Effective Mobile Marketing for Automotive Dealerships

Many people today are using mobile phones to browse the Internet due to their portability and convenience. According to 2012 estimates by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), there are 1.1 billion active mobile broadband subscriptions in the world, which equals 16% of global population.

The proliferation of mobile Internet has made it essential for auto dealerships to conduct mobile marketing - nearly 1 in 3 customers have browsed auto dealership websites using their mobiles in 2012 (Source: J.D.Power & Associates). In this article, we will discuss about some basic methods of an effective mobile marketing campaign.

Create a mobile optimized website
Your website is a major touch point for many Internet users to get information about your dealership. A user will first visit your auto dealership website to know about the types of vehicles and services you offer. The desktop version of your website will not load properly on a mobile device, which may cause the customers to leave your website out of frustration.

In today’s competitive market, no business can afford to lose such potential customers. A mobile optimized website will enable the user to easily access your website on their mobile. Get a mobile website designed for your auto dealership and optimize it to operate well on various devices and platforms.

Know the keywords
Unlike the search done from a desktop or PC, search on mobile devices is different. People tend to type shorter search queries and also their intent will be different. Therefore, you should do separate keyword research for your mobile website to know the commonly searched terms with respect to automobiles. Properly optimizing your mobile website with those keywords enables your prospects to find your auto dealership website easily.

Place banner ads on your website
The best way to instantly communicate to the customer is to place a banner ad on your mobile website. Start with good value offering banner ads like discounts, free insurance, test drive, etc. that capture the attention of customers, instead of using marketing messages that often frustrate the customer at the very first shot. Remember to include calls to action in the ads and make sure that they are simple enough that a user can accomplish them on a mobile device.

Keep the content simple yet informative
Usage of mobile phones is all about convenience and users do not prefer to read big chunks of content on them. Keep content on your website simple, brief and above all informative. Users should be able to understand the content at a glance as they scan through the content rather than reading it.

Focus on usability of the web design
Your auto dealership will have different products at different price ranges. There will be a different set of customers for each segment. If you give information about all products in a single page, the customers will find it difficult to find the product they need. Creating separate categories on your website will make it easy for customers as they can easily navigate to their preferred category page with a few clicks. Segment your customers properly, and create different categories on your website for products based on features and prices.

Proper maintenance of mobile websites
Creating and maintaining a mobile website is not a single time effort. You need to continuously monitor the website for any kind of issues like long page load times, compatibility problems, broken links, etc. to ensure good user experience. Continuous effort to improve your mobile website will create a better brand image for your automotive dealership.

Following these tips is more likely to help you make your mobile marketing effective. Effective mobile marketing will act as a lead generator and will increase your automobile sales.

Search Optics, Inc. is a leader in digital marketing solutions for the automotive industry. Search Optics interactive marketing services include custom websites, search engine optimization, paid search and mobile solutions that generate leads which result in sales opportunities. Search Optics specializes in automotive digital marketing and automotive marketing services.