Majority of Mobile Visitors Can’t See Flash Websites

In a recent study from retail analysis firm, RichRelevance, iPads and iPhones make up over 90% of online purchases that don’t happen on a desktop device.  That means that 9 out of 10 mobile purchases come from an Apple product, a device that can’t read anything in Flash. This is up from 88% when RichRelevance conducted the same study just last April.

While many auto dealerships don’t make a ton of sales online (in the traditional, online store sense that this study refers to), this shows that the majority of those using their mobile phone for online shopping purposes are using these two devices.  If your dealership mobile website uses Flash technology, the majority of those coming to your site from a mobile device won’t be able to see it.  In fact, DealerOn customers typically see 2/3 of the traffic to their mobile website come from iPads and iPhones.  Can you imagine if only 1/3 of your website visitors could actually see the content on your site?

Studies like this one show how important it is to ensure your mobile website can be seen by everyone that wants to see it, and if it is built using Flash, 2/3 of your web visitors won’t be able to.  Check with your auto dealership website provider to find out how your mobile site is built, and if it’s in Flash, make sure they provide you with another option.  You could be losing out on 2/3 of your mobile website traffic.

How to Hurt Your Google Places Listings

I’ve written multiple pieces on how to properly set up and maintain your Google Places listing and account, but haven’t touched on the mistakes you could be making, hurting your car dealership online marketing strategy.

Here are the places where you could really screw up your listing if you aren’t careful:

Don’t use a post office box. Even if this is where you get mail, make sure you use the actual address of your business.

Only enter the address into the address field.  That means no directions, no landmarks (turn left at the yellow building), and no descriptions.

Don’t hide your address.  Google gives you the option of hiding your physical address–don’t do it!  Google Places wants to be able to show users where you are located on a map, so let them.

Using a tracking number?  Stop.  Google has officially stated “Types of phone numbers that should not be included are: call tracking numbers and phone numbers that are not specific to a business location.”

Don’t ignore errors in your account, including a misplaced map pinpoint.  Google is notoriously difficult to get a hold of, but don’t let that deter you from reporting an error if and when you see it.

A well developed and maintained Google Places listing can be a huge asset for your dealership’s online marketing efforts.  If you need help with your Google Places account or other aspects of your Internet marketing program, feel free to contact DealerOn for help.

Digital Dealer Workshop – Houston, Texas – January 17th 2012

Are you ready to start 2012 with a competitive online game plan? The Digital Dealer Workshops are bringing you everything you need to succeed online.

Two distinctively different tracks will be offered and are customized to your level of experience: the dealer who feels behind on their e-commerce education and the dealer who is prepared but wants to excel.

Want more information?  Send an email to events@digitalrainmgmt.com, check out our Facebook Event page, visit us online, or keep reading!

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

Dealers, GMs, GSMs, Internet Sales Managers, e-Commerce Directors,

CRM Managers, BDC Managers and Fixed Operations Managers

WHEN:

Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 8:00am – 6:00pm

Workshops begin at 10:00am.

WHERE:

Hilton Houston Post Oak

2001 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, Texas, 77056

Less than one mile from the Galleria area

Tel: 1-713-961-9300

REGISTRATION:

Register early to take advantage of early bird pricing.

Early registration prices:

TADA members: 1st person from dealership/group: $199, 2nd: $99; 3rd: $49

Early registration cutoff is December 31.

We have secured a discounted room block for $129 plus tax per night.  Reservations can be made from the Digital Dealer Workshops website, or ask for the Digital Dealer Workshops when booking.

Google+ Mistakes Your Dealership May Be Making

Now that Google+ is open to businesses, many are trying to figure out the best way to utilize this new social media portal (including DealerOn).  I’ve gathered some of the more common mistakes that businesses are making to shorten the learning curve for auto dealerships.

Like all other social media sites, not posting on a regular basis can hurt your marketing efforts.  Consistently providing visitors with quality, worthwhile content is the best way to attract (and keep) potential dealership customers engaged in your social sharing.

Google+ really lends itself to sharing photos, so make sure you take full advantage.  Switch up your text posts with photos of your vehicles, dealership, and staff.  Make sure your profile photo identifies your dealership to help ensure your visitors know they’ve found the right Google+ page.

To further help identify your profile, make sure your tagline is clear and descriptive.  Use it as a way to stand out from other dealerships and make it very clear to visitors that this is an official page for your dealership.

One of the great things about Google+ is the ease in which you can segment your viewers…so make sure that you do!  Consider separating potential customers from those that have previously bought from your dealership, or segment those that bought used cars from those that bought new.  Take advantage of the ability to tailor the information you are sharing with your visitors.

Those that are using Google+, what mistakes have you made and learned from so far?

Test Your Mobile Website with Google’s GoMo

Google, in an effort to help small businesses ensure they have effective mobile websites, has launched “GoMo”.  This website (https://www.howtogomo.com) lets users learn about why having a quality mobile site is important, test how your site looks in its mobile version, and find resources to help if your mobile site isn’t quite up to par.

I really like the option to see how your current site looks in mobile.  From the homepage, click “See How Your Current Site Looks in Mobile”, then “Test Your Site”.  Enter the URL of your dealership website to see how mobile users will see it.  After answering a couple of questions about what you see, you’ll get a report card of sorts that focuses on four potential mobile website hangups: Loading Speed, Images, Text, and Navigation.

The DealerOn auto dealer website I tested scored a 4 out of 4.  According to the site, the site I tested showed:

  • Loading Speed:  0.404 seconds.  The recommended loading time is 5 seconds.
  • Images: Images appeared properly
  • Text: Text is visible without pinching or zooming on the phone screen
  • Navigation: All links and buttons are thumb friendly

Check your dealership website to see how well it scores.  If you’re not getting a Pass in each category, you need to talk to your mobile website provider to find out what can be done.

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