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Auto marketing moving online -- are dealers ready to keep up?
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Auto dealers can make a better effort to market online.
Image courtesy of ezwsi.net
A recent report in Advertising Age says that online consumers have quit shopping Saturn, Saab and Hummer - the brands General Motors intends to unload to new owners by the end of the third quarter. Using data from web analytics firm Compete; Ad Age reported that online consumer shopping for Saturn and Pontiac took a steep dive in the fourth quarter of 2008. Currently, Saturn's shopper counts are at a five-year low and Pontiac is approaching its all-time lowest count. And because two-thirds of Saturn and Pontiac shoppers don't consider other GM brands, the disappearance of the two brands from General Motors' portfolio provides a great opportunity for competitors.
It's unclear, however, whether the competition is ready to snatch up online auto shoppers. Based on data gathered by online auto marketing specialists PureDealer.com, a lot of dealers and automakers are spending more than is necessary to generate incremental leads and sales.
PureDealer recommends that dealers track every Internet lead, every phone call and every walk-in to see which marketing efforts are driving the most traffic. They cite examples where dealers found they were spending between $800 and $1000 per contact using traditional print and web advertising. At the same time, other dealers were generating vehicle sales at about $2.00 per call or less with effectively designed web sites and targeted e-mail blasts.
The difference? Some dealers are willing to change their marketing approaches as advancing technology enables them to better evaluate their dollars spent. Some dealers recognize this benefit and actively look for ways to optimize their web presence through Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and social media marketing.
These dealers will attract the former Saturn, Saab and Hummer online shoppers - because they've taken the steps to put themselves where more than 80 percent of car shoppers begin their experience - on the Internet.
Skyscraper banner - an online ad that's a vertical banner. Sizes include (120x600 & 160x600)
Text ad - advertisement using text-based hyperlinks.
Common Banner sizes - 468x60, 728x90, 120x600, 160x600, 300x250, 240x400, 120x90, 120x60, 300x600
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