is a podcast entitled “How Can I Use Online Chat to Win More Sales?”. Check it out.
Many readers will recognize the name Dennis Galbraith. Dennis has been a promient presenter at industry conferences and an executive at Cars.com. Recently Dennis launched a new company, RevenueGuru.com and the company’s website is an incredible resource that every GM and anyone that aspires to one day become a GM should tap. From the RevenueGuru.com website:
RevenueGuru.com is about helping the companies we care so much about to help the consumers we all care about. It offers an ever-growing list of free tips, white papers, blogs, videos, and expert interviews. RevenuGuru.com also provides free, syndicated video and audio podcasts across the internet. We also offer a range of products, training, and consulting services to take your business to the next level of success.
Dennis is a proponent of chat as a means to connect more consumers with car dealers. For Dennis, chat is not a novelty but rather a standard technology in the same class as the phone and email - technologies that every dealership should be using (and, perhaps with some help from RevenueGuru.com, using more effectively…).
We highly recommend checking out Dennis’ site and subscribing to the podcasts (new content daily!) and other feeds of valuable information flowing from it.
Customers expect to be treated well from the beginning of the sales process and often times that begins with a chat, email or phone call. Customer service is the key and a potential car buyer will keep looking until they find the “right place” to purchase their vehicle. The “right place” not only has the right vehicle at the right price it also has the right channels through which the potential buyer may communicate with the dealership.
The “right place” will offer chat, email and phone and be consistent in using all three. When shoppers choose an avenue to communicate through, respond quickly and answer their questions. A quick response will let them know they are important and you are interested in their business. Build a rapport with the customer and promote the value of buying from your dealership, and in a short time you have created the “right place”.
Chat: Chat provides shoppers some initial anonymity while they are researching vehicles however; it is easy to get their information by gaining their trust. Respond quickly and promptly to their questions and keep your IM messages short. Once you have answered the first question, prompt the customer to tell their name with something similar to “My name is Jill, what’s yours?” Even though your name is displayed, this gives the customer the cue to provide theirs. As you answer their questions you will find opportunities to ask for contact information to provide follow-up information. Remember setting the appointment is key!
Email: Communicating via email is easy but not effortless. It requires your timely response and attention to detail. Grammar, punctuation and spelling are key ingredients to an effective email. Always ask open ended questions and engage your customer in dialogue until they are ready to commit to an appointment. Even if they are not ready to buy now, keep their email address and follow up with them every two weeks to once a month. This is a fast and easy way to keep customers in your sales pipeline.
Phone calls: Customers who phone in are often neglected. They are lost in the automated system, put on hold, transferred to the wrong extension, and usually left to leave a voice mail without a timely return call. Make these customers a priority and call them back within thirty minutes, and focus on answering their questions, gaining their trust, and setting the appointment, instead of making the sale.
Free Cars.com Webinar Discusses Proven Tips to Drive Sales With Online Chat
Cars.com announced a webinar to discuss how to reach in-market car buyers with online chat and build effective processes for ongoing success. The free workshop, “Win the Sale With Online Chat,” begins at noon EDT on Oct. 9.
Read the full press release here. It includes a more detailed description and signup instructions.