As more consumers shop online for cars, dealers must maintain a consistent online presence at every touch point of the car buying journey to drive engagement and sales. Dealer.com, combined with Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, provide unified access to the industry’s most visited consumer shopping site, most trusted vehicle research site, and the premier dealer digital marketing platform.
Nuan Openshaw-Dion and Jessica Stafford share how Dealer.com, combined with Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader is the only connected, end-to-end set of solutions designed to help dealers reach more in-market shoppers and engage them at every stage of the car buying process.
At Dealer.com we believe partnership and accountability are key to lasting success at your dealership.
That’s why we have a talented team of Performance Managers to offer expert digital marketing for car dealers. From delivering monthly insights to tweak your short-term digital marketing strategy, to ensuring you’re using our technology to seize every opportunity, your Performance Manager is always focused on your success.
Are you already a Dealer.com and want to know how to best partner with your Performance Manager? Or are you thinking about partnering with the only end-to-end digital marketing in the industry? Here’s an overview of how our digital marketing experts can give you the tools to run a successful dealership.
What to Expect
You can expect your Digital Storefront Performance Manager to work with your team to show you the dos and don’ts of digital marketing and retailing, the strategies that drive sales, and the winning formulas that have worked with other dealers. With Dealer.com, you get
Direct access to a skilled digital marketing expert with extensive experience in the automotive industry
Proven marketing and branding strategies to help you stand out from the competition
Best practices to work into your marketing, digital retailing, and sales processes
The Power of True Digital Marketing Partnership
Your Digital Storefront Performance Manager is always focused on your dealership’s success. Through regular consultation meetings, you get expert digital marketing and digital retailing advice and insights to customize your digital marketing strategy and ensure that you’re getting the most out of your solution to seize every sales opportunity.
“We could not be happier with our experience from the website management to the automotive digital advertising. But most importantly the genuine team effort that our Performance Managers bring to the table.”
Kara Berry Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Keller Ford, Michigan
Get The Most from Performance Management
With an average of at least three years of experience in automotive sales, Digital Storefront Performance Managers deliver digital marketing expertise, unrivaled industry knowledge, and a unique understanding of Cox Automotive technologies to help you run a successful digital dealership. Follow a dedicated support model with a team comprised of directors, managers, and digital marketers committed to implementing strategy changes.
Ready to put the power and expertise of our Digital Storefront Performance Managers to work for your dealership? Schedule a consultation today.
At Cox, we’re all about creating a frictionless, end-to-end experience for customers. And with so many Cox Automotive solutions, we strive to create valuable connections between our solutions to deliver dealers and consumers real value.
That’s why we believe Cox Automotive marketing solutions—Dealer.com, Autotrader, and Kelley Blue Book— just work better together.
One valuable connection that was unveiled at NADA Show 2023 that really takes the power of connection to the next level, is Kelley Blue Book My Wallet now being integrated into Dealer.com dealer Websites who have Accelerate My Deal.
Noah Lee, Senior Director of Product Consulting at Dealer.com, provides a quick overview of KBB My Wallet. He also demos how car shoppers can navigate the My Wallet tool on Dealer.com websites and easily complete even more steps of the car buying journey online with Accelerate My Deal.
As the only end-to-end auto digital marketing agency, Dealer.com wants to help transform your digital retailing and increase your car buyer leads with a truly connected, end-to-end experience for consumers.
This month, Google recognized the achievements of top-performing digital marketing partners across the globe by awarding Premier Partner status as part of the Google Partners program.
As the industry’s leading automotive digital marketing agency for dealerships across the United States and Canada, Dealer.com has achieved 2023 Premier Partner status in the Google Partners program.
The Google Partners program underwent significant changes in 2022, including redefining what it means to be a Premier Partner, through advanced program requirements and offering Premier Partner benefits to promote growth and success with Google Ads. In 2023, the program continues to support its Premier Partners and their clients.
“Congratulations to our Premier Partners for 2023. These companies are among the top 3% of Google Partners in their respective countries – including the United States,” said Marcin Karnowski, Senior Director of Ads Marketing at Google. “It’s a true accomplishment, one that signals their leading expertise in Google Ads, in forging new client relationships, and in helping clients grow. We look forward to supporting them as they help their customers build smart online strategies and drive long-term success.”
Dealer.com, along with a select group of Premier Partners in the Google Partners program were awarded this achievement. This program is designed for advertising agencies and third parties that manage Google Ads accounts on behalf of other brands or businesses. Its mission is to empower companies by providing them with innovative tools, resources, and support to help their clients succeed and grow online.
And that’s a wrap for the NADA Show 2023! Thanks for stopping by the Dealer.com booth and demoing our latest innovations.
Dealer.com does more than provide websites, we’re the premier end-to-end digital marketing solution for your automotive dealership. And whether you are current or new Dealer.com customer, now is the time to get started on your digital marketing goals in 2023.
If you did not get a chance to visit our booth, no worries. There’s still an opportunity to demo the new products and enhancements we unveiled at the show. In the meantime, here’s a recap of what we debuted:
KBB My Wallet on Dealer.com Websites
Kelley Blue Book® My Wallet, a personalized shopper tool on Autotrader and KBB.com, will now be automatically integrated into all Dealer.com dealer websites. This means dealers will have even more information on consumers than ever before.
You can get everything from down payment, trade-in, and financing information – the data you need to speed up the deal-making process and get more accurate leads for your dealership.
Local SEO
Take complete control of Search Engine Results Page (SERP) beyond just your organic and paid listings as Google prioritizes local experiences when consumers search for cars. With Local SEO, dealers can promote their dealership and inventory to local car shoppers at exactly the time they are searching for your business.
New Car Customizer
With more consumers shopping online for cars than ever before, dealers must ensure their website has the tools consumers need for a seamless shopping experience while displaying a modernized web design.
Our new car customizer allows shoppers to find the vehicle they are searching for, even when dealers do not have the specific vehicle in inventory.
These are just a few of the solutions we got to share with dealers at the show. Be sure to sign up for a demo today!
Kelley Blue Book® My Wallet on Dealer.com websites received the Enterprise Retailing award during the 2023 AWA Awards. Presented by Brian Pasch Enterprises, the AWAs have been a benchmark in the auto industry for recognizing innovative products in technology, design, search marketing, social media, and digital retailing.
Pictured L-R: Mike Wulfe, Katie Wilkins, and Paul Paridy.
Kelley Blue Book® My Wallet is an intuitive tool designed to improve the shopping to buying journey and drive more quality connections between buyers and sellers.
Debuted at the NADA Show 2023, Kelley Blue Book® My Wallet automatically integrates into Dealer.com dealer websites who have Accelerate My Deal. This means dealers will have access to everything from down payment, trade-in, and financing information – the data needed to speed up the deal-making process and get more accurate leads.
When My Wallet meets Dealer.com websites, consumers will have the most comprehensive and consistent power of Digital Retailing at their fingertips.
How Does Kelley Blue Book My Wallet Work?
If a shopper engages with Kelley Blue Book My Wallet on Autotrader, they’ll be prompted to enter a desired monthly payment, trade-in, down payment, credit range and term length. This gives consumers more accurate “all-in” pricing.
From there, their entire search will be customized. Consumers gain budget guidance to help them better understand purchase power and can shop by payment which opens a whole new world of possibility. Dealers Get insights into the consumers financial profile on more leads to provide a personalized sales process with less friction.
Kelley Blue Book My Wallet + Accelerate My Deal
80% of consumers think it is a good or great idea to buy entirely online. And with Accelerate My Deal, consumers can complete even more steps online, speeding up the deal for everyone.*
When shoppers enter their information into Kelley Blue Book® My Wallet it’s automatically transferred into the Accelerate My Deal experience. Accelerate My Deal leads on average close at a 48% higher close rate compared to other internet leads helping dealers get more highly qualified leads and boost their profits.** My Wallet gives shoppers a personalized shopping journey and Accelerate My Deal moves the shopper from journey to purchase.
Want to transform digital retailing with a truly connected, end-to-end experience for consumers? Click here to learn more about My Wallet today.
*2022 Car Buying Journey Study
** Cox Automotive Product Analytics. Accelerate My Deal Lead to Close Analysis using VinSolutions sales data. Data from Jan 2020-Nov 2020. Analysis performed January 2021
Summary: Kelley Blue Book® My Wallet, a personalized shopper tool on Autotrader US and Kelley Blue Book, will now be automatically integrated into all Dealer.com dealer websites. Learn more about this exclusive lead-driving tool.
To compete in today’s challenging automotive retail environment, you deserve a data-driven partner who helps create a successful digital marketing strategy with innovative tools and technology. With the NADA Show 2023 just around the corner, Dealer.com has been working hard to bring you new products and enhancements to the products you know and love.
Watch this video as Noah Lee shares a few new products and enhancements being unveiled at the NADA Show 2023, including:
• Accelerate My Deal — the industry’s most trusted and user-centric digital shopping experience.
• Local SEO – dominate the search engine results page and get improved dealer rankings for local search terms.
• Automotive Marketing Platform powered by VinSolutions–now available to Dealer.com customers to send personalized, automated marketing across the car-buying journey.
Visit the Dealer.com booth to get a full rundown of all the advanced digital marketing solutions we’ll be highlighting
You may see a change in the Review widget for your Dealer.com website.
The FTC recently updated regulations around the transparent display of consumer reviews on retailer websites and has begun to heavily enforce them. In order to ensure our dealers remain compliant with FTC guidelines, we’ve made several updates to the Dealer Reviews widget to increase transparency of the reviews displayed on dealer websites.
The issue stems from the perception of the widget provides. The current Title and Label of the widget implies that the reviews are include all reviews when in fact they a curated set are only based upon recency and rating. The default preference of the widget is to ONLY show 4 stars or above ratings. Based upon recommendations from DDC’s Legal team, DBI plans to adjust the default preference to be 0 from 4.
Consumers have spoken and dealers have responded. As a result of overwhelming demand, about 70% of dealerships now offer some form of a digital buying experience.* They are giving customers what they want—the option to start and (in some cases) even complete the car buying process online. But with so many dealers going digital, how does your digital dealership stand out?
Bring Awareness to Your Customers
Simply having a digital buying experience is no longer enough, especially if your customers don’t know what you offer. To differentiate your dealership and win more automotive leads, you have to bring awareness to your digital options.
Having digital buying tools on your website is a good first step, but you have to create, design, and implement a buying experience that speaks to your audience—modern car buyers. Customers are already motivated to move through a digital buying experience (two out of three want to complete even more steps digitally during their next buying experience). And when they know what dealership offers, you stand out.
Tell your customers all about your digital buying experience and make the benefits clear to the customer—reduced time in the dealership, added convenience, and the ability to buy even when out of market. Doing so can expand your reach, attract more car buyer leads, and provide a clear pathway to engage with your offerings.
Make Your Digital Experience as Easy as Possible
One of the top pain points of buying a car is spending time in the dealership. If your customers can complete a handful of steps digitally before arriving at the dealership, the entire car buying process will be smoother, more efficient, and easier for your customers. These initial digital steps may include the ability to:
Calculate personalized payments in every aspect of their deal structure
Include every possible incentive and rebate available to your customers
Value a trade-in and see how the price of a new or used car adjusts accordingly
Get an idea of their credit worthiness and even apply for and get preapproved for financing
Schedule a test drive appointment
When you offer this kind of experience, word gets around. Before long, your online reviews will reflect that buying a car from your dealership is the best, most efficient experience around. This has a compounding effect of bringing even more awareness to your dealership as a place of business that speeds up the overall buying process and treats customers right.
Take Your Digital Buying Experience Above and Beyond
Another way to differentiate your digital buying experience is to implement steps that few other dealerships offer. This can disrupt the status quo of the new digital dealership and create some buzz around your offerings. These steps may include:
Personalized virtual video test drive: This may involve a video call with the customer while members of your sales team drive the car and show off features.
Remote deal signing: Give customers the option to complete signing from the convenience of their home or office. This can expand your dealership audience to include out-of-market customers and may give your dealership a competitive edge through inventory shortages.
Online vehicle reservation: On a similar note, giving digital customers the ability to put their name down for a car and get in line for an upcoming purchase can give your dealership an advantage when inventory is low across the industry.
Scheduling a first service appointment: Consider introducing your customers to your service department with a virtual service meeting. This can help your customers establish a consistent pattern of bringing their car to your service department and boost service revenue.
The digital dealership may be the new norm, but your digital dealership can stand out from the crowd by bringing awareness to customers, making your digital experience as easy and customer-friendly as possible, and going the extra mile to offer digital steps other dealerships don’t.
To learn more about how you can stand out in a world of digital dealerships, check out Dealer.com Manager of Performance Management B. Malaczewski’s recent webinar, all about differentiating the digital buying process. You can also learn more about delivering the kind of digital shopping experience your customers expect at Dealer.com.
* Digitization of End-to-End Retailing (DoEER) study by Cox Automotive
The dealership website experience—and the new ground a website must cover—has changed.
Today’s dealership websites must do more than navigate shoppers to your car inventory. With consumer behavioral shifts, more flexible buying processes, and profitability fluctuating at the dealership, dealer websites must be configured to play a central role in every transaction, and every interaction.
The website experience must cater to consumers from all stages of the buying journey, and more importantly, it should play a part in the success of your digital marketing strategy.
What consumers expect from the car buying experience has also changed.
2020 showed us that digital marketing is no longer simply a channel or a box for dealers to check. It accelerated the need for innovation and a focus on the entire shopping and buying experience—from vehicle consideration, selection, negotiation, selling, and commerce.
Digital marketing experts help dealerships take their website to the next level.
As dealers, you must manage multiple vendor relationships on top of managing the business of the dealership. That’s why it’s important to have specialized digital marketing expertise to help take your digital marketing strategy to the next level. You deserve a digital marketing that does more than help implement your website but stays ahead of emerging trends and best practices across all relevant focus areas including SEO, reputation management, creative, and video.
More than a website provider, Dealer.com is the industry’s only complete digital marketing solution, fortified by unsurpassed customer insights, that provides dealerships with the technology and expertise to delight automotive shoppers and increase profits.
Is your digital marketing equipping you to adapt and thrive? Consider your capabilities in these key areas:
Does your digital marketing prioritize data and have meaningful integrations? Reliable consumer data is critical to success, not only for automotive digital marketing but also for overall dealership profitability. The right data enables you to generate more automobile leads by personalizing every touchpoint a consumer has with your dealership Dealer.com leverages the exclusive, first-party Cox Automotive data which includes insights from two out of three U.S. car buyers (2020 Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey).
Is your digital marketing partner implementing tools and processes that make your work easier? If you haven’t updated your processes to incorporate new capabilities, you’re missing out on opportunities to improve—and on opportunities to deliver the best possible consumer experiences.
Is your digital marketing partner making your job easier and acting as a true partner in your success? Or are they a little more than technical support? There’s no way around it—the right tools and the right data are critical to providing premium consumer experiences. But there’s a third critical element: the right people. Without the right people, even the very best tools and data will fall short. At Dealer.com, a meaningful partnership with our dealerships is at the core of our business. Your success is our success. With the right people behind premium consumer experiences, we can all win.
You deserve a digital marketing partner who does more than check boxes. You need a data-driven partner who helps create a successful digital marketing strategy, maximizes your marketing ROI, and minimizes confusion.
