October 2006

AutoSuccess Best Practices Summit V. Details on Page 4

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fs feature solutionSeanWolfi ngton

Selecting the RightFuel for Your Engine

Maximizing Search Engine Performance

www.sellingsuccessonline.com

Are you getting maximum performance from your Search Engine Marketing (SEM) strategy that drives traffi c leads and increases sales? If not, it’s time for a pit stop to give your search engine strategy a boost with some high performance fuel. An effective online marketing strategy will drive signifi cantly more traffi c and profi ts to your dealership’s sales, fi nance and service departments by transporting potential customers directly into your dealership with a click of the mouse.

Check Engine Light OnIs your dealership’s Web site appearing ahead of your competitors’ sites when interested buyers in your region search the Web for information? With more than 300 million online searches per day, the popularity of the Internet only magnifi es the necessity of implementing and maintaining an up-to-date SEM strategy. With research indicating that up to 86 percent of Web sites are found through the use of search engines, and over half of retail consumer searches performed on Google are automotive in nature, your dealership should be geared to capitalize on your fair share.

Last year more than $400 million was spent by local businesses for Search Engine Marketing, but this is a mere drop in the bucket compared to $2.7 billion forecasted by eMarketer for 2007. Online marketing expenditures are up 134 percent, according to a recent report by the Internet Advertising Bureau, and auto dealers continue to shift budgets from traditional advertising to Internet marketing programs.

Consult the Owner’s Manual Like referring to the Owner’s Manual to fi nd information on maximizing the performance of your engine, consulting a qualifi ed SEM professional is crucial to the success of your online marketing strategy. An important factor to consider when choosing the right fuel to develop and drive your strategy is selecting a consultant that possesses solid automotive credentials. Many search engine marketing fi rms make promises, but are unable to deliver satisfactory results because they lack the basic knowledge of trends that drive successful online automotive

marketing initiatives like OEM incentives and rebates. Your SEM consultant should possess a vast working knowledge of the automotive industry, and must have a strong level of experience in contending online for competitive automotive search terms within different markets. When selecting the right fi rm to partner with, consider credentials and performance results based on successful implementation of marketing strategies with other dealers.

It is benefi cial to select a partner who employs Google AdWord professionals, since Google is the most widely accessed engine, utilized by over 80 percent of all Internet users. These experts have passed a demanding exam, as well as proven their profi ciency by managing Google AdWord campaigns for clients for a minimum of three months. Qualifi ed Google AdWord professionals can effectively design and manage the most effi cient solution for their clients.

There are also fi rms which are not “full service.” Many appear to have vast offerings, but only provide basic link building campaigns. For example, some only offer submissions of your site to various directories, exchanging links with other sites and establishing other links that point to your site. Be careful when making your selection, because with so many offerings available, it is easy to be misled by a complicated and confusing process.

Choosing the Right Grade of FuelAt the pump, a number of fuel grades and additives are available to enhance the effi ciency of your engine. Just like choosing the right fuel to maximize the performance of your automobile engine, various strategies for maximizing search engine results need to be reviewed. Which ones are right for you? Search Engine Marketing (SEM)Search Engine Marketing is the latest phenomenon in the world of digital marketing. The term SEM is used to describe the range of marketing techniques required to make an automotive Web site visible on search engines and directories.

A standard SEM package should include a commitment to continual research, search engine positioning and submission of your highly optimized Web site to directories. An SEM package should always include the use of Pay-Per-Click campaigns, targeted dealership keywords and customized keyword phrases for the site to increase visibility. Also, highly integrated diagnostic tools and reports should be included to assess any campaign’s effectiveness.

What does all that mean and how will your dealership benefi t from an SEM program? With literally millions of automotive Web sites available to choose from, most consumers rely on search engines to fi nd services to meet their specifi c needs. Proper SEM execution ensures a strategic Web site listing ahead of competitors. Most consumers do not search by dealership name; they search by specifi c vehicle models or geographical boundaries. So when an interested consumer sits at his computer surfi ng the Web for a particular model in your area, can your dealership be easily found?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)Search Engine Optimization is a fundamental part of any online marketing plan. SEO is primarily concerned with advancing the goals of a Web site by improving the position of its organic search results for a wide variety of relevant keywords. SEO programs are geared toward long-term objectives of increasing both the number and quality of visitors to your dealership’s Web site through results offered on the search engine

directories. SEO is sometimes offered as a stand-alone service, or as a part of a larger marketing effort, and is essential in the initial development and design of a site.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC)Pay-per-click advertisements are text ads strategically placed near search results. These ads generate immediate on-line traffi c to your Web site. When a visitor clicks on the advertisement, the dealership is charged a small amount. PPC allows your text or image ads to appear among search results as “sponsored links,” “featured listings” or “paid ads.” Hiring a professional with experience in the automobile industry to direct and manage your Pay-Per-Click campaign, rather than tackling this mundane task yourself, will ensure an effective campaign with up to 100 times more keywords. Resources available to professionals generate targeted keyword lists leading to higher click-through rates, a better quality score and lower keyword count. The result is more targeted traffi c to your site at a relatively low price, because your budget is being continually and effectively managed.

AdditivesSupplement your high-performance SEM program by injecting your own marketing extras. Your staff can boost the effi ciency of your marketing strategy and increase traffi c to your dealership’s site by simply making the dealership URL address more visible in your traditional advertising media.

Compliment your SEM with reporting mechanisms that provide the ability to generate analysis reports to help you measure and improve the effectiveness of your SEM efforts by identifying exactly which search engines and phrases are paying off. A benefi cial aspect of a successful SEM program is the ability to track and measure search engine referrals beyond the initial click-through to the dealership sites. It is equally important to be able to track your dealership sale conversions, as measured by additional revenue, average sale value and total sales generated during a given time

period. Look to your provider for a tool that can provide this information.

Success: The Fuel of the Future Red McCombs Auto Group in San Antonio, Texas has found the right fuel mixture for their search engine strategy. The boom began when Red McCombs brought on a Search Engine Marketing company for consultation and implementation of a new SEM strategy that included a new high-tech Web site, a Search Engine Optimization program, and a fully automated and measurable CRM tool to handle all of customer needs and follow-up. The results were immediate, and sales have now skyrocketed by 500 units per month. The Web site www.RedMcCombs.com has proven its success by taking the dealership to a new level, and has earned Red McCombs the 2005 eDealer of the Year Award.

The eBusiness staff and the entire management team are excited about the continued progress for 2006. Red McCombs is now turning over 25 percent of their Internet leads into showroom visits, and over 75 percent of those visits into sales. And the great news gets even better…Red McCombs is increasing sales and profi ts while decreasing costs per unit by up to 50 percent.

Many dealerships claim that SEM is now their best online marketing investment. As a result, auto dealers continue to shift budgets from traditional advertising media to digital marketing strategies, third-party lead-generation sites and other Web marketing programs. It’s impossible to ignore the results.

The awesome advances of Internet marketing have given birth to a whole new realm of advertising for dealerships. Consult with a qualifi ed SEM specialist to determine the best options for maximizing the performance of your Search Engine Marketing strategy. Effective SEM

strategies in this fast-paced and ever-evolving world of technology can ensure strategic Web site listings ahead of your competitors. It’s all about maximizing performance to generate desired results - higher revenue at lower costs.

Sean Wolfi ngton is the general manager of BZResults.com. He can be contacted at 866.645.7730, or by e-mail at swolfi ngton@autosuccessonline.com.

RED McCOMBS SUCCESS

Since implementing their new SEM strategy, Red McCombs has...• Increased sales by 500 units per

month.• Increased gross profi t from $60K to

over $750K per month• Increased CSI and customer loyalty• Increased closing ratio from 3

percent to 19 percent • Increased profi ts while reducing cost

to under $200 per unit sold• Awarded 2005 eDealer of the Year