|
David Kain of Kain Automotive answers this month's question for AutoUSA readers.
When it comes to Internet Marketing what are some of the initiatives dealers should consider implementing?
A dealer friend of mine told me this week that he felt that there are a lot of interesting options for Internet Marketing these days but that "all snake oil has moved to the Internet". Not surprising that a dealer should feel this way given the approach taken by so many providers of services and products to dealers. It's no different than when I was operating our dealership when every salesperson promoting a product pitched - "This is something you must have to stay competitive and to increase your sales and profits". Your gut tells you this is rarely true and just because it's Internet related and you do not understand it should not make you more susceptible to say yes. In fact, in most cases with Internet marketing the smart thing to say is no.
Things you should say "YES" to:
1. A website that reflects the way you do business offline - Be mindful of how you want to do business online and select a website builder that can meet your objectives. If you take charge of designing this essential element in your Internet Marketing portfolio you'll realize how to manage all the surrounding elements to support your "digital dealership".
( Read More )
|
|
|
The Toyota Hustle
|
Eric Painter | Peruzzi Toyota | Hatfield, PA
The automotive market in and around Philadelphia, PA covers six counties plus a large area of New Jersey which is just across the river from the city. There are about 15 dealers covering this market, so that makes things exciting. To stand out in the market, Peruzzi Toyota uses both traditional and digital advertising to reach customers and prospects in the area.
AutoUSA: Can you tell me a little bit about your dealership and your background in the industry?
Eric: Since 1984 Peruzzi Automotive Group has been servicing and selling vehicles to the Philadelphia metro area. Our brand line up has grown to include Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, and two used car super centers Peruzzi of Quakertown and Drive One. I have been in the business for eight years as a sales manager and salesman. For the last two years I have been the Director of Internet Sales for the Toyota and Peruzzi of Quakertown franchises. I believe this is the most exciting and challenging department in our dealerships. In today's economy dealers are finding it harder and harder to maintain a competitive edge and this is where their Internet Departments can really make the difference.
AutoUSA: What is the size and structure of your Internet Department?
Eric: We have a dedicated Internet Sales Department with 6 Internet Sales Coordinators, 3 Internet Sales Managers, an Asst. Director and a Director. Having a dedicated department allows us to manage an incredible amount of leads and allows us to drive a large volume of sales.
AutoUSA: How competitive is your marketplace? Provide some details on size and scope of the market.
Eric: The northeast is known for its competitive import sales and the Philadelphia market is no different. There are 12 Toyota dealers in our market and it makes our toughest competition the Toyota dealer closest to our customer.
AutoUSA: What do you do that is different from your competition?
Eric: We stress the additional value that Peruzzi can provide to them when they buy from us. We have an Owner Rewards Program that offers discounts and points for all their purchases at the dealership. They also get free lifetime Pennsylvania Safety Inspections and free loaner cars for selected services. They also get access to our shuttle service which operates six days a week.
AutoUSA: Are third party lead providers part of your marketing strategy?
Eric: While we are very aggressive with local marketing heavily promoting our website and mining our database of past customers we still feel that purchasing leads should be part of our marketing mix. With our focused staff we get good results from these leads and AutoUSA has consistently been one of our top providers.
Website: http://www.peruzzitoyota.com
|
Web Selling & Marketing
Internet News Developments of Significance to Dealer Management
|
|
Did You Accomplish Anything Today?
Most people in auto retail have worked bell to bell, and before the end of the day (or night for that matter) looked at our watches and said "WOW, I can't believe the day flew by!" And right after we have said that, we follow up with "OMG, I got nothing done today!" How can this be? How can we work so hard during a day and feel at the end of it that we got NOTHING done? Really it's quite simple. We are working hard but not smart. (Read More)
Is Your CRM/BDC Fully Configured?
With all the confusion, misinformation and flawed perceptions about CRM and BDCs amongst the dealership population is it any wonder why so many CRM/BDC initiatives result in failure. Dealers now realize that in today's marketplace in order to compete and be profitable they must get their CRM/BDC act together. But how and most important how much does it cost to execute and maintain a successful efficient and flexible CRM/BDC. (Read More)
What Does Optimization Really Mean?
Optimization wins for buzzword of the year. But what does it really mean? The concept of a well-optimized site is not particularly difficult to understand, but optimization, in and of itself, is fairly complex. So many factors go into a good lead generating web site. It may begin with search engine optimization and marketing (SEO/M), but it certainly doesn't end there. According to the dictionary, the verb "optimize" means "to make as effective, perfect, or useful as possible." In other words, just showing up in the search engines isn't going to cut it. (Read More)
|
|
|
|
