technology

Video Has Officially Arrived

Nothing has changed the way consumers use the Internet quite like video. Youtube.com and its brethren have fulfilled the true multi-media promise that was made back when we were all still on dial-up. We knew the day would come… and it has arrived.

So what’s made it happen? Well first of all, well over 50% of all internet users in the United States now have high-speed internet access. Secondly, simpler video editing software and less expensive video cameras have made user-created video affordable to middle America.

Video and multi-media are no longer nice-to-haves for dealership websites… it’s a must have to remain competitive. In fact, video has been shown to increase click rates and the time a user spends on your site.

In short… It’s time to make video a part of your dealership’s web system.

D. Jones
Marketing Strategist/Creative Consultant
SmackDabble, LLC

Web Marketing Grows, but How Much?

JULY 3, 2008

A Look Behind the Numbers

“More than one-half of the average marketer’s budget is now spent online,” according to a press release from lead generation company Clash-Media. The firm conducted its “Online Lead Generation (B2C) Report 2008” in May with E-consultancy.

But the press release may be a misreading of the report. According to respondents, a greater proportion of lead generation budgets is being spent online (on average, 53%) than offline (44%).

The survey’s methodology seems to confirm the point.

Of those polled, 73% said their channels to market were “online or multichannel,” and 23% said “online only.” Only about 4% said they were “offline only.”

So respondents were focused largely on online approaches. The rest of the summary issued with the report was more accurate. Among the findings:

Seven out of 10 responding marketers said their companies used search engine optimization, paid search and e-mail marketing to in-house lists.
Offline marketing methods largely decreased, with only press and television advertising growing. Over 90% of marketers saw online lead generation as a growth area.
Print media was still the most commonly used offline method to generate consumer leads (65% of organizations).
Natural search (79% of respondents), e-mail marketing to in-house lists (75%) and paid search (71%) were the three most commonly used online methods for lead generation.

Without question, online ad spending in the US is rising quickly. eMarketer predicts double-digit growth will continue for the next several years.

Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006376

The Internet Never Forgets

One of the oft overlooked aspects of our digital world is that is has a near-flawless memory. Unlike the paper, ink and magnetic tape of the old analog world, the ones and zeros of digital information never deteriorate. That, of course, means that the digital information you push out into the world (i.e. your website, email, digitized television and radio spots, banner ads, blog posts, press releases, etc.) never go away.

If you’ve changed the design and content of your website 3 times in the past 10 years, don’t think that those old designs aren’t still floating around out there in cyberspace. They may not be as easy to access, but they’re there. When Google crawls the web, a snapshot of your site is taken at that moment in time and archived. Even if you deleted that email from your inbox, there are still copies in the recipient’s inbox as well as on the servers in between. And those servers are often backed up daily and the copies sent off site.

The lesson, in short, is be careful. There’s no way to burn the evidence of your old website or sweep away that email you fired off in a moment of anger. Customers and the media will find these things, eventually. And if they have good reason, they’ll use them against you.

D. Jones
Marketing Strategist/Creative Consultant
SmackDabble, LLC

Key Innovations From the World of Auto Marketing

Published: May 30 2008 by iMediaConnection

In a tight economy, it takes ingenuity to capture the attention of in-market shoppers. See what tools the automotive industry uses to generate consumer interest and increase conversions.

As you would expect, today’s biggest trends in the automotive industry all revolve around e-commerce. As more consumers head online to research and shop for vehicles, vehicle sellers and marketers have to provide the websites, electronic tools and online information consumers want and need.

Yet, they are also challenged to attract and retain in-market auto shoppers to their online turf, especially during a weak – and therefore highly competitive – economy. This calls for innovation in areas such as campaigns, eye-catching visuals and clever SEO tactics. Following are five of the big marketing trends we’re seeing in the automotive industry and how they’re affecting and changing the online environment overall.

Mobile marketing
Although mobile marketing has been popular for a while, it’s only recently that companies in the automotive space have started to optimize this communication channel.

Take a look at the work of some companies currently employing this technology. Dealership e-newsletter service IMN Loyalty Driver has started including mobile coupons in its publications. When customers receive an e-newsletter that includes a coupon, they enter their cell phone number into the space provided and within seconds the coupon is delivered to their phone as a text message. To redeem the coupon, customers only have to show their phone at the dealership.

Mobile marketing company Gumiyo makes it possible for a dealer to place trackable keywords, VINs or stock numbers next to vehicle advertisements (both print and online) that consumers can text from their cell phones. These buyer-generated text messages receive automatic dealer replies with specific vehicle information, or promotions with links that launch a cell phone’s web browser. Services like this make a dealer’s inventory directly available to cell phones, potentially shortening the sales cycle and increasing the value of offline advertising.

Innovative uses of video
Full-motion vehicle videos are steadily gaining in popularity. We’ve seen many dealerships and portal sites licensing video content because it delivers compelling presentations that keep viewers on sites longer which, in turn, raises conversion rates. In response to the overall success of video-based ads in the automotive market, vendors are starting to experiment with video in unique and innovative ways. The Wall Street Journal online for example, is now using a video component to supplement many of their articles and special features, including those about the automotive industry.

Another great example of this is MyDealerBroadcast. The company is working with dealerships to deliver automated, personalized email messages in response to customer vehicle inquiries. Each message includes an embedded photo along with a link to a vehicle video. Once an email is sent, the dealership sales team receives instant text and email alerts whenever the customer interacts with the message, so they know what leads are hot and when to follow-up. Not only does their product guarantee that a customer vehicle inquiry will be answered promptly, the inclusion of video gives the customer immediate access to the information they want in an eye-catching presentation that grabs attention and better primes them for the sales call.

Web services
The automotive industry is data-heavy: With numerous new vehicles released every year, each with more than 10,000 option and pricing configurations, a dealer or portal trying to get complete vehicle information online and provide configuration and comparison services has a steep development hill to climb. Because of this, web services are rapidly gaining in popularity.

Web services allow companies to focus on core competency – how the application manipulates and enhances data for the best consumer experience – rather than structuring, warehousing and updating the source data. In addition, using web services for VIN decoding, mapping to used vehicle values and configuration and comparison reduces development cost and shortens the development cycle because it obviates custom databases and coding. And unlike framed-in applications, web services allow for the freedom to customize every aspect of a website’s look and feel.

Dealer generated leads
Virtually every dealer has a love-hate relationship with third-party lead generators. On the one hand, they deliver solid sales leads, but on the other, volume does not equal quality, and multiple dealers often receive the same leads.

Some companies in the space are helping dealers to skip the middle man and generate their own leads by creating small landing pages for individual vehicles, or by using SEO to drive consumer traffic to these pages. eBizAutos, a leading innovator of online marketing solutions for dealers, and NowMarketPlace.com, a new company creating dealership websites that combine the power of video and the web, are putting the power of lead generation in the hands of dealers.

OEM-owned vertical ad integration
Vertical ad networks are a big topic right now, and in the automotive space we’re seeing manufacturers using this model to create their own vertical channels. General Motors, for example, recently began offering its dealers a comprehensive digital marketing package for free. Designed to drive more in-market shoppers to GM dealership websites, the program will enable GM to better coordinate its national advertising message with its dealers’ local advertising for consistent messaging that grabs casual shoppers, as well as sophisticated, brand-savvy shoppers.

These five trends attest to the industry’s commitment to attract and retain online vehicle shoppers. The steady sophistication of websites, marketing campaigns and interactive tools is a boon for customers and, therefore, the automotive industry itself.

Source: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/19405.asp

Is your Internet Business Prepared for a Recession?

Published May, 2008 by Digital Dealer Magazine

You have heard a lot of rumors circulating about a recession in the United States. Whether it is true or not is a moot point. When I sat down to ponder this question I was hit with the concept that you should always be operating your dealerships as if you were in a recession and make sure every penny is accounted for while trying to squeeze everything you can out of each and every department, including the Internet.

Today I want to focus on your Internet business, which I break down into a couple of sections for ease of analysis.

Web sites and technology
I look at this section of the business as a rock hammer to a master mason. These are the tools you need to shape our business and achieve your desired outcome. What is most important is that you have the right tools in place and you are maximizing the utilization of the tools each and every day. There are great technologies out there that do all sorts of interesting things, but as my fiancé told me when we moved in together, “If you haven’t worn it in a year, throw it out.” I thought that made good sense or maybe she just wanted more closet space; I will never know. But in our business when you are not utilizing a specific technology or tool by 75 percent or more you are not getting the most out of the technology. So maybe it is time to try to live without it or get busy increasing your utilization of the tool. A great dealer friend of mine has always brought up a good point when referencing technology. He comments that 15 years ago we didn’t have any of this stuff, yet now I have all this great technology, but wonder whether it is really helping me sell more cars or just keep pace with the local marketplace.

Marketing
When was the last time you sat down and looked at your entire marketing spend and dissected it? I mean all of it. I walk into stores so often that they tell me they are spending 25k, yet after I go through the dealership doc I find out they are really spending about 40K because things are not being put into the advertising line of the statement correctly. Sometimes I hear that it got charged to this account because of this reason or that one goes there because of that reason etc. Is it advertising? Charge it to the right account. When you can get a complete 360 degree view of your advertising expenditures you can start to really focus what you are spending and where to help you create a more accurate cost per unit retailed figure.

Also, take the time to know what you are marketing and the messages that you are using. Are they in conjunction? Do they conflict? Your business is dependent on your ability to reach people in the marketplace and entice them to take action. Is your marketing doing that for your dealership?

Customer communication processes
This is one of the most overlooked and important areas of the Internet department. I know you set up your follow-up schedules when you first set up your CRM and you don’t think you need to tinker. As consumer buying habits mature online so should how you approach and manage these relationships. I would set up and print every letter in your CRM monthly and make changes. Also, change follow-up schedule length and timing. You would be amazed at how a few key tweaks can open a flood of activity within your existing lead management tool. You would be shocked that I still walk into stores that are using subject lines in their e-mail marketing and customer correspondence that I guarantee will be triggered by spam filters. Yet all you have to do is look online to see what words are triggering your messages to get spam-boxed and make sure none of your e-mails are using any of these keywords. Get involved; roll up your sleeves and dive in. Your business depends on it.

People capital
This area is still the one most dealers, including myself, struggle with almost daily. Finding the right people to execute the vision is another key piece of this puzzle to recession-proof your dealership. People are assets and must be trained and consistently driven to improve the dealership’s bottom line. Which means involving your team with not the typical, “We don’t have enough units out speech” but a much more hands-on approach to how their specific actions or inactions are affecting the operation. When people are genuinely brought into the picture a new level of teamwork happens. It takes a while but is well worth the effort. Take stock of your team and make sure your vision and message is being transferred throughout the dealership.

Today’s dealership challenges are difficult especially in the ever-changing Internet department, but with a little extra effort and some basic analysis you can watch your Internet sales grow: rain or shine, or recession.

Todd Smith is one of the leading authorities on Internet technology and its utilization in the retail automotive industry. For the past year Smith has been the general manager of a Northeast Chevrolet dealership putting into practice all the techniques he teaches. Lear, LLC, Smith’s consulting company, is focused on leveraging technology to enable other dealerships to sell more vehicles at a higher gross profit while reducing customer acquisition costs.

Source:

http://www.digitaldealer-magazine.com/index.asp?article=1906

No More Excuses

There are no more late adopters

For years, we’ve heard the excuses. At first it was, “most of my audience would rather shop on the lot,” and then it was, “Some my audience still doesn’t have internet access,” a short time later we heard, “There are still some people out there who don’t use the web to do their background research,” and even later we got this, “There’s still a group of consumers out there who refuse to use the internet, so we have to stay in the paper and on television.”

Well all of those excuses had merit at one time or another. And now, we’re here to say, that the time for all of those excuses has passed. The number of people who are both capable of purchasing a new or used automobile, and are non-internet users is so incredibly small as to be unworthy of your time and attention. And the same can be said for dial-up internet users… don’t you worry about them anymore either. The age of the late adopters has come and gone. And even those that came late to the online party have gone the way of the dinosaurs.

So what does that mean to your marketing? A few things…

1. No sense in segmenting your marketing into digital and non-digital formats, now. Every consumer is a digital consumer.
2. Assume that every customer is going to visit your web site. Count on it. It’s already happening.
3. Assume those customers know as much (or more) about pricing, options, financing, special offers and manufacturer’s incentives than your sales people do.
4. Don’t shy away from multimedia content, embrace it. Your audience is broadband.
5. Focus on the user experience of all your digital marketing. It’s just as, if not more, important than the experience a customer has when they visit your lot.
6. Don’t apologize for being digital. In fact, target your competition who isn’t up to date on technologically.
7. Realize that all your materials, now more than ever, need to work together.

These are just a few of the ways an all-online audience will change the way you approach identifying and reaching out to new customers. The days of the late adopter are long gone. Act accordingly.

D. Jones
Marketing Strategist/Creative Consultant
SmackDabble, LLC

Geo-tracking: Opportunity Knocks

Published: May 19, 2008, iMedia Connection
by: Craig Walmsley

Location-based targeting is on the verge of exploding — find out what this technology will soon enable you to do.

In 2005, Microsoft launched a Location Finder as part of its Live Maps service. The application examined the networks a person was connected to, cross checked his IP address, and then predicted where the person was on a map. It was far from 100 percent accurate, but when it was right, it was ever-so-slightly terrifying. Coupling a person’s location with 3D aerial map views, it showed the person a picture of the building he was sitting in with a big “X” on top of it — giving him the simultaneous sensation of being the CIA agent locating a target, the target expecting an incoming cruise missile, and the viewer of a sophisticated, futuristic spy-movie.

Microsoft re-assured users that no personal data was captured, and that everything was completely secure. Nonetheless, it required nerves of steel to retain this application after seeing your location determined with such apparent ease, speed and accuracy — perhaps explaining why Microsoft quietly withdrew this beta after a few months of testing.

This is a shame. Location is a very useful piece of information. Such location-based techniques are a staple of online advertising targeting. Search engines use IP address to determine geography to a very detailed level. New Yorkers searching for “PlayStation” or “Jewelry,” for example, may have much more disposable income than people in Albuquerque, and be much more likely to buy.

Display advertising networks like DoubleClick offer similar services, allowing for detailed geographical targeting down to the level of ZIP codes. So, whatever your qualms about location-based targeting, it is already a significant part of the internet experience. Brands can reach just the highest value customers, who, in turn, see ads that they are more likely to be interested in.

The usefulness of location also explains why people are very willing to share the details of where they are with others. Anyone who has worked in a multi-national company will have noticed people customizing their Instant Messenger to note their location. People who work in different offices will often note their office as part of their name, or, if they are on a trip, update their name to indicate that they are somewhere else. It’s not built into most IM applications, but people find it helpful, so they just do it themselves.

As people work remotely more often, such information becomes more and more useful. This is precisely the thought behind “Dopplr” — a Web 2.0 service that enables users to note their location and share it with friends to determine when they will overlap in a location with any one of their contacts. A smart web platform, it enables users to share location data across services, and create clever mashups. So, for example, someone could map all her trips across the world on Google Earth. Or she could enter an individual trip and then use a web service to create an estimate of the trip’s carbon foot-print.

All of this, however, is only just scratching the surface of location’s utility. Mobile phones have also long had basic location-based services, derived from the cellular networks that they use to transmit signals. These services have generally been limited in usefulness due to the inaccuracy of location, and the lack of an eco-system to support location-based services. Gradually, however, the conditions are changing and three key developments are likely to propel location-based services into the mainstream.

First, the iPhone is revolutionizing use of the mobile web. In February, for example, Google reported that it had seen 50 times more web searches on Apple’s iPhone than from any other mobile handset. People are getting much more used to using the internet from their phones. Google Maps is now available for many different mobile phones, providing a simple way to find information based around a certain location. Google’s mobile search is rolling out city by city, adding local businesses into a mobile search query, so that the results are more relevant.

Second, real-time location determination will shortly become a standard feature of all cell phones. The January iPhone software update added basic location-determination using cell phone towers and WiFi networks to place users roughly on a map. The next generation iPhone is widely expected to include GPS, providing pin-point determination of a person’s location. Indeed, GPS will become a standard feature on mobile phone handsets in the next 12 to 24 months. This plethora of location-based devices will create the opportunity to build all sorts of new location-based services on a powerful platform that people carry in their pockets.

Third, the evolution of Web 2.0 services means that there is a great deal more geographical data available for mobile phones to tap into. Location data can be integrated into available services — for example a portable version of Housingmaps.com — where Craigslist real estate listings are overlaid onto a Google Map — very helpful for anyone looking for a house in a certain area. Equally, an accurate location, coupled with a restaurant booking service like OpenTable.com, would enable someone to access all the restaurants nearby that have bookings available right that minute. Feed that information into Google Maps, and you could have a set of directions to the restaurant, with a picture of what it looks like before you get there — very helpful for the user, and perfect for driving footfall. Indeed, American Express is now launching a Mobile Concierge service, which uses a phone’s location to alert customers to Amex offers, discounts and exclusives in their immediate vicinity.

It is just such opportunity that is driving Yahoo’s new Fire Eagle service — a smart piece of cross-platform web-plumbing that enables users to securely share their location with different applications and services. It can tell any application the user permits where the user is and when, allowing the person to connect together location-based services like Dopplr with social services like Facebook and data from any Web 2.0 service like Google Maps, Flickr or Wikipedia.

Web 2.0 technologies will ensure that location can be used in innumerable different ways, enabling people to innovate to create new, previously unimagined services. By giving the user complete control of how and with whom they share their location information, Fire Eagle should also remove some of those unsettling feelings that scuttled Microsoft’s Location Finder.

Location, therefore, is going to become an increasingly important part of the connected consumer’s life. This is doubtless why Nokia has recently acquired Navteq — a location-based services provider. This is probably also part of the reason Google is looking to develop its own phone. Location will be a major determinant of advertising relevance on the mobile platform, and advertising relevance is Google’s stock-in-trade. It is only a matter of time before longitude and latitude become important variables in the keyword bidding process. In short, “location” may well be the “Next Big Thing” in digital media, technology and advertising.

There may no longer be gold in them there hills, but knowing that them there hills are where you are — that might yet be a gold mine.

http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/19283.asp

Maximizing Pre-Owned Traffic From the Internet

By: Pat Ryan, Jr.
From Digital Dealer Magazine February 2008

Every week seems to bring an interesting new study on how consumers are using the Internet in their car buying process. While all of these studies point to the importance of an evolving e-strategy for dealerships, it is not always easy for dealers to glean actionable takeaways from these studies. With all the data flying around, this presents a great opportunity to make sense of it all. Let’s start with the most dramatic headline.

The 2007 Dealer eBusiness Performance study sponsored by Yahoo revealed that 88 percent of consumers use the Internet for research prior to visiting a dealership. At the same time, dealers we hear from typically report 15 to 20 percent of their business coming from their Internet departments.

What happened to the 68 percent of buyers that used the Internet to research vehicles yet were invisible to the Internet department? Simply put, they may have shopped your “virtual frontline” but did so anonymously; some later came to visit your dealership while others bought from your competitor.

Why do the majority of buyers using the Internet choose to stay invisible to your Internet department? Because the majority of Internet shoppers are reluctant to share their personal information online with dealers or third-party web sites and therefore never become a “lead.” The result: the majority of visitors to your “virtual frontline” are invisible and untouchable for your Internet team.

How does this impact my business?
Dealers routinely work hard to engage every guest who walks their lot and shops through the traditional buying process. In the online world, if your vehicle is not competitively priced with similar vehicles in your market, a consumer will leave your virtual frontline for another dealer’s with one click, never returning and never speaking with anyone on your team. Buyers will also “vote” with their mouse by clicking away from vehicles that do not have enough pictures, have poor quality pictures, or lack compelling descriptions.
What makes dealerships vulnerable to these kinds of missteps?

Dealerships traditionally priced pre-owned inventory on a “cost-plus” basis-pricing the vehicle to ensure they have enough room to negotiate with a customer and still sell a vehicle for a strong gross profit. Since pre-owned vehicles are more varied in value because of age, condition, mileage etc., consumers were unlikely to find a similar vehicle to yours across the street, giving dealers the upper hand. However, in the Internet age, customers can see your pricing next to nearly all of the similar vehicles in your market, making cost-plus pricing a barrier to driving traffic from the Internet.

In addition to the consumer being empowered by the Internet, dealers who are inconsistent in putting enough pictures or robust vehicle descriptions online will find themselves clicked past by consumers as well. It’s no longer enough to just be online. Dealers need to excel online by being as diligent in merchandising your online inventory as you are in the presentation of your dealership’s showroom.

How can I maximize my pre-owned traffic from the Internet?
1. Market pricing – Replace “cost-plus” pricing with market pricing by competitive shopping every vehicle versus the competition. This ensures that your pricing will appear fair for its value in online search results. Treat competitive vehicles online the same way you would if they were on the frontline across the street. Price based on the “key strengths” of your vehicles but be realistic given the competition.

2. Consistently execute the online advertising fundamentals – Mystery shop your own dealership to ensure all of your vehicles are online with robust descriptions and pictures. You’d never put a vehicle on the frontline without detailing it. Make sure you detail your online vehicles to the same standard.

3. Mystery shop the competition – Experience your dealership’s “virtual frontline” versus the competition as the consumer will experience it. Go to an online advertising site such as autotrader.com or cars.com and see how your vehicles compare. If you are using market pricing and executing online advertising fundamentals consistently your vehicles should show well, but you may find that your vehicles differentiation is not clear to a potential buyer. For example, you may find that your vehicle is the lowest mileage vehicle in the market. In that case it may be okay to be the highest priced vehicle; you simply need to ensure that your online listings are highlighting the value. Know each vehicle’s online market and ensure that your listings are highlighting the unique value of each vehicle.

With those three simple steps any dealer can ensure that they are maximizing the potential of the online advertising they are purchasing. The key is to execute consistently, the same way you do every day in merchandising the showroom and frontline at your dealership.

http://www.digitaldealer-magazine.com/index.asp?article=1787

Yellow Pages and Search Engine Marketing

A couple of questions today. First, are you still running an ad in the yellow pages? Of course you are, right? And you’re also running an ongoing search engine marketing (SEM) program, right? No? Really?

Here’s the thing. Google is well on its way to killing the yellow pages. In my house, we tossed our yellow pages book the day we got a laptop and wireless internet. If you’re not spending twice as much capturing leads online as you are through the big yellow book, you’re probably missing the boat.

Let’s say someone finds you in the yellow pages. They still have to pick up the phone or drive out to your dealership (or visit your website – your web address is on your yellow pages ad, right?), but online they can be out on your site searching your inventory and completing a financing application in a matter of seconds.

It’s a sign of the times and it’s time to adjust your spending accordingly.

D. Jones
Marketing Strategist/Creative Consultant
SmackDabble, LLC

Making Your Vehicles Stand Out Online

by : Glen Garvin
Digital Dealer Magazine, April 2008

Each month millions of potential car buyers go online to research and shop for used vehicles. In fact, studies show that in 2006, 59 percent of all pre-owned vehicle shoppers used the Internet during the buying process. Internet research and shopping is no longer a trend, it’s now part of the dealership sales cycle.

So what happens when someone goes online to research or buy a vehicle? Most consumers will use a search engine to find the information they want, and end up at portals with thousands of vehicle listings. And that means lots of competition for the sale.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking; consumers often narrow their list of potential vehicles by using detailed search criteria and, by default, this will reduce the number of vehicles in the search results. Let’s look at this two ways: First, for the consumers who narrow their search, there will still be competitive listings and it is even more important for you stand out amongst those final listings. Think of it like Dancing with the Stars, you don’t need to stand out in a really crowded field; you just need to be “good enough.”

When the contestants are narrowed down to just the best, you need to differentiate and stand out. Secondly, we should consider the buyer who hasn’t yet decided on their make or model, because they’ll often research many different makes and models. They’ll come across hundreds…maybe thousands of vehicles. There’s no doubt you need to stand out.

But wait, you say, you’ve also paid your third-party lead provider a nice premium for a high ranking on their site. Yes, that will help drive consumers to your listing. But how do you get someone to focus on what you’re selling? What can you do to differentiate your listing and make your vehicle stand out online?

The first step is using enough photos to showcase all aspects of the vehicle. In 1921 the New York Times ran an article entitled “Use of Pictures for Advertising.” It was based on a national study of large retailers and concluded not only that “people want pictures,” but that images used in advertising a) attract attention, b) arouse interest and c) create desire. That was over 85 years ago, but if you think things have changed since then in the world of advertising…not. It’s still the rule of thumb when it comes to promotion. In the retail auto industry, displaying nine vehicle photos is common and probably acceptable, but never less than six. Many dealers see the value of showcasing their vehicles, especially ones that might be uniquely equipped, with upwards of 20 photos.

The quality of the image is also important. This is determined by photo resolution or pixels, short for “picture element.” Pixels are small color samples of the image. The more pixels a digital image contains, the clearer the photo. The industry standard for photos has been 800 x 680 pixels. That might have worked 10 years ago, but not today. With the introduction of flat screen desk monitors, the standard size of monitors has increased to 19 inches. Many people are using screens that measure 23 inches or more. Photo resolutions of 800 x 680 don’t transition well to screens that size. Trying to enlarge the photo beyond its normal resolution doesn’t work either; trust me. You’re going to need a photo with a minimum 1024 x 768 resolution in order for it to appear clear and sharp on someone’s monitor. And here’s something else you should know: blurry, poor quality images are not only a big turn-off to buyers, they make your dealership look second-rate.

Videos are another great way to make your vehicle stand out online. They elicit curiosity because the viewer wants to see what’s going to happen next. Videos can also engage a buyer faster and with more emotional impact than almost any other online sales tool or technique. It’s an ideal format for providing in-depth data on vehicle owner history, emphasizing what options the vehicle has above and beyond the standard package for that make and model, or pointing out the vehicle’s rarity or other unique aspects. Don’t forget to add some flare to the presentation with music and professionally done voice-overs.

You’ll also attract and interest online buyers by focusing on differentiators in the listing’s features and seller notes sections. For example, in the features section, make sure OEM certifications are noted. Many buyers are drawn to certified pre-owned vehicles because it means the car has been fully inspected, is in good condition and comes with a warranty. And remember to provide complete data on unique options and equipment. What is it about this car that makes it a must-have?

In the seller notes section, emphasize selling points such as fuel economy, low mileage, excellent condition, one owner, how well the vehicle was taken care of, any accident history, the maintenance history of the car and availability of maintenance records. Use this section to really sell the vehicle on an emotional and personal level. Emotion leads to elated customers having outstanding experiences when shopping and purchasing a vehicle. This aspect of car sales has largely been ignored online, yet is a critical component of the sales cycle. Describe how the buyer is going to feel when they get behind the wheel of the car. Talk about the lifestyle benefits to owning this vehicle. Create content for this section that will have an impact on the consumer.

Finally, make sure that vehicle history reports from companies such as CarFax and AutoCheck are available. It will make the buyer feel more comfortable with their purchase. Consumers, rightfully so, are fearful of being “had.” These types of reports increase consumer confidence and reduce objections. They also shorten the negotiation and buying process.

Each vehicle in your inventory is unique and has its own story. All of the content in your listing, from photos and audio/visual to features/seller notes, should work together to tell that story in a way that compels a customer to take ownership during the buying process. When that happens, more sales are closed and higher grosses are achieved. It’s a win for everyone – the customer enjoys the purchasing experience and gets the vehicle they want, and the dealers sell more cars at a reasonable profit.

http://www.digitaldealer-magazine.com/index.asp?article=1881