Gain a Competitive Edge for Your Auto Dealership

This is the first article in our special series for Canadian automotive dealers.

In a tough market, your dealership must go the extra mile to show the public that you have more to offer than your competition. Whether you directly sell vehicles online or not, your Web site is often the first point of contact your potential customers have with your dealership. Are you creating the impression you want people to remember?

Secure your dealership’s relationship with the public.

As multi-store dealer groups increase their share of the Canadian automotive market, single store and owner-operated dealerships must do all they can to cement their relationship with potential customers. Your dealership’s individual character may be its finest asset, and if developed skilfully, a Web site can help you represent your individuality well.

Before the point of the actual sale, an effective Web site is necessary for educating and inspiring the public with the confidence to purchase their next vehicle specifically from you, whether they have in mind to make that purchase today or in the future. This is especially true when competing with other dealers who are also selling your vehicle brand — and even more so within your region — in which case an independent, custom Web site legitimately makes your business stand out for its own unique reasons.

Harness the distinct benefits of the Internet.

Some dealers may sell the power of a Web site short, thinking of it as nothing more than advertising. But the Internet is not like any other medium, and so your Web site should be so much more than just another ad.

Whereas traditional media broadcasts your information to a general audience, a Web site allows you to directly and immediately interact with a relevant group of individuals who are already specifically seeking you or your products. Keeping this audience in mind, a custom site enables you to convey your unique sales and service philosophy in the most targeted manner possible. Because Web content can be updated instantly, your audience can come to rely on your Web site for the most up-to-the-minute information. What is more, this can all be accomplished for comparatively less cost than traditional media.

A wiser use of resources.

Canadian Auto Dealer Magazine recently reported that dealership operating costs are up while profits are down. So to stay competitive, dealers need to maximize the value of their marketing budget without watering down their dealership’s public presence.

To meet your business objectives, an automotive Web site need not be flashy, complicated or prohibitively expensive. It has been our observation that most online users in the automotive industry — whether dealers, salespersons, or potential or current customers — all want the same thing: a simple, easy-to-use site that puts them in touch with the facts they want. E Media Architects can develop a custom-built Web site that accurately reflects your dealership’s unique values in a manner which appeals to your local audience for little more than the cost of a couple of onetime newspaper ads.

So, where do I begin?

Over the next week, our special series of articles will explain in detail how you as a Canadian auto dealer can use your Web site to its best advantage in complementing the real-world business at your local dealership.

Whether you are just starting out on the Internet or need to totally realign your current online presence, our custom approach will help your dealership stand out.

What is your viewpoint on how the current automotive market in Canada should impact a dealer’s approach to gaining customers? Please leave a comment below.

Our next article will explain in greater detail what sort of auto dealer Web site works best in Canada.