Becoming an Internet Dealership from Jim Bell at the Kain Automotive Clients and Friends Workshop in November 2012.

1. Creating an Internet
Dealership for 2013 and
Beyond
Jim Bell
Don Ayres Honda

3. • Used car buyers spend 60% of their shopping process online
• Used (18 hours shopping time)
• 7 hours offline
• 11 hours online
• New Car buyers (19 hours shopping time)
• 7.5 Hours offline
• 11.5 hours online
2011 Autotrader.com/R.L. Polk Automotive Influence Study

4. • 24% of shoppers switched manufacturers based on their research
• 1.4 dealerships are physically visited
Google & compete Buyer Flow Study

5. How car buyers first contacted the
dealership
11%
20% Walk In
Phone
Email
2011 Autotrader.com/R.L. Polk Automotive Influence Study
69%

6. 1.1 Million leads matched to
registration data
• 55% of those who submitted a new car lead DID
buy something
• Of those that bought, only 10% bought at their
intended dealerships
• Of the 90% who went elsewhere
– 23% bought intended make
– 41% switched to used
– 36% bought a competitive make

7. Lead Purchase Distribution
60
51 53
50 50
43
40
35 34
31 Intended make
30 29
Other make
22 21 Used (any)
20 18
13
10
0
0-30 31-60 61-90 91+

8. First 30 days
43% bought in first 30 days
35% bought another make
22% bought used
Do the math….57% don’t do anything the 1st 30 days.

10. Be Mobile
• By the end of 2015, 1/3 of Americans will own a
tablet
• 20-30% of Google queries are done via mobile
(phone only)
– 1 million Android phones activated daily!
• 31% of those surveyed admitted that they use their
phone in the bathroom
• The other 69% are lying.
Source Google

11. Be Mobile (cont)
• 71% of users expect a mobile site to load as fast as their
desktop (within 3 seconds)
• 78% will try twice before giving up
• 57% would not recommend a business with a bad mobile
site
• 40% turned to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile
experience
• 23% have cursed at their phone when a site doesn’t work.
Source Google

12. JD Powers
Key Points
• 59% of mobile researchers use their device at the
dealership
• 79% of new car auto shoppers use the internet
• 20% of internet new car shoppers use smartphones
and tablets
Source: JD Powers 2012 Autoshopper Study

16. How do we capitalize?
Become an “Internet Dealership”

17. What it’s not
Websites
Pictures
Videos of cars
SEO
SEM

18. A Day in the Life of an Internet
Manager

19. What’s the silver bullet?

22. Your Silver Bullet to a successful
Internet Dealership

23. How do we do it?
• Get smart
• Be involved
• Get excited

24. Buy-in from all levels
• You must have management buy-in
• It has to be a ‘culture’ at the dealership and start
from the top down
• Salespeople have to be 100% bought in

25. People
Evaluate your dealership
What is best for us when it comes to:
• Structure
• People
• Process

26. Process
• Follow a process and stick with when you find it
working.
• Don’t be afraid to trial and error.
• Find your niche and run with it.

27. Be Quick!
• First isn’t always best
• Make sure that you are relevant to any questions
that are asked within the lead
• Be different than the others and stand out
– Video
– Have open ended questions
– Leave room for the conversation to continue
– Let the customer know what your next contact will be

28. Be Quick! (cont)
• Offer text
• Offer to Skype
• Offer to FaceTime
• Be different, STAND OUT!

29. How Not to do it

30. Email Marketing

31. Be a Purple Cow

32. How to do it
• Get an email from every customer that walks in the
door
• Have a great message with a call to action
• Don’t overdo it each month (max 2x a month)
• Give them a reason to call you or a strong call to
action

33. How NOT to do it

34. Process
• Don’t be a 3 day and out
• Make sure that you are continuing your ongoing
marketing to these customers.
– 57% made a decision after 30 days
– Newsletters are a great option
– When doing an e-blast, have a great message and make
sure it’s mobilized

35. Process (cont)
• Have a remarketing plan in place
• Don’t be scared to try different things
• Learn from other dealers – shop your competition
– Shop out of your area with like franchises

36. What is the Right Process?
It is the one that works for you and your store.

37. Let’s Get Social

38. Some of the best
Youtube
Elise Kephart – Sunset Honda

39. Video Done Right
Intro Video

40. Video done right
Thanks!

41. Facebook
• 1 billion users
• 600 million access by mobile every day

42. Facebook breakdown
• 19% are in the market for a vehicle
– 190 million
• 71% are influenced by social
• Average of 359 friends
– 61 possible prospects on Facebook!

43. Some of the best
Facebook
Rick Kruger

44. Facebook Advertising
• Promotion of posts
– Very cost effective to reach a lot of people
– Will promote to all of your people that like you and all of
their friends

47. Reputation Management
• 1 in 3 used car shoppers will read reviews on the
shopping experience.
• 91% of new car shoppers will read after sale
reviews.
• Shoppers who view a dealer review page is 4x more
likely to send a lead in.
• 57% of used car shoppers will look at reviews while
on the lot.

48. Reputation Management
• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
• Ask all the time (find a process and make it work)
• Respond to all of your reviews, good and bad

49. Stay Informed
Get involved on the following:
Kain idea exchange
Drivingsales.com
Dealerrefresh
ADM
Dealer Elite
Trupro.org
Facebook Groups (Carbucks)

50. Questions?

51. Contact info / Connect with Me
Jim Bell
jimbell1974@gmail.com
Twitter: @jimbthecarguy
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jimbthecarguy
LinkedIn
Circle me on G+
Website: www.jimbtheguy.com