Proven Fixed Ops Marketing Tactics You're Not Using

Transcription

1 Proven Fixed Ops Marketing Tactics You're Not Using Jeff Clark EVP Business Development DealerOn, Inc. Derwood, MD

2 The views and opinions presented in this educational program and any accompanying handout material are those of the speakers, and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of NADA. The speakers are not NADA representatives, and their presence on the program is not a NADA endorsement or sponsorship of the speaker or the speaker s company, product, or services. Nothing that is presented during this educational program is intended as legal advice, and this program may not address all federal, state, or local regulatory or other legal issues raised by the subject matter it addresses. The purpose of the program is to help dealers improve the effectiveness of their business practices. The information presented is also not intended to urge or suggest that dealers adopt any specific practices or policies for their dealerships, nor is it intended to encourage concerted action among competitors or any other action on the part of dealers that would in any manner fix or stabilize the price or any element of the price of any good or service. 2

3 Proven Fixed Ops Marketing Tactics You're Not Using Workshop Synopsis The domestic U.S. service, parts, and accessories market is roughly $310 billion, and car dealers are getting less than 30 percent of it. The average franchise dealer gets 50 percent of their profit from fixed operations, but spends less than five percent of their online resources on this side of the business. Because dealers have been slow to invest, the national independent service companies (Pep Boys, Firestone, Meineke, Midas, and Jiffy Lube) dominate Google s results for consumers shopping for these services, and provide a vastly superior online experience for shoppers. This workshop will provide dealers a specific action plan to begin effectively marketing their fixed operations online. 3

4 Learning Objectives: After attending this workshop you will: 1. Recognize and appreciate the disparity between the fixed operations online-marketing opportunity and your current level of investment in this space. 2. Better compete with the national independent service providers who are so far ahead in the digital market. 3. Receive a comprehensive outline of the content you need to effectively market your fixed ops business. 4. Learn the important differences in page layout and primary callsto-action for marketing fixed ops versus marketing your vehicle inventory online. 5. Master best practices for marketing your service department s content on Google. 4

5 Topic #1 Current Service, Parts, and Accessories Marketplace Slides 3-8 U.S. automotive service, parts, and accessories are a nearly $310 billion market Typical dealer gets more than 50 percent of gross profit from fixed ops Consumers are keeping cars 37 percent longer than 15 years ago (less frequent vehicle purchases, MORE service business) Automotive service-related searches are UP 400 percent on Google in just the last five years! BUT Dealers lose over 70 percent of the fixed-ops market to national independent service providers Dealers invest less than five percent of their online-marketing resources in fixed ops National service providers have four times or more the Google exposure of U.S. franchise dealers. So while the market is growing, it s all going to the national service providers. Notes: 5

6 Topic #2 Service Website as Digital Fixed Ops Hub Slides 9-12 Direct all online service-related marketing efforts to a dedicated service website. Service shopping cycle is hours, not days; nearly 70 percent of shoppers buy within one day. Focus the goals of your service website around creating appointments and phone calls, not traditional website leads. 6

7 Topic #3 Fixed Ops Website Content Best Practices Slides WEBSITE CONTENT Integrated Service Scheduler Large, Obvious, Trackable Phone Number Educational Service and Maintenance Videos Dare-to-Compare Section Staff Pages Tire and Parts Configurator PPC Landing Pages Coupons Reminders Integrated Service Scheduler Allow customers to schedule service online, directly from your website. Use cookies to identify return customers to personalize their information. Clear Phone Number Display Ensure the service department phone number is large and obvious on each page. Use dynamic tracking to gather accurate analytics. 7

8 Videos How-to videos to explain basic services. Use video to educate potential customers on routine services offered by your fixed operations department. Video increases search-engine footprint, and helps build trust and transparency with consumers. Dare-to-Compare Pages Shows transparency and builds trust with consumers. Helps franchise dealers justify potential increased prices or highlight lower prices. Staff Pages Highlight experience and certifications of your dealership s service technicians, increasing credibility. Tire and Parts Configurator Compete directly with large, national brands. Many consumers may not know dealerships sell new tires. Highlight benefits of OEM tires and parts. PPC Landing Pages Service-optimized content to fit pay-per-click ad copy. Create for each service with relevant calls to action. Coupons Service shoppers love coupons; give them what they want. Create offers for holidays, promotions, and products. 8

9 Reminders Collect s in order to send promotions and service appointment reminders. Notes: 9

10 Topic #4 Mobile and Fixed-Ops Marketing (Slides 33-35) Fixed operations search terms are two of the top four biggest local categories. MOBILE 1) Restaurants 2) Beauty Services 3) Auto Parts and Supplies 4) Auto Repair 5) Real Estate According to The Mobile Movement Study, 40 percent of maintenance searches now come from mobile devices, a number which has grown fivefold over the past two years. Notes: 10

11 Topic #5 Social Media and Fixed-Ops Marketing (Slides 36-38) Invite website visitors to interact with your service department through social media, including giving them the option to socially share any coupons or offers of which they may be taking advantage. Search Twitter or Facebook for service-related terms like oil change, broken down car, etc., and respond to local users. Notes: 11

12 Topic #6 Fixed-Ops Search Opportunities (Slides 39-44) Unfortunately for franchise dealerships, they are usually missing from Google s search results pages, especially when compared to national service brands. 12

13 Because 55 percent of service-related searches are UNBRANDED, it is difficult for franchise dealership fixed-ops departments to compete without using pay-per-click advertising. Notes: 13

14 Topic #6 Fixed-Ops Mobile Pay-Per-Click (Slides 45-47) Mobile usage dramatically outpaces the mobile ad spend (PPC). This is a huge opportunity for franchise dealers and fixed-ops marketing. When performing mobile searches, service-related ads outrank all organic search results. No matter for what a consumer searches (even a dealership s name) the two highest ranking placements on a phone (and on many phones, the entire visible screen) go to Google Adwords listings, not organic results! Not taking advantage of this opportunity is causing your dealership to miss out on fixed-ops profits. 14

15 Takeaways 1. Your dealership MUST invest in fixed-ops digital marketing, or continue to ignore half of your profit center. 2. Relevant content on your service website (standalone or sub-domain) will help bring it to parity with major national service brands. 3. Investing in fixed-ops PPC marketing (both mobile and desktop) will help your franchise dealership compete with major national service brands. My Takeaways: 15

16 Additional Resources Differences Between Google Campaigns for Fixed Ops Versus Vehicles PPC ELEMENT SERVICE VEHICLES KEYWORDS Service Type (Oil Change), Deal or Coupon or Offer Vehicle (Year, Make, Model), OEM + Dealer GEOGRAPHY 10-Mile Radius 50-Mile Radius CONQUEST KEYWORDS TRACKING HOURS JIFFY LUBE, MIDAS, NTB, MEINEKE Coupon Prints, Redemptions, Appointments, Calls Only When Open Other Dealership Names Website Leads, Calls Anytime Where Cost/Lead is Low 16

17 Mobile Specific Pay-Per-Click Best Practices 1) ALWAYS use click-to-call in ads. This tools leads to a five to 30 percent increase in click-through rate without any URL-click cannibalization. 2) ALWAYS use local extensions on mobile ads. An example appears below: Local Pay-Per-Click Ad Best Practices DEALER ACTION ITEM Tie Google Adwords ad to Google Plus Page/Places Use Sitelink Extensions BENEFIT Integrates reviews within Adwords Ad, pulls phone number, address, and directions into ad Lets you link to each of your services directly from ad 17

18 Lets you link to each location directly from ad: Use Location Extensions (for multirooftop dealers) 1. Four times the ad space 2. Increase CTR an average of ten percent 3. Rich ad format engages users 4. Dynamically associate relevant business addresses with your ads Optimize Landing Page with Correct Calls to Action: 1) Call Phone Number 2) Print Coupon 3) Schedule Appointment More Calls, Appointments, ROs, Lower PPC Cost, Higher ROI 18