Reviews can make or break any company’s online reputation, but car dealerships can really rely on what others are saying. They have a considerable impact on bringing your dealership and brand credibility. A majority of people will do research before choosing which dealership to go to. Reading reviews take up a large portion of that. It gives them validation from real-life consumers and an insight into what they will be expecting from you.

BENEFITS OF REVIEWS

Customers are typically filtering reviews by using the 4-star category. Research shows that customers use the 4-star filter when looking at reviews. If your current review score is below that – there is a potential that it is being overlooked by potential customers. Reviews that are generated from requests are on average higher than the ratings of unprompted reviews. This can help increase your review average tremendously which will boost up your company when customers are looking at that 4-star category.

Having higher ratings will also increase your rank in Google search results. Google experts say that if a company has a high: review count, ratings, and review text – it will become easier for potential customers to find you.

Although reviews are one of the best ways to build your online reputation – it can be a challenge to get them. The first step is figuring out which customers would leave the most fitting review for your company. You want to look for people who are loyal customers and are satisfied with their experience. Asking for feedback can also help build a relationship with your customers.

Timing is key – you don’t want to rush in for reviews. You need to give the client time. Rushing in can end up ruining the chance to get a good review. You must give them just the right amount of time to try out your product/services. You want to ask for the review within two weeks of when a customer has had the chance to try the product, or right after performing a service.

HOW TO ASK?

EMAIL CAMPAIGNS: One of the most effective ways to generate new reviews is by requesting through email campaigns. Our Reputation Revival program was built around this foundation. It sends emails to recent purchasers asking them how their experience was. When they’ve had a good experience, they’re taken right to Google to leave a review. When they’ve had a bad experience, it puts them in direct contact with your GM, or whomever you want so that your dealership has the opportunity to make it right.

Short And Simple.

 If you’re sending out your own email, you want to keep it simple. Don’t complicate it too much. Longer messaged emails tend to push a customer to skip over that email. Make sure to keep your message light and sweet. Try to avoid any unnecessary verbiage that could end up confusing your customers.

Make sure that there are instructions included in your email. Include a link to the review page, or a Call to Action button linking to Google Reviews, Facebook Reviews/etc. These instructions need to be easy to understand and quickly accessible. They are not going to jump through hoops trying to leave a review, so make it as easy as possible for them!

Personalize The Email.

Putting thought into the verbiage of the review request can change the outcome of the review. Writing a more personalized note will show that you acknowledge them and that it isn’t just a generic email going to everyone. This helps build the relationship between your company, and the customer and can lead to a higher starred review.

Providing Templates.

Providing a review template for your customer can also avoid the chance of the customer leaving a negative review. These templates should be curated towards the customer, their experience, and the product and/or service.

Test Your Campaigns.

When you come up with a campaign suited for your company – be sure to test it out. To achieve the best responses from your customers, you may need to adjust the campaign. Watch and review and continue to do so. Requesting reviews through emails may need adjusting throughout time.

SENDING REQUESTS THROUGH SMS: Many customers are leaving reviews from their mobile devices. This gives you an advantage!

 Text messages are opened at a much higher rate than emails and opened much faster. The verbiage needs to be carefully thought out. You want to keep it short and simple, as the email – but a message needs to be even shorter. Thank them for their business, personalize it towards them and ask for feedback. You want to keep it friendly and positive.

 Example:

 Hello (Customer Name),

 Thank you for your business with us. We hope you are enjoying your (product name). We strive to provide the best experience possible. To help us, please take a moment to leave your feedback. Click here (review link) to review. Thank you, we appreciate the help!

ASKING AT POINT OF SALE: Depending on the situation – you can ask at the point of sale if their experience with your company was a positive one.

This can make asking more intimate, and much more personalized. However, this does not provide the customer time to try out the product or service, so you want to keep it light. It can be as simple as providing a review on-site via iPad or tablet at the end of their visit. If you go this route, you want to make sure there is a review form fill that is easy for them to do. They are not going to sit there to log in to their accounts to review. It must be something that won’t keep the customer for a long period.

HAND-WRITTEN THANK YOU CARD: Some businesses may want to take a more personal route than digital requests.

Another option can be to send your customer a hand-written thank you letter/review request letter after you’ve made the sale. This provides more human interaction and builds on the relationship between you and the customer. Small gestures go a long way in the long run.

Of course when you’re generating reviews, you’ll need to take the time to answer them. Answering the good reviews is great to keep the lines of communication open with your happy customers and keep them coming back. Answering and making the bad reviews right can go a long way in how potential customers see you when doing their research. Our Reputation Management can take care of this for you!

For more information on Reputation Management or our Reputation Revival program, contact us today!

If you run or work in a car dealership you know that inventory levels have essentially turned this business on its head for the last year. With chip shortages causing major manufacturing delays in 2021, this has trickled down to cause delays in just about everything in the automotive world. Dealers are working with 25% of their normal new car inventory levels typically (sometimes even lower) and are selling at rates far under what they did in years prior. The good news is that due to demand new car profits have been great, but dealers are still eager for inventory to return to pre-shortage levels. So, here’s a look into what we at D2D are seeing from dealers around the country to give you an outlook on inventory for 2022.

Here’s What We Know

For at least the past eight months, most dealerships have been selling in-transit vehicles so that when a shipment does arrive, it’s 90% sold already and sometimes the whole shipment is pre-sold. The shipments were typically delayed past the expected arrival date up to two months at times. We have seen a slight shift over the last 60 days where inventory shipments seem to be more reliable and include more vehicles. Whereas most dealerships were getting 10-20 vehicles per shipment previously, it seems the shipments are about doubling (or a little more) in size in addition to being more on time. This is great news for dealers, but it still doesn’t put them near where they were with inventory.

With this slight delivery shift we have also seen a small drop in pre-owned sales. While there are some exceptions, of course, it seem that on average used car sales have dropped 10-25% per rooftop in the last 60 days. We can speculate on what this might mean in the next section of this blog.

Demand is still very high. Even with this small but promising bump in inventory, demand is still very high and new vehicles are still selling in-transit or very shortly after landing on the lot. Whether this is simply a case of consumers wanting what they “can’t” have, or the fact that demand has been so backed up it’s going to take a bit of time to level out, we are not sure. It’s very likely a combination of both!

Here’s What We Don’t Know

As an automotive digital marketing agency, we are fortunate enough to be able to talk to dealers and dealership managers across the country about what they are experiencing, there are some pieces none of us know. So, here’s where we speculate a little.

Initially we were sure that inventory levels wouldn’t go back to normal until the end of 2022. Then we saw that small bump in increased deliveries. Then we had a surge of Covid cases thanks to the Omicron variant. So, where does that leave us? This newest surge in cases could put plants even further behind with what seems to be an inevitable sweep through most companies and factories putting out large portions of staff at a time. However, this variant thankfully seems less severe and for the most part people are able to return to work fairly quickly. This could keep projections mostly on track. We are thinking we could start to see the light of the inventory tunnel over the summer.

What does this mean for gross profit? If you’ve been watching or calculating your dealership’s gross profit over the past year you know what that looks like in comparison to other years. If inventory levels rise, will demand go down and take the profits with it? We think it could certainly impact a percentage of the newfound profit of selling new cars. However, we think making more money is here to stay for a while.

With consumers unable to find the new cars they want, they have been turning towards CPO and pre-owned if they need a vehicle. However, a direct time correlation can be made with the slight increase in inventory and the decrease in used car sales. So, what we can gather here is that people believe inventory is going to come back up in the next few months and could be holding off on making that pre-owned purchase.

What have you seen in your dealership(s)? Do your speculations align with ours? We’d love to hear from you. If you need some help diving back into new car advertising or ramping up used car marketing, contact us today online or call us at 877-958-4524.

It is without a doubt that the automotive sector is a larger player within the entertainment industry. The DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future, the red Ferrari 250 GT from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and the infamous Cadillac Miller-Meteor from Ghostbusters are just a few of the iconic cars that got their claim to fame driving across the big screen. In addition to Hollywood films, television plays a big role in the automotive industry. Whenever you turn on the TV, you are inevitably going to see a car commercial. Whether that is a local dealership, a national car manufacturer, or up and coming online car companies like Carvana, the automotive industry has a dominant place on our screens.

On December 13^th, NBC released the first two episodes of their new workplace comedy, American Auto. Similar to other workplace comedies like The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Superstore, we are humored by the daily lives of people just like us. We follow the employees of a Detroit based automotive manufacturing company, Payne Motors, as their company is adapting to the hire of a new CEO. Currently, only the first two episodes have been released on NBC, however, we are awaiting more twists and turns to come when the series official premiers on January 4^th.

As we move into the new year with a fun TV show, we also approach another big day for the automotive industry…the Super Bowl. Tens of millions of dollars have been spent in previous years by automotive manufacturers on television spots during the big game. In the past, many famous celebrities have made guest appearances in these commercials viewed by millions watching the big game. Last year General Motors put out a commercial starring Will Ferrel, Keenan Thompson, and Awkwafina as they discuss Norway being the leader in EVs. General Motors ends their spot promoting 30 new EVs by 2025.

Looking back at 2020, how can we forget the “Smaht Pahk” commercial starring famous Bostonians Chris Evans, John Krasinski, Rachel Dratch and David Ortiz?! The commercial focuses on the Smart Park features of the Hyundai Sonata and encourages drives to find a “bettah” way to park.

Although the Super Bowl is one of the biggest days for automotive advertising, it is not without its challenges due to the pandemic. In the past couple of years, many companies focused on using their resources and money to aid and assist others during the pandemic and pulled back on their advertising spends. There is a possibility that we may see a temporary dip in automotive advertising during another pandemic Super Bowl. Many local dealerships have shifted their focus completely to servicing existing vehicles and selling pre-owned vehicles for those who are looking to get into a new (to them) car.

The automotive industry continues to develop and grow with new technology. We will continue to see representation of this industry in the media whether it be iconic movie roles, new television shows, or celebrity studded Super Bowl advertisements.

The automotive industry has not been exempt from the struggles and complications the pandemic has caused, but its representation in the media will be ever present. As an automotive digital advertising agency, we are always eager to see how the media reflects the industry and its trends. If your dealership is looking for new digital advertising ideas, our team at Digital to Dealer Direct can help you accomplish your goals. Call us today 877-958-4524 or visit our website to learn about the many automotive marketing services we provide.

Well, it’s been another crazy year, so to wrap it up with our last blog of 2021, we are having some fun! We’ve compiled some great throwbacks from earlier in the year and years past. From old cars to automotive ads and even some blogs you might want to revisit, we hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane!

Classic Cars

Let’s start with the best part – cars! According to Autolist.com, the 1964 Pontiac GTO tops the list of the 15 Greatest American Classic Muscle Cars. According to the article “While the first true American muscle car is debatable, fingers often point to the Pontiac GTO. Pontiac’s performance car presented buyers with a big block V8 engine at an affordable price. Not only was the GTO affordable, but Pontiac successfully marketed it based on performance figures never before offered.”

Another classic that makes the list is the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454. They write “The Chevelle offered distinct muscle car lines and was sleek with a slightly slanted back end and bulging hood to present the speed and power provided. The Chevy Chevelle looked like a sports car that would beat all newcomers, and it generally did. Even fifty years later, the Chevelle retains its iconic status as one of the most celebrated and collectible American muscle cars of all time.”

While there are so many great muscle cars on this list, the third one we are highlighting is the ever classic (and one of my favorites) Mustang. Making the list is the 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429. “The Ford Mustang Boss 429 is one of the most sought-after classic cars globally, with only 1,359 units being built throughout its two-year run between 1969 and 1970. The 1970 BOSS 429 saw only 499 units produced, making it a scarcity among collections.”

Automotive Ads

Of course, you cannot talk best cars ads of all time without mentioning VW. The “Think Small” campaign

that VW launched is one of the most iconic and even changed the way many cars were advertised adding a little personality with this campaign.

In 2020 when Covid changed the world as we know it, many manufacturers stood out for the advertising

they developed in uncertain times. Financialexpress.com put together a great compilation of these campaigns. One of these campaigns showcases KIA where the driver turns around and goes back home stating that “Going back does not mean we would never move ahead. As we pass through these tough times, let’s look for the silver lining

together.” The OEM definitely stood out for this heartfelt commercial promoting social distancing.

Lastly, when it comes to best automotive ads, we asked Kristen, our Art Director which ad created by our very own design team this year was her favorite! Kristen chose this ad, created for our Automotive Software client, WebBuy because it’s so modern looking!

Throwback Reading

If you’re new to our site or our blog, then this is a perfect throwback for you highlighting some of our most important blogs of 2021. We will start off with social media as this blog still holds very true. Catch up on this one to take your social media strategy to the next level. It’s no surprise this one is placed in the top of 2021. While more car buyers did venture out to buy cars than in 2020, home car buying is still on the rise and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon. Here’s our Car Buying From Home Experience Blog.  As an automotive marketing agency, we often get asked about hiring an agency like ours vs. spreading the advertising out across multiple vendors or using a large company like Dealer.com. We compare the options in this blog. Of course, to help prepare you for the upcoming year, you’ll definitely want to read this one: “Digital Marketing Trends 2022.”

While this blog was all in good fun, we are also here to help you get down to business in 2022. If you’re looking to stand out next year and do something different, Digital to Dealer Direct is the place to be. Contact us online today or call us at 877-958-4524.

Looking to get successful website conversion that converts visitors into leads? If so, you’ve some to the right place! Fortunately, it doesn’t take a mastermind to figure this out, only a few basic rules to follow. Lucky for you, we’ve put together some of the most important tips for you to follow!

Getting Started

To begin, you want to focus on the overall purpose of your landing page. What is the goal of your page and why do you want visitors to come there in the first place? Prospects only care about what you offer based on how it will benefit them. Once you understand and pinpoint what benefits you can offer, you can begin your foundation of creating an effective landing page.

An important concept to recognize, while developing your content, is to remain customer-centric in your messaging. It’s all about the customer and how you can pique their interest in what you have to offer.

The Three Ws

You’ve probably learned this in grade school writing class but while developing your landing page, remember the three Ws – Who. What. Why.

• • Who is your target audience?

  • What are you offering?

  • Why does this matter to the visitor?

As soon as the page loads, you want it to be able to answer those three questions, and fast!

A Great Headline

They say not to judge a book by it’s cover, yet, we all still do it. The same goes for a headline on a page. You want to grab someone’s attention and pull them in so they WANT to read more. Remember that you have a target audience, so when writing a headline, keep them in mind. You want to pinpoint a message that clearly resonates with them, just like a great cover would.

With a headline, you also want to keep it simple and to the point yet address how your product is beneficial. Don’t try to squeeze all your products benefits into a single headline. It comes off gimmicky and too good to be true. Use strong words but still be clear about what you’re offering. As an automotive digital marketing agency, we are lucky to have some great designers and team members who spend time coming up with great headlines, so if you need a little help, we’ve got you covered!

Keep their Attention

We’ve got a great headline and now you need the meat of your page. Sometimes that starts with a great sub-headline to further explain what you’re offering. It’s your extra chance to promote the value of what you’re offering. Your sub-head can serve as your body copy or it could just be a “subtitle” to your great headline. This is the perfect place to express the benefits that compliment your headline or to discuss an actual offer.

If you don’t include a sub-headline, that’s ok. If you need more than a sub-headline to describe your product, this where the body copy comes in. Just like everything else, you want to keep your message simple, explanatory, and clear. Remember, this is your chance for conversion so you want to explain how what you offer will benefit your visitors. Make sure it speaks directly to them and hits their pain points. It’s all about the benefits and how it can help your visitor.

Back Up Your Words

So you have all this great copy that includes everything you can offer. Great! However, do you have the statics and ratings to back it up? Visitors want to trust you and what you’re offering. Providing clear successful data helps build trust and shows that you have the information to backup your words. Testimonials, endorsements, and ratings are all successful ways to provide proof and reinforce your message.

Call-To-Action

You’ve got your striking headline, your stupendous body copy, all backed by some testimonials and reviews. Great! All you need now is a way to drive all that information home and close out with your call-to-action. Your entire page should be leading up to this point and your CTA is just as important, if not more so, than the rest of the copy on your page.

Just like all the other elements on the page, keep your visitor in mind. Be as specific as to what will happen next. Include some urgency and be action oriented. If your CTA is a form, don’t give the visitor more work than they need. Only ask for fields that are necessary. You also don’t want to be too salesy or pushy.

What’s Next?

When all is said and done the goal is to convert visitors and drive leads, and the words we chose to use, are the biggest impact on how a user behaves on your landing page. If a particular page isn’t converting well, it might be time to revisit that page and change it up. A good landing page is never complete. Do your research so that your message matches your target audience. Continue to update your success stories. Play around with wording to see what works best with your visitors. And remember, your pages will always be a work in progress and should never remain the same for TOO long, unless it’s working, of course.

These basic guidelines will certainly get you on your way to higher conversion on your landing pages. Our Website Watchdog program combines all of these tips to provide our dealers with the landing pages they need to do exactly that.

Still having trouble figuring out where to start? At Digital to Dealer Direct, we have a team of intelligent and diligent marketers who are learning and understanding the digital changes that are occurring in our world. We are on top of the 2022 digital marketing trends to provide you with the best advertising experience and success as possible. If you have any questions or would like to discuss how we can help YOU, contact us today at 877-958-4524.