Almost 9 out of 10 consumers have looked at reviews in the last 12 months to help them make a decision on a local business. What’s more, 4 out of 10 consumers do so as a regular action.

As consumers we are growing more accustomed to consulting reviews when we purchase all types of product & service – hotels, flights, cars, restaurants, doctors, plumbers…so why not driving instructors, realtors & gyms?

So for local businesses in all sectors, this underlines the importance of reviews & the priority that business owners should put on managing their reputation and ensuring their online reviews are plentiful, positive & fresh (more on this below)

Just as you have a process for greeting customers who visit your store, you want to control how your staff responds to emails and phone calls. Putting these guidelines in place ensures prospects consistently receive a quick, quality response and minimizes the risk of inquiries falling through the cracks. It also helps you to qualify and build rapport with car buyers as they take the next step toward a purchase. Ignoring or providing a delayed reply to these shoppers signals a lack of interest and encourages them to look to your competitors.

In determining your process, take into account several criteria: What are your sales goals? What lead sources will support your department? How many leads do you currently receive? How long do you want your team to follow up with each lead? How many people are responding to each lead? Your answers to these questions ultimately should shape the process and, in the end, drive the experience your customers will have at your store and the likelihood that they’ll buy from you.

Keep in mind that 20 percent of shoppers expect a response within four hours and that 30 percent of leads are left unanswered. Consider your own performance and ask yourself: Is your store earning the business, or are you leaving it on the table?

• Email. How you manage emails can make or break the deal. Shoppers expect a prompt response that addresses their questions, so be sure to provide the information they request, and minimize the use of auto responders. If you rely on them during busy times or after hours, you’ll want to provide an actual reply as soon as possible so the customer doesn’t feel taken for granted. Pay attention to details (e.g., proper spelling and grammar), be courteous and personalize the message, especially if the shopper is a current sales or service customer. You should also take the opportunity to qualify the shopper (e.g., Is this the exact car you want or the nicest one like it?) and promote the value of buying from your dealership.
• Phone. When car buyers call, they want to speak with a salesperson who can provide information about the vehicle they’re considering without being rushed toward a sale. That means ensuring the phone is answered within a few rings by a professional who is familiar with your inventory, provides courteous service and knows how to lead up to suggesting an appointment. Before asking customers to come into the dealership, you’ll need to assure them their time is respected by first assuring them you have the cars that meet their needs and that your store offers the purchase experience and amenities they want.

Most businesses trust a web designer to build a website for them and accept the end result assuming all is well.  Today, I looked at local auto dealer website and noticed that in different browsers the site did not display properly.  Having your site coded properly for multiple web browsers is becoming more and more important as Internet users are being pushed to use Mozilla and Chrome. Make sure that even after your designer has completed their work that you reach out to a company like Accelerated Selling to optimize your site. 

Initially the role of the Internet manager was to sell cars, but more of their time today is spent solving IT issues, supervising, working with lead management and CRM tools, updating web sites, developing and managing online marketing actions, running reports and meeting with representatives of various Internet product and service providers.

To maintain a competitive position in the crowded Internet market, a dealer must participate in a variety of online marketing actions:

• Dealership web sites (both their own and manufacturer-sourced sites)
• Inventory management (pictures, descriptions and pricing)
• LiveChat
• eNegotiating
• eNewsletters
• Search engine optimization
• Search engine marketing
• Manufacturer-sourced leads
• Third- party sourced-New and-used leads
• Online classified
• Inventory management (pictures, descriptions and pricing)
• Online auctions
• Community bulletin boards. 

Not many dealers have the time or the experience to effectively study each of these marketing actions and understand how they can help them grow their business. As a result, they have to depend on Internet managers to keep them competitive by studying these products and services and offering recommendations on what the dealership truly needs in play to stay at the front of the pack. This puts a great deal of pressure on the Internet manager.


Let Accelerated Selling take away some of that pressure and be a part of your extended team.

At Accelerated Selling we recognize that auto dealers invest a lot of time and money into their staff and advertising efforts.  This invest is great but also requires a level of team skill, buy-in, training and measuring to insure a positive return on investment.  Our staff is knowledgeable in training the auto dealer sales staff in proper handling of leads from all sources.  We also teach the proper methods to show the features and benefits of the vehicle as well as negotiation techniques to allow for maximum gross profit.  Our Internet consulting team will evaluate with you, your current advertising strategy and budget, measure current and future results and then recommend changes to drive more in-market buyers to your dealership.  So if you are seeking a truly professional organization to consult with your dealership in these areas please contact us for a consultation.

By now you know that most people use Facebook and Twitter.  So you ask yourself... how do I reach these people.  A few basic things need to be done.  First create your auto dealer Facebook and twitter account.  Next, have a link to these accounts on your auto dealer website.  Then post signs in your dealership inviting all visitors to become friends with you or follow you.  Send an email to your database letting them know these accounts have been created and you would like to share daily information with them.  And on and on.....


The harder part of the equation is what to put on these sites.  Sure you have a created a social site for your dealership but what do you share?  I say share almost anything that you would tell a prospect or customer that was in front of you.


We help dealers set up and manage Facebook and twitter accounts.  Plus with our service we also blend these social sites into your search optimization strategy all designed to do one thing - let more Internet shoppers find your dealership before they find your competitor.


Accelerated Selling is based near Charlotte, NC and focuses on maximizing visibility for auto dealer websites. 704-350-5645

Just posting or listing your inventory on 3rd party sites is not enough.  You need listings that have compelling ad content, a properly structer linking strategy and more, to make your efforts pay off.  Let our Internet department consultants help you build a successful online platform and SELL MORE CARS!

Auto dealer traffic is and always has been a key driver for dealer success.  A little more than 10 years ago the rules changed and have been changing ever since.  A decade ago people found your dealer via classified ads, radio, etc.  Today they find you on the Internet!  SEO is so important for your dealer that if you do no other advertising, this is where you should be investing.  More than 85% of purchasing decisions start on the Internet, and with so many competitors you need to stand out in the crowd. 

Just a few short years ago the average car buyer went to 6 dealerships prior to making a purchase, today the average is 1.5 dealers.  This means the Internet has provided them with almost all of the information necessary to make that buying decision.  It is so important that customers can find your dealer website in Google via SEO and other well trafficked sites early in the shopping process and that your site keeps them engaged, if not they will move on to the next site and the next until they get what they are looking for . 

Automotive SEO is a science that we have perfected.  With the rules changing frequently it very difficult to keep up with these changes and unless you have a dedicated staff who is Internet community educated and connected, your efforts might still likely fall short of expected result.   Our programs for Automotive SEO are reasonably priced and designed to provide the dealer a very healthy ROI!

For a complimentary consultation of your dealer website SEO needs please contact us at 704-350-5645