Don’t you feel like the Internet disrupted a perfectly good way of doing business?
If not, you’re one of the lucky ones. There are so many dealerships that are struggling to find the best approach to building their business online and dominating the market.
On top of that, the internet appears to have caused everyone to suffer from attention deficit. When online users want something, they want it fast and concise. They don’t want to search a million and one different sources to find the information that they’re looking for.
But amidst the clutter, there is a simple business principle that has stood the test of time and transferred online. In fact, the dealerships that utilize this business principle are enjoying incredible success doing business on the web.
The principle is perfectly described in the acronym B.R.T.
Any ideas?
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS OF TRUST
Doing things that will help facilitate the building of trusting relationships between you and your audience has always made the difference in any type of business. When you consider that marketing is about conveying the right message, to the right audience at the right time and in the right tone, the whole objective is to build a relationship of trust - a relationship that lasts.
Taking steps to BRT online will compel your online visitors to take action and visit you in person or pick up the phone and call you.
So what are some things you can do to BRT online?
1. You will never go wrong with content
Automotive consumers are thirsting for information. Everyday there are millions of them that go online to research your products and services. Google has indicated that 70% of people that research vehicles online involve heavy cross-shopping.
Alas, most dealer websites do not include enough content to help shape the consumers purchase decision. BUT taking the time to build a content strategy for you dealership including the topics that your consumers are interested in is a surefire way to earn their loyalty and trust.
2. Behind the scenes video
Video provides a massive opportunity to show your audience the aspects of your business that they wouldn’t normally get to see. Most of the time when we talk about video in the industry, it usually has to do with showing off the inventory, but imagine how powerful a virtual tour video of your dealership could be in helping your online visitors break the ice and feel comfortable with your dealership before they even come to visit in person.
Another great video to create would be on your staff page. Wouldn’t it be cool for your entire team to create a short 30 second to 1 minute video introducing themselves and inviting you to visit the dealership with a smile? When your visitors feel familiar with the faces that they will see inside the dealership, it helps alleviate any pressure that they may feel walking onto the lot.
3. Make sure your vehicle information is complete
It’s surprising just how many dealer websites I visit to this day that still have missing or incomplete vehicle information. If you want to build trust with your online visitors, provide them the information about your vehicles that they came to see. Make sure each vehicle has the right pricing and incentive information. Make sure there are enough photos and videos.
Certainly there are many more things that you can do to BRT online, but these three are simple solutions that you can start doing right now. If you checked out Subi’s last post, you’ll notice that she emphasizes the importance of application. You’re going to hear about this topic as well on an upcoming episode of The Dealer Playbook podcast, because it’s so true. Start BRT-ing online by applying the principles that I’ve mentioned in this article.
You’re turn. What are you doing online that has helped build relationships of trust? Chime in using the comments below.
