Pre-owned marketing campaigns have traveled a long way from glamorous locations and flashy on-road shows. Today, consumers are more informed and have a knack for innovation and technology. To boost sales for your used cars, it is high time that pre-owned dealers do more than just having a celebrity behind the wheels to create an impression.
Keeping this in mind, discussed here are effective productive ideas that can help you market better and pump up your sales in the coming years.
Discover the Five Micro-Moments of Used Car Buying Behavior
When it comes to buying a pre-owned car (or even a new car for that matter), a consumer goes through five essential “micro-moments” that an auto dealer should take into consideration to devise effective marketing strategies. These are:
#1: The “Which Pre-Owned Car is Right” Moment
Did you know that 6 out of 10 buyers visit an auto dealership not being sure of which used car is best for them? Some of the key factors they would consider in this stage are safety, family-friendliness, and performance. They are mostly emotionally-driven here and paves the way for pre-owned car dealers to market the best brands and models that meet their expectations.
#2: The “Is it Affordable” Moment?
When purchasing used cars, buyers will want to narrow down their options, with affordability being one of the primary factors. They will explore pricing options and flexibility of payments, and often, the trade-in value of the used car.
#3: The “Is the Car Right for Me” Moment
The buyer will then get into more practical considerations such as mileage, seating capacity, etc. and will make a checklist of all features that fit their needs. This stage is also where they might consider some customizations.
#4: The “What is the Best Deal” Moment
Most of these “what is the best deal” moments happen at the dealership, but informed consumers also spend time finding deals elsewhere as well, especially on the Internet.
#5: The “Where Should I Buy” Moment
Today’s digitally-driven consumers will research on the web to find reliable pre-owned car dealers near them. The online search intent for “pre-owned dealerships near me” has almost doubled over a few years, with 46% of buyers locating a dealer online.
While most dealers focus primarily on “Where should I buy” and “What is the best deal,” it is crucial that you focus on all micro-moments to be most relevant, market your business better, and earn a winning advantage.
Build a Website & Transform it into a Powerful Lead Generation Machine
As a pre-owned car dealer, you would think “why do I need a website.” However, in a scenario where 95% of auto buyers use the digital media as a powerful source of information, it is time to rethink your market plans.
Today, a website is one of the most effective digital tools that your pre-owned dealership can leverage. With an engaging dealer website and impactful conversion funnel, you can seamlessly drive more leads and boost sales for your used car business.
Here are some valuable tips on how you can use your website as a powerful tool to drive quality leads:
Responsive Website Design
Did you know that on average, 60% of all auto searches begin from a mobile device? Some of the top searches on mobile devices are related to dealerships and pre-owned cars. Keeping the fast-growing mobile consumers in mind, you should create a responsive website that delivers the same look, feel and user-friendliness across all devices and screen sizes.
Make it Compelling
There are hundreds of pre-owned dealership websites out there. Adding to the competition are third-party sites that many customers use for researching the best deals on used cars. To stand out in the clutter, make your website more engaging with visually-striking photos, compelling media content like videos & graphics, and most importantly, information-rich SEO content.
Allure them Down the Conversion Funnel
One of the top reasons why visitors bounce back is a complex website structure. To turn your website visitors into quality leads, make it simpler for them to move from one step to another. These include vital elements such as a compelling Call to Action, broad categories with sub-heads, comprehensive product descriptions, etc.
Speed up Your Website
In the fast-paced digital era, modern consumers have become increasingly impatient. 42% of your visitors are likely to abandon your website if it takes over 3 seconds to load. Website speed is also a vital Google ranking factor and can affect your website’s rank on Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). Therefore, marketers should focus on improving the speed of their websites to generate more leads.
Leverage the Power of Pay-per-Click Advertising
Want to maximize visibility and drive more sales for your used car inventory? Get instant results with strategic pay-per-click advertising campaigns! Here are some fantastic ideas to pep up your PPC campaigns and achieve great results:
Design Vehicle-Specific Ads
There are so many used car make and models out there in the market. Make your ad more specific – create ads that market-specific car models you have in stock. For instance, instead of advertising “Jeeps for Sale,” you can make it more specific and relevant by focusing “Used 2016 Jeep Compass for Sale.”
Add Vehicle Details
To make the ads more specific, informative and compelling, include details about the pre-owned vehicles you have in inventory. Adding information like color, year of make, quantity in stock, price, etc. will entice potential buyers to click your ads.
Google Ad Extensions
To increase click-through rate and reduce CPC, take advantage of numerous ad extensions that Google offers.
Headlines to Impress
An eye-catching headline with compelling ad content and an information-rich landing page will definitely help achieve PPC success.
Reputation Management is the Key
The competition is cut-throat in the pre-owned automobile sector. A poor experience with your brand and your customers will switch to another. Therefore, reputation management is a powerful marketing tool every used car dealer should leverage. This includes keeping a tap on customer reviews and ratings, social media marketing, online reputation management, etc.
These are some powerful marketing ideas to boost sales for pre-owned car dealerships.
Krafted Digital works with many Car Dealerships across the United States. If you would like to have us Manage your Dealerships Marketing click here to contact us today!
