If shows like Mad Men show us anything, it’s that marketing isn’t what it used to be. Public relations and branding might still rely on story-telling, but there has been a marked shift towards finding ways to track campaigns and conversion rates. Creative thinking and intuition still play a role in selling, but software like Google Analytics and Dealer Analytics, a sister company and product line of DealerLeads, have been created to provide solutions to tracking vendors. What can these programs offer dealerships that vendor reports can’t? Transparency that’s easy to understand.
The automotive industry, like so many other industries, has seen a shift in how customers respond to their advertising. The days of potential clients walking into showrooms without much knowledge and salespeople relying solely on their gut feelings are fleeting. With the accessibility of information on the internet and the overwhelming bombardment of advertising the average person is exposed to, it’s no wonder that digital marketing budgets are vast and varied. But how can anyone know the effectiveness of these campaigns?
Google Analytics offers dealerships a way to track existing online campaigns by providing a complete picture of how all parts of your online marketing campaigns work together to create conversions.
By having this transparency, marketing directors can gain the insights into which campaigns are working and which ones demand improvement so that money can be allocated in the right place. Similarly, Dealer Analytics has been created specifically for auto dealers to increase the accuracy and metrics of Google Analytics. These programs show you the bottom line while still being simple to navigate. Within ten minutes you’ll be competent enough to get all the information you need to track conversions for all goals and all vendors simultaneously, regardless of whether you’re a used or new dealership.
The big question dealerships need to ask themselves is how do you know that your campaigns have a large enough ROI to justify spending all those dollars? Take control of the knowledge that is available to you by implementing programs like Dealer Analytics: know who’s bringing in the big bucks and invest your money where it can bring your showroom the most sales.
