Marketing your New and Used Inventory on the Internet.

The Internet is Advertising and a Sales Tool
Advertising. It is a 24 hour, 7 days a week medium designed to allow shoppers to view your inventory and contact you anytime. I can walk your lot from my house or office. Online shoppers are able to view your inventory and if they like what they see, they will email you, call you, and many will come down to your dealership without even contacting you first. It is very difficult for you to track every Internet prospect that just walks in. That is why it is important to use the Internet as a sales tool.

Use it as a Sales Tool. This is where the action is. Many online shoppers will contact you via email or telephone about vehicles they see online. You receive leads everyday from shoppers looking for new and used vehicles. People from all over the Nation are viewing your vehicles 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. Your ability to effectively interact with these shoppers and get them down to see you will determine whether you sell cars or fail on the Internet.

Remember, just putting your vehicles and photos online will help your Dealership sell more vehicles. Using the Internet as a sales tool, and using strong follow-up and sales skills will bring more buyers in to see you, and put more money in your pocket.

Taking the photos

There are now many companies out there that will come to your Dealership, photograph your inventory, and then upload them to the different Classifieds services, as well as putting them on your web site. Click here to see some of the picture taking services out there. Unfortunately, many dealers do not see the importance of the photos and allow the photographers to take pictures that do not show the car very well.

These are not the worst photos we have ever seen, but it certainly is not a great way to showcase your inventory online. We have seen photos of dirty cars, cars photographed while in the shop, and photos that definitely showed a lack of concern by the Dealership.

The dealers above are taking the time to pull the cars out and take pride in showing off their inventory online. You should always try to get a good side shot. This usually requires pulling out the vehicles. The quality of your photos will have a definite influence on getting serious buyers in to see you.

Putting lousy photos on the Internet is a poor reflection on your Dealership's image. People viewing lousy photos are wondering if you run the rest of your dealership the same way. Many Dealers pay thousands of dollars to have companies come in and wash their inventory, so lot walkers will see their cars at their finest. There is nothing different for online shoppers.They want to see your vehicles at their finest, or they will not bother to come in and see you.

Tips to help you market your cars online.

Think of every car you have online as an individual ad. So instead of having 250 cars online you have 250 ads online. When someone looks at your ads they need to see the things needed to move them further into the buying process. Should you put prices on your inventory? Since 1996 we have been surveying online shoppers, and nothing upsets them more than cars with no prices. If you don't price them, you will receive less hits, because online shoppers will click on until they find prices. You are eliminating about 50% of your potential online buyers by ignoring prices. Keep in mind that many shoppers will compare your pricing to Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, and NADA, so keep your pricing in line. Keep your online inventory up to date. If you want to sell cars online you must have the vehicles in stock. When a shopper comes in on a vehicle they saw online, they expect it to be there. Before you put your vehicles on any online service you should find out how often they update your vehicles. If they are not doing it at least once a week you will have many sold cars on your site and angry shoppers on your hands. Design your ads properly. The more info you put in your ad text, the more traffic you will receive and these people will be serious buyers. Remember, the Internet is about information and if you hide the important options, miles, prices etc.... online shoppers will move on and deal with someone that provides the info they need to make the next move. Which will usually be contacting you about a test drive or just heading in to see you. You must have the following included in all your classified ads: Your Name and your Dealership: Many online shoppers will call or drive right in. If they don't have your name, they will be handled by someone on the floor. Your own direct phone line: This is very important because all calls off your online ads will go straight to you instead of the switchboard. Many shoppers will call and the switchboard operator will send them to the sales desk. You will never see these people. If you can't get a private line, than make sure you let the switchboard know that all Internet leads must go to you. Email address: Many shoppers will not call and will want to use email for their information gathering. If you don't put your email address in your ads you will lose these buyers. Turn your ad into a Printable Flyer If you design each ad properly and allow online shoppers to print it out, they will bring the flyers in with them. Click here to see a sample flyer on AutoNetUSA.com Classifieds. The flyer must point the shopper to you or they will be handled by the floor. This is why your name and a direct phone line are so important.

Bottom line: Take your online inventory seriously, keep it updated and you will attract serious buyers. Remember. if they can't see it they won't buy it, and if you don't give them your name and number you won't see them. We know you will lose deals to the floor but using our suggestions will help direct the majority of online shoppers to you.

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