Increasing traffic to your dealership is more than just ranking for keywords like “used car dealerships near me.” Here’s a brief primer on what it takes to succeed online and drive traffic to your door.
It doesn’t matter how good your sales team is if potential buyers aren’t showing up in adequate numbers to your showroom. These days, many of the leads that arrive at dealerships come from online traffic.
When people search for things like used car dealerships near me, you want the first thing they see to be your website. This article goes beyond essential keywords to help dealerships to help you better understand what it takes to succeed online.
Get the Website Basics Down
Before moving on to things like customer testimonials and reviews, it’s worth taking a moment to go over the basics. And that starts with optimizing your site for your users and adding quality content.
It’s worth going over your site’s metrics to understand how car buyers are finding your dealership. For example, are they using their phone or tablet for research, or are they using their desktop computer to find you? (Hint: according to Google, 60% of automotive searches are done on a mobile phone.) Are they coming from Google searches or from other search services such as Bing or Duck Duck Go?
Optimize your site so your potential customers see the content you want them to see as quickly as possible. Fast-loading images, a page template that is flexible enough to look great on a phone or computer, and quality written content and includes calls to action (CTA) such as:
- Find Your New Car
- Schedule Your Test Drive
- Contact Us
- Visit Our Showroom
As you know, dealership websites need to be optimized to perform well with search engines like Google using a process called search engine optimization, or SEO.
SEO techniques include incorporating important keywords into your website’s content, whether it’s model review pages or a blog post that provides essential information to potential leads, and ensuring every photo, button, and menu looks just right. It’s vital that your website content not only catches the attention of search engines but also hooks car buyers and compels them to visit your showroom.
However, it’s vital not to neglect the back end. Back-end SEO is just for search engines. Your customers won’t see meta tags, internal link-building, and scouring your site to ensure there is no duplicate content. For those without dedicated training and experience, you might want to call in SEO professionals.
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Reviews for Attracting Traffic
Today’s car buyers are smart enough to know that the best way to differentiate between trustworthy and untrustworthy dealerships is to learn about other customers’ experiences.
By incorporating testimonials into your web content, you can give potential customers an idea of what to expect. However, third-party reviews hold even more importance when driving local traffic to your website and showroom door.
One of the most straightforward ways to get more reviews is to ask happy customers to leave one on Google, Yelp, Facebook, or elsewhere. You can remind them to leave a review using the email addresses provided during the sale.
Some dealerships also offer incentives for leaving reviews, including perks like minor discounts on oil changes or other maintenance services. Of course, it only makes a difference if your in-person customer service is on-point enough to merit positive reviews.
Showcase Inventory Online and Keep It Updated
Offering accurate information online about the vehicles in your showroom is an effective way to make a good first impression. Don’t underestimate the importance of ensuring that all the information on your site is accurate, as inaccurate information can make your dealership look less trustworthy.
Many dealerships offer an online-only buying option, allowing customers to review all their vehicles and complete purchases without ever visiting the showroom. Offering satisfaction guarantees is a must if you plan on going this route.
Even if you decide not to provide an online-only buying option for customers, maintaining an accurate, up-to-date, and professional website is the best way to get more customers in your door.
Don’t Skip Social Media for Driving Traffic
Yes, it’s important to ensure your website is optimized to help search engines find your dealership but don’t sleep on social media. Having a consistent presence on social media helps improve your dealership’s visibility by giving you more opportunities to link to all the great content you’ve built.
You don’t need to post on every social media platform: choose 2 to 3 that you get the most engagement from and concentrate your efforts there.
Leverage Multiple Tools to Drive Traffic to Your Door
While there are some steps you can take yourself to rank higher for simple keywords like used car dealerships near me, professional web design and SEO are powerful tools. Leverage them by choosing a dedicated partner with industry-specific experience.
