Auto Dealership Marketing

Modern consumers prefer to shop online for vehicles, which means websites are the main lead capturing tool for auto dealerships. Their websites must have good online visibility in search engines and provide shoppers the functionality they expect. In an effort to help dealerships capitalize with their online shoppers, here are 5 marketing design tips for auto dealership websites.

#1. Responsive Design:

Auto dealerships have many options for building a website, yet it’s vital to choose a website with a responsive design. Essentially, this means the website is able to adapt quickly to any mobile device, which is imperative with the prevalence of mobile shopping and usage. This also means the website loads and moves quickly from page to page, which is important for a fluid browsing experience.

#2. Theme Designed for Target Audience:

First impressions do matter, especially, with auto dealership websites. The website should be designed uniquely and themed toward the target audience. All websites should be easy to navigate, have relevant tabs at the top, have the auto dealership’s address and phone number in the prime top right area, have a GPS map at the bottom of the home page, and have a lead capture form for the sales funnel.

The rest of the website’s design can be customized, such as: type of pictures, gadgets, social media icons, videos, text, pop-ups, slideshows, colors, etc. The main idea is to design the website toward the tastes of the target audience. The main design flaws to avoid are: having too much clutter and confusion, and looking like everyone else in the regional area.

#3. Featured Vehicles on the Home Page:

How about featuring popular sellers on the home page? Instead of showing generic pictures of people on the home page, show popular vehicles or the deal of the month vehicle. Most online shoppers are in the decision-making process, so having featured vehicles on the home page may just sway their choice. The 4 to 10 featured vehicles showcased on the front page would capture shoppers’ attention — more than a generic photo of a person — and would give dealers a way to move certain vehicles and offer special deals.

#4. Optimized Vehicle Landing Page:

When shoppers click on a vehicle and go to its specific landing page, this means they’re one step closer to filling out the lead capture form, calling, or visiting the dealership. First off, listings need to be updated daily to accurately reflect what vehicles are in the lot. Secondly, the landing pages need to be optimized to entice the shopper to take further action; the landing page could have: videos of the vehicle in action, pictures inside and out of vehicle, specs and features, lead capture form, and a way to be pre-approved and see financial terms.

Auto dealerships can give their online shoppers a way to be pre-approved and see the financial terms with Credit Wise from eLEND Solutions. On each vehicle’s landing page, a large button saying: “Get Pre-Approved without affecting your credit”, could be placed in a prime location to entice shoppers to take the next step in purchasing the vehicle. Credit Wise is a software solution that integrates with dealerships’ enterprise systems, giving online shoppers a way to see if they can be approved and/or afford a certain vehicle they’re interested in.

#5. Incentive for Lead Capture:

Online shoppers are visiting multiple websites during their search for the right vehicle, so by offering an incentive for lead capture, auto dealerships would differentiate themselves from the rest. The incentive could be: entries into drawings, discounts, free calendar, or any number of different ideas.

The main goal is to provide some affordable incentive to entice online shoppers to enter their information into the lead capture form. With their phone number or email, auto dealerships will have a better chance of staying relevant during their vehicle search.

Summary

The website is the main marketing tool auto dealerships have in the modern online world we live in today. Online shopping for vehicles has become the preferred method for consumers, so it makes sense to focus on optimizing the website to capitalize on this ever-growing trend. The 5 marketing design tips highlighted here should help auto dealerships increase online visibility and capture more leads.

Ultimately, auto dealerships want to increase their sales and make a profit, which means leading customers into the F&I process. With Credit Wise from eLEND Solutions, auto dealerships can offer their online shoppers the ability to start the financing process while shopping. This has proven to increase leads 12x for past clients, as well as streamlining the entire F&I process from hours to minutes. If interested in learning more please

If interested in learning more about Credit and Financing solutions for your dealership, please contact us today.