20th Apr
Here we are: the final section of our five-part series comparing generational shopping behavior.
After reading all of the information about how Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Gen Z shop online, there are six central points to take away from this series on online shopping behavior.
This is a big one. The most common complaint of so many shoppers is that dealership websites do not feature enough information about their inventory and that the images either take too long to load or are of low-quality. With all of the time people spend learning about the cars, trucks, and SUVs available for purchase or lease, it is imperative to have a professional website. This is their first impression of your business and we all know how that can sway a buyer.
While many programs out there promise to bring in heaps of traffic, you need to ask yourself if it’s also bringing in leads and conversions. If your bounce rate is over 25%, something isn’t right. Vendors be focusing on the vicinity surrounding your store: who are they, where are they gathering their information from, and at what times are they researching. Bringing these three facets together will ensure that your online marketing efforts generate an ROI you can be proud of.
Even though Millennials and Gen Z are more focused on the long-term value of the vehicles they purchase, they are looking at pricing too. Publicizing sales on multiple channels, from pay-per-click (PPC) to social media networks, are key to bringing traffic to your website and store.
Chances are, you live in an area with a sizable population that consists of all four generations. You probably also have other unique groups: subprime credit holders, low-income families, maybe even a particular ethnic group that needs information in their language. Does that mean you need to launch ten different campaigns to make sure you’re hitting every demographic? Perhaps. Or maybe your content just needs to be creative enough to incorporate something for everyone.
In 2016, car buyers only visited an average of 1.2 dealerships to sign a lease or purchase contract. Though Baby Boomers and Gen X might visit a few more stores on average, nothing is as important as customer service. If you have satisfied customers, they’ll write positive reviews on sites like Yelp and Facebook, which Millennials and Gen Z will notice. If your customer service isn’t at its best, it’s probably time to call in a sales team meeting.
We can’t explain how critical this is. If you have several vendors providing you with different services, but you are only referencing their reports to determine your ROI, how can you be sure that they are effective? An unbiased, third-party tracking system that can give you a clear apples to apples comparison is absolutely a must. Whether you only have 50 cars on your lot or 500, you need to know and compare your metrics, such as leads, traffic, bounce rates, and conversion rates. Without that information, there is no way to actively know if your budget is being spent to produce a worthwhile profit.
If you’re thinking that your marketing agents do not provide these services or if your interest has been piqued, let us show you our DealerLeads program. We’re not a regular automotive marketing agency. With close to twenty years in the automotive industry, we speak cars just as well as we speak tech geek. Our customized programs are built to target the people living in your area to generate an ROI that will rock your socks off. Contact us to set up a presentation and let us wow you with possibilities no one else can provide.