Click Dealer Finalists in 2024 UK Content Awards

Click Dealer Finalists in 2024 UK Content Awards

We’re thrilled to share some fantastic news from Click Dealer! Our Digital Marketing team has been named finalists for not one, but TWO prestigious UK Content Awards:

  • Social Media Content Campaign of the Year
  • Low Budget Content Campaign of the Year

The UK Content Awards celebrate outstanding content marketing, recognising agencies and in-house teams across the UK that create high-quality, valuable content. Every year, they spotlight marketing professionals whose work attracts, informs, engages, and retains audiences, ultimately driving traffic and profit.

For the Social Media Content Campaign of the Year, we’re proud to highlight our team’s exceptional work with one of our dealership clients. We significantly boosted their social media presence, achieving an impressive 75% increase in Facebook page likes over the past year. Our strategic Facebook campaigns generated 534 additional leads, resulting in 197 sales—an outstanding demonstration of our ability to harness social media for substantial business growth. Our campaign stood out for its clear objectives, exceptional creativity, strategic implementation, and remarkable results, aligning perfectly with the UK Content Awards criteria.

In the Low Budget Content Campaign of the Year category, we showcased our ingenuity and efficiency. Recognising the challenges of limited budgets, we employed innovative strategies to focus on lead generation and engaging content. For this particular dealership client, our efforts led to a remarkable 766% increase in clicks from key locations, significantly broadening their market reach. Furthermore, we secured top rankings for relevant keywords, driving a notable 63% increase in organic website traffic. Our campaign exemplified the award judges’ criteria for outstanding results achieved within set budget constraints.

Being finalists in both categories shows our dedication to delivering effective digital marketing solutions that consistently yield tangible results for our clients.

With previous wins at this esteemed event over the past two years, we’re eagerly anticipating the announcement of this year’s winners on July 11th at the Hilton London Bankside. Here’s to hoping for another successful year!

View the shortlist >>

Want to know how our Digital Marketing team can help your dealership with more leads or site traffic? Get in touch today by emailing [email protected] or calling us on 01782 478 220. Alternatively, you can send us a message via our contact page!

Driving Success: SEO Practices Every Dealership Should Know

Driving Success: SEO Practices Every Dealership Should Know

In our last webinar, ‘A Dealer’s Guide to SEO,’ we delved into the world of search engine optimisation (SEO) to help your dealership thrive online. Laurren, Click’s Head of Digital Marketing, shared invaluable insights and actionable tips on how to boost your dealership’s Google ranking, ensuring your vehicles are discovered by more potential customers.

Curious about SEO? Check out our blog, ‘Demystifying SEO for Dealerships‘ for a quick webinar recap. Prefer a deeper dive? Explore the full webinar, now available to watch on-demand. And if you’re seeking actionable SEO tips and best practises, then read on, as we’ve compiled them below for your convenience!

Optimising Keywords for Success

Keyword research is the foundation of SEO practices, representing the words and phrases people type into search engines when they’re searching online. The goal is to align these keywords with your website content, you can attract more qualified leads.

Start by choosing specific keywords relating to what you specialise in, like ‘used SUVs near me’ or ‘car dent repair cost’. Don’t just use broad terms, get specific by thinking about your location, the services you offer and the types of vehicles you sell. Then, expand your keyword catalogue by finding more search terms. There are many ways to help achieve this, but here is a few to get you started:

 

Google It

Try typing keywords into Google’s search bar, which automatically generates more suggestions and uncovers other popular search phrases. You can also look at the ‘People also ask’ section or the search suggestions at the bottom of the results page for more inspiration. These keywords represent what real people are searching for online, providing valuable insights into the information that they’re seeking.

 

Harnessing AI for Keyword Discovery

Artificial Intelligence technology, like ChatGPT, offers a helpful way to discover keywords. Simply ask it to generate keywords such as ‘Best deals on used SUVs’, or even long-tail keywords like ‘Low-mileage used cars with good fuel efficiency’. However, keep in mind that AI is just a tool; use your common sense alongside it. It’s a fantastic resource for brainstorming and expanding your keyword list.

 

Advanced Keyword Research Tools

For advanced keyword research, consider using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics. Ask your web provider to give you access, as these tools provide insights into search volumes and user behaviour, empowering you to refine your keyword strategy for optimal results.

 

Content is King

After compiling your list of keywords, focus on crafting quality content and, by considering the reasons why people search online, you can strategically place your relevant keywords on appropriate pages.

Review key pages of your website, such as your Homepage and About Us. Check that your website covers and describes all the different services you offer, such as car finance or paintwork services. You can also consider using an FAQ section on relevant landing pages, allowing you to easily drop in those keywords that take the format of a question. Remember – quality matters more than word count; so make sure your content is informative and engaging.

Enhance your website with blogs, business updates and news to build trust and customer confidence. Showcase your customer reviews and company awards to boost your credibility. And lastly, link through to your social media platforms for added visibility.

 

Technical SEO Practices

In SEO, technical aspects of your website are just as important as content. Start by ensuring your Google Business Page is linked to your site, and all details are accurate and up to date, including photos and responding to customer reviews. This builds credibility and boosts visibility. Additionally, optimise images for faster loading times and add useful hyperlinks in your content to other pages of your site for easier navigation.

 

Revolutionise Your Dealership’s Digital Strategy with SEO

In summary, the webinar highlighted just how transformative it can be for a dealership when SEO practices are used. Laurren emphasised how it can be a pivotal role in expanding your online influence, and by embracing SEO principles and implementing her recommendations, your business can scale the heights of search engine rankings, turning your website into a lead-generating magnet and drawing enthusiastic car buyers to you.

It’s always best to hear it first-hand from our digital marketing guru, so why not watch the full webinar for free and start your SEO journey today?

Demystifying SEO for Dealerships: A Webinar Recap

Demystifying SEO for Dealerships: A Webinar Recap

In our recent webinar, ‘A Dealer’s Guide to SEO,’ Laurren, Click’s Digital Marketing Manager, took the stage to unravel the mysteries of search engine optimisation and shed light on its paramount importance. She showed us how we can get our dealership websites ranking higher on Google searches and seen by more customers.

If you weren’t able to join the live session, don’t worry! It’s now available to watch on-demand. And if your time is limited, we’ve pulled out the highlights of what SEO is, in our webinar recap below, so no one misses out.

 

Understanding Search Enging Optimisation (SEO): Unveiling the Basics

What is SEO?

At its core, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a dynamic set of techniques and strategies you can apply to your website, designed to boost its visibility on search engines like Google and Bing. Optimising a website using these techniques ensures that your dealership doesn’t just exist in the vast online landscape but stands out prominently when potential customers search for vehicles. Doing so is the difference between your website hiding on page 10 amongst your competitors or showing in top place of the search results.

 

Why is SEO Crucial for Dealerships?

Laurren eloquently emphasised the critical role SEO plays in helping your business rank higher than competitors. In a world where 92% of car buyers initiate their journey online, securing a prime spot on search engine results pages becomes a make-or-break factor for dealerships. By getting your vehicles and business in front of more potential customers, you’re increasing your chances of improving conversion rates and sales.

Statistics show that the first 5 sites listed on organic search results get almost 70% of all the clicks on average. Whereas the next lot of 5 only get 3.7%, which really highlights the importance of your website’s positioning.

 

Key Insights Explored During the Webinar

1. Unlocking the Power of Keywords

We kick-started the webinar by highlighting the significance of speaking the same language as search engines. Through keyword research, dealerships can align the content on their websites with the exact phrases potential customers use when searching online. This strategic move informs search engines that your website holds precisely what customers are seeking, giving you a competitive edge.

 

2. Crafting a User-Friendly Experience

A smooth user experience with fast loading times, mobile-friendliness, and clear signposts is crucial for successful SEO and ensuring your customers are not put off your site when browsing, navigating, and ultimately purchasing your cars and services.

 

3. Building Trust and Authority

Just like consumers trust reputable brands, search engines favour high-quality content, secure connections, positive online reviews, and consistent business listings in directories. These factors signal trustworthiness and a positive user experience, helping you get bumped up in the ranking order for searched results.

 

4. Long-Term Benefits and Cost Effectiveness

Typically, it takes 3-6 months for search engines to recognise your SEO efforts, meaning it’s not a quick fix, but a strategic investment with long-term returns. Once optimised, your website becomes a powerful magnet, attracting qualified leads consistently and potentially, without additional costs.

And because the impact of SEO extends beyond the initial investment, it makes it one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies, bringing you face to face with people who are already interested in what you have to offer. This lasting influence positions SEO as a smart and efficient choice for businesses looking to maximise their marketing investments.

During the webinar, Laurren presented a compelling case study featuring a small dealership grappling with online visibility challenges. Through Click’s strategic SEO efforts, the dealership experienced an impressive 4x surge in organic leads within one year, coupled with a remarkable 200% increase in sales from organic leads. This showcases the tangible impact of a well-executed SEO campaign.

 

Conclusion: Elevate Your Dealership with SEO

As the webinar concluded, one thing was clear – SEO isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the key to unlocking your dealership’s online potential. By grasping the principles of SEO and applying Laurren’s insights, your dealership can rise in the search pages, attracting eager car buyers and establishing itself as a trusted automotive destination.

Stay tuned for our upcoming blog, where we delve deeper into the SEO tips and tricks from Laurren, guiding you through actionable steps to kickstart your SEO journey. Or even better, hear it first-hand and watch the webinar for free.

Google Vehicle Ads

Google Vehicle Ads

What are Google Vehicle Ads?

They’re a game-changer for dealers wanting to push their stock in front of a wider audience.  Google Vehicle Ads are finally here in the UK.  This new ad format has the potential to showcase a dealer’s inventory directly on Google Search, targeting potential buyers actively searching for specific vehicles.

It’s a great opportunity for you to showcase your stock to potential buyers.

Did you know, Click is one of a small number of companies on Google’s vehicle feed service provider list: “Vehicle feed service providers are experienced in vehicle ads, Merchant Center and Google Ads. With a vehicle feed service provider, you can reduce your activation time by streamlining your onboarding into the vehicle ads program.”

How can I sign up?

Are you ready to get started with Google Vehicle Ads?  Fill in the form below and our team will be in touch to provide you with more information and how you can get your dealership up and running with Google Vehicle Ads.

We can support you with creating, managing, optimising and tracking the performance of the adverts.

[contact-form-7 id=”18401″ title=”Click Dealer – Google Vehicle Ads”]

 

Tell me more!

 

What do they look like?

Imagine a search for “2022 Ford Fiesta near me.” Right on the search engine results page, potential buyers would see relevant options from a number of dealerships, complete with eye-catching pictures with key details like make, model, price, mileage, and the dealership’s name. Clicking on the ad takes them directly to the detailed vehicle description page, streamlining their journey.

 

How does Google select which vehicles to display?

As you can imagine, there’s going to be a lot of competition for those top advertising spots, and while the official launch details are still under wraps, we suspect they will operate in a similar way to how Google Ads and Google Shopping currently operate.

Bids: Bidding will likely function similarly to Google Ads using a cost per click (CPC) model. With advertisers being able to set a maximum bid that they’re willing to pay for each click on their ad.

Budgets: Campaign budgets will allow overall spend to be controlled.

 

What are the benefits of Vehicle Ads?

  • More qualified leads: Showing customers key information and visuals about the car before they click, helps provide more qualified leads
  • Omnichannel goals: Optimises for both online conversions (leads) and offline conversions (dealership visits)
  • Automated targeting: Vehicle ads show your most relevant listings for a related user query
  • Time-Saving Efficiency: Our automated feed solution will keep a dealers inventory synced with Google in real-time, saving valuable time and effort

 

What is the set up process?

Advertisers will be required to upload their vehicle data feed to the Merchant Centre.  The Merchant Centre is a platform that allows businesses to upload and maintain product information, including pictures and pricing to be displayed in their vehicle ads.

The advertiser’s feed must include pertinent details about their vehicles such as make, model, price, mileage, colour etc.  Google uses all of this information to match a customer’s search to the most relevant cars.

The advertiser must then create a Performance Max campaign with vehicle feeds within their Google Ads account as well as linking their Google Ads account to the Merchant Centre and their Google Business profile.

We can support dealers who have a Click Dealer website with getting their feed up and running, as well as creating and managing the Google Vehicle Ads.  Talk to us about options for your dealership.

 

When will this be available?

Now!  We’ve been accepted onto the Google Vehicle Ads closed beta programme.  We’re beginning the process of onboarding some beta dealers to help test the service.

Google has not yet released a date for when it will come out of the closed beta phase and be fully launched.

 

Remind me again how I can sign up:

Are you ready to get started with Google Vehicle Ads?  Fill in the form below and our team will be in touch to provide you with more information and how you can get your dealership up and running with Google Vehicle Ads.

We can support you with creating, managing, optimising and tracking the performance of the adverts.

[contact-form-7 id=”18401″ title=”Click Dealer – Google Vehicle Ads”]

Spending too much time managing stock on your dealership website?

Spending too much time managing stock on your dealership website?
Car dealers find themselves juggling a myriad of time-consuming responsibilities – from procuring stock and promoting them, to overseeing a forecourt and coordinating a sales team.

When time is of the essence, an efficient and robust system is paramount for success. As specialists in dealership websites and software, we understand the unique challenges dealers encounter while handling both their stock and backend operations. Do you want to know how a powerful Dealership Management System (DMS) and a carefully crafted website work together to save you precious time? Then keep reading to find out.

 

Integration is King

In the digital age, your dealership’s online presence is often the first point of contact for potential customers. However, having a stunning website is just the tip of the iceberg. The real magic happens when your website seamlessly integrates with a robust DMS. This integration transforms your website into a comprehensive platform that not only showcases your inventory but also streamlines your entire vehicle management process.

Uploading stock onto your website can be a time-consuming task, particularly when it involves all the logistics of organising vehicles for photo sessions and inputting detailed vehicle information. Of course, it is possible to showcase your vehicles with just a website, but why not make a bigger impact by coupling with a DMS? This seamless dynamic duo will really make a huge impact to your uploading process.

Here are 5 automated features within our Click Dealer platform that will take the drama out of adding new stock:

1) Automatically feeds into other major platform portals

For many dealers, their website isn’t the only place they showcase their vehicles. Using a DMS that automatically feeds into other major platform portals, such as Auto Trader, MOTORS and Car Gurus, means your stock gets more online exposure without spending another second re-keying it all in and potentially halving your time. This real-time synchronisation ensures your online inventory is always up to date and reduces the chances of you double-selling your stock.

2) DVLA Lookup Tool

Using the DVLA lookup tool to add your vehicle into the system, you can simply enter the vehicle registration number and the majority of information will pre-populate for you, saving you time doing it all manually. Entering data, such as make, model, transmission, and engine size is not only instant but also reduces the likelihood of human error, ensuring accurate and true-to-form vehicle descriptions for your consumers.

3) Auto Trader Connect Integration

Conducting thorough due diligence checks on your new inventory may also take a considerable amount of time. If you have an eligible Auto Trader Connect, our DMS will seamlessly integrate with it to provide a near real-time . Our systems also use VOSA to look up and flag any MOT history. These benefits are two-fold; not only does it save you time not having to manually research all this information, but because it’s pretty much in real-time, it makes sure you’re not in danger undervaluing (and losing profit) or overvaluing (and losing custom) of your stock.

4) Photo Styling Tools

Access to simple photo styling tools can give you a distinct advantage in highlighting special offers or deals, without the need to learn to edit your photos. To really make your photos stand out in a crowd, our built-in features include banner overlays in various designs and fonts. Once set up, your design is saved in your library for quick use during promotions. Furthermore, we offer ‘smart’ images with dynamic text tailored to the vehicle’s finance examples. These images are generated automatically from your finance calculator, leaving you with just one decision – do you click to use or not to use? As mentioned in point 1, once you’re happy with your vehicle images, they’re automatically sent to other platform portals, so you don’t have to recreate your banners. It’s a streamlined and efficient way to maintain consistency in your promotions.

5) Click Media+App*

With our Click Media+App*, a user-friendly smartphone application, gone are the days of desktop confinement just uploading photos and tweaking adverts. No more fussing with wires to connect devices, no need to email photos to yourself, and certainly, no more tedious uploading-downloading, and re-uploading of files. The Click Media+App lets you effortlessly choose photos directly from your mobile library and update your adverts on the go. Not only does it allow you to stay on the forecourt in front of your customers, but it saves you even more precious time.

* Click Media+App is a feature within our Accelerator Pack, which is a bolt-on product that can be added to your Click Dealer package.

 

Efficiency Unleashed: One Platform to Rule Them All

Car dealers often find themselves juggling multiple platforms and features to keep their vehicle stock in check. You may not realise just how much time is actually spent pulling up different platforms, logging in and out of screens, and redundantly re-entering information due to the lack of communication between programs.

Consolidating everything under one roof eliminates the need for repetitive data entry. This means no re-keying in vehicle details, re-uploading photos or duplicating efforts when entering credit card details. Our integrated system ensures seamless communication between your DMS, website and platform portals – this also includes your finance and warranty portals too. Our DMS is specifically designed to streamline operations, freeing up valuable time for you. The time saved can be redirected towards focusing on what truly matters – selling more cars to more people and doing so more profitably. If this sounds right up your street, then why not take a pit stop and chat with us today?

Features your website needs

Drive leads and sales

When it comes to buying a used car, your used vehicle dealership website can make a big difference in the customer’s decision-making process. A good used car dealership website should not only showcase your inventory, but also provide helpful information and resources for potential buyers.

If your dealership’s website isn’t performing well, you could be missing out on a number of potential customers. A poorly designed or outdated website can make it difficult for customers to find the information they need, navigate the site, or even access it on their mobile devices. This can lead to a high bounce rate and a lack of conversions.

Plus, if the website is not optimised for search engines, it may not appear high in search engine results, meaning that potential customers may never even see your website – working with a company who can make sure your technical SEO is in place can help with your online positioning.

A poor website can also negatively impact your dealership’s reputation and credibility. In today’s digital age, a website is often the first point of contact for potential customers, and it is crucial that it makes a strong, positive impression. Without a well-performing website, dealerships may be missing out on a significant number of potential sales and new buyers.

The features you need on your website

Here are a few key elements that every used car dealership website should include:

Detailed Vehicle Listings

Your website should feature detailed listings for each vehicle in your inventory, including high-quality photos, a full list of features and specifications, and an overview of the vehicle. This will allow potential buyers to get a good idea of what to expect before they even set foot in your showroom.  Think about including a 360° video and photos of all aspects of the vehicle, so when buyers are looking online – they can see the full profile of the vehicle to help draw them in.

Call to Actions

It should be easy for buyers to know what to do next – they’ve found the vehicle they like, so make it easy for them to go on to reserve the vehicle or contact you.  By having clear and engaging call to action buttons, you’re removing the barrier to them being able to progress with buying the vehicle.  Having a tool like ClickEngage, where reservations can be made 24/7, can help you make sales even when your dealership is closed.

Financing Options

Your website should also provide information on financing options, including credit application forms, so that potential buyers can get a head start on the financing process.  Having a finance calculator next to each vehicle can help buyers see what their monthly payments could be.

Customer Reviews

Allowing customers to post reviews of their experience with your dealership can be a powerful tool. By providing potential buyers with an honest look at the experience of your previous customers, you can establish trust and credibility.  Pull in reviews from different platforms to show in one place on your website – using a tool like ClickReputation can do this automatically, so when someone posts a review on social or Google, it will pull into your website, building trust with potential customers.

Special Offers and Promotions

Including special offers and promotions on your website can help entice potential buyers to come in and check out your stock.  Doing promotions on social media

Give Valuations

Customers might be looking at selling their vehicle or using as a part-exchange.  By having an option for them to get a valuation from your website can help them with making decisions around how much they can spend on a vehicle if they were to trade their current car in.

About Us Information

Help your buyers know who you are and understand how you operate.  Your ‘About Us’ page is a great place to showcase your team, how the process works when a customer buys a vehicle from you, as well as reasons why the customer should buy from you.  This page can make your buyer feel comfortable working with you and give them the confidence to get in touch or visit you.

Contact Us Page

Your website should also include a contact us page, where potential buyers can get in touch with you, schedule a test drive, or ask any questions they may have.

By including these key elements, your used car dealership website can help attract potential buyers, establish trust and credibility, and ultimately, drive sales.

Remember, a well-designed, informative, and user-friendly website can be the first step in building a long-lasting relationship with a customer.  You website is your 24/7 online showroom, so it should be working hard for your dealership to bring in quality leads and sales.

 

 

Enhance your website

Want to make your website work harder for you?  Speak to our friendly team who can work with you to build your new website.

NextGear Capital Integration Goes Live

NextGear Capital (by Cox Automotive)

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve now added NextGear Capital to our ClickFunding solution.

You can now view your available balance, add vehicles to your plan, and automatically settle a vehicle with NextGear Capital – all from within your Dealer Management System.

NextGear Capital provides flexible, straightforward, and dependable vehicle stock funding to dealerships –  helping you keep your forecourt stocked, and use your own capital to invest in your business in other ways.  This integration benefits dealers using both Click Dealer’s products and NextGear Capital’s stock funding plans – giving you a streamlined process where you only need to enter information within your DMS, and it will populate your NextGear Capital plan.  You can now manage your cash flow and assets in one place to help streamline your processes and save you time.

With ClickFunding, there’s no more rekeying of data in two different systems, you can easily view your available stock funding balance without leaving your DMS, can quickly select vehicles you want to fund through your NextGear Capital plan, and immediately take a vehicle off plan when sold.

NextGear Capital are the latest partner to team up with ClickDealer and integrate with our ClickFunding tool.  This integration has been supported by Sopra Banking.

NextGear Capital joins our other ClickFunding partner, V12 Vehicle Finance, and there are plans to integrate with additional funders over the coming months.

ClickFunding helps you manage your stocking plans:

  • Saves you time
  • Simply manage cash flow and fund access
  • No switching between systems
  • No rekeying of information
  • One system, one solution

ROI Content Campaign of the Year Finalists

UK Content Awards 2022 Finalist
We’re delighted to be ROI Content Campaign of the Year finalists in this year’s UK Content Awards.

Our digital marketing teams work with dealerships to produce lead generating campaigns and content that really engages.   Our SEO clients benefit from our technical work as well as our blog and content writing.

We worked with a dealership who wanted to focus on targeting customers outside of their immediate geographical location.  They provide used cars to customers across the country, so wanted to get the word out there to people who may be further afield and not heard of their dealership before.

Through our technical SEO and content writing work, we brought in more leads and sales, resulting in 33.83% more website traffic and over the period saw a 60% increase in sales.

Through our targeted location work, we ended up seeing over 140% increase in visitors from one of the key city locations we were focusing on for our client.

We’re absolutely thrilled to be one of just two finalists in this category.  We have delivered a proven return on investment with our SEO campaign and our digital marketing team are immensely proud of being shortlisted.

Results are due to be announced on 7th July.  Well done and congratulations to all the other companies who are up for awards on the night – see you there!

View the shortlist >>

What should my website have?

Automotive websites

‘As long as I’ve got a website, that’s all that matters, right?’  Wrong!

Your website is your online showroom.  It can help you build trust with potential customers – buying a car is a big expense for many people, and they want to know that they can trust the person and dealership that they’re spending their money with.

92% of people research their next vehicle purchase online, according to Think with Google.  If you don’t give potential customers a great online experience, they could dismiss your dealership and contact one of your competitors instead.

You can’t rely on customers contacting you or walking by your showroom – the majority of people are researching online first.  From there, they might build a shortlist of dealers they want to visit, they might find the vehicle they want and want to reserve it there and then, or they could want to work out what their deal would look like.

Your website should be bringing in leads for you – and with the right tools, be a place customers can sell you their existing vehicle and reserve their next one.

 

What makes a great website?

Technical SEO

You should have good technical Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) built into your website.  This is things like page speed, the right heading tags, meta tags, mobile responsive, good URL structure and more.

Does your current website provider support you with this?  At Click Dealer, we have in-house developers who build in technical SEO elements as standard to our websites.  They’re continually researching industry trends and search engine ‘best practices’ to help our dealers with their online visibility.

Technical SEO can help you appear higher in search results as it’s ticking the boxes of what search engines require a ‘good website’ to have for a good visitor experience.

 

Easy to navigate structure

When a visitor comes onto your website, they don’t want to be confused about where to look for vehicles, wonder how to contact you, or have to try and locate finance information.  You should have a good navigation structure to make it easy for potential customers to find what they’re looking for.

When a customer has found a car that they like, it should be clear how they can reserve that vehicle or contact you for more information.  By having ClickEngage on your used car website, you can get easy call to actions next to each vehicle, such as a ‘reserve now’ button.

Have you ever been searching for something online and given up on a particular company because you can’t find what you want or don’t know if they can meet your needs?  That’s the same for car buyers!

Take a step back from your website and look at it with fresh eyes.  You might know where everything is, because it’s your website – but would an outsider find it easy to use?

 

Easy search tool

In the same vein, how easy is it for customers to find the vehicle that they’re looking for?  This could be a specific make and model, EV-compliant, number of doors, or price.

If a customer has specific requirements, helping them navigate to those particular vehicles will make it a smoother journey for them and a more positive experience.

‘Type and search’ tools can help a customer type in specific needs (such as a sun roof) to narrow down the search even further.

Also, make sure you’re making it clear what your available vehicles are.  It’s extremely frustrating to spend time researching a vehicle, working out how much the finance would be, building a deal up – only to find out that the vehicle was sold two weeks ago!  Would that customer then return to you in the future?

By having an integrated website and DMS, you can make sure that when stock is sold or reserved – this is clearly marked on your website, and the vehicle is removed when sold.  Your DMS can also update your advertising platforms, so there’s no confusion for customers.

 

Informative content

Do you have content that would help a potential customer?  Are you regularly updating your used car website with information to keep it fresh and engaging?

If not, you should!  Not only does fresh content help with your online visibility, but informative content helps give your customers trust in you.

If they can find out useful information, they will spend more time on your website and could also build a more positive impression of your dealership – think about articles such as how to apply for finance and what the finance terms mean, things to check before a long journey, and how to increase MPG through driving techniques.

 

Personality

Bring some of you to your used car website!  What’s your dealership’s history?  Who is part of your team?

As the saying goes, ‘people buy from people’.  Even though a customer is browsing your online showroom rather than in person, that doesn’t mean they don’t want to see ‘who’ they are buying from.

Having good reviews on your website can also help build trust.  “Bob talked me through all the features of my new car and couldn’t do more to help.  Thanks, Bob!” – that sort of review can help people feel more confident that they’ll have a good experience when buying from you, and also gives a small insight into who you are and the people at your dealership.

Your website should also be an extension of your physical forecourt, not a separate entity.  So, pulling through that same feel, branding, and tone of voice is important.

 

I don’t think my website is working for me

Your dealership’s used car website should be pulling in customers and generating leads for you.  If it’s not, and you’re not getting the performance you’d like from a website – it might be time to look at a new website or a refresh.

At Click Dealer, we work with used car dealerships to understand what you want to achieve from a website, what your branding is, and what your key services are (e.g. finance, part exchange, ‘sell your car’ function, reserve online, etc.).

We have an in-house team who are here to support you along the way.  We don’t give you an ‘out of the box’ website and send you on your way.  We design and build websites to meet your needs.  Then our Training Team will run you through all the key features, including how to advertise stock, how to list a vehicle as sold, how to manage your online reservations, etc.

Our Customer Care team are here to help with any queries you might have – we don’t make you send in a ticket for support, we have our teams on the phone or via email to ask any questions to.

 

What if I need to change something?

Having a team that can quickly make changes to your website is important.  If you’ve changed your phone number, you don’t want to be waiting three weeks for it to be updated on your website – potentially losing you leads!

Similarly, you don’t want your Christmas opening hours to still be showing on your website in April…

Click Dealer’s Web Studio team is available to make updates to your website, and we work on a quick turnaround time.  Plus, you can get a website refresh from us for free – so if you’ve had your website for a number of years and want to give it a facelift, we can do that no problem!

 

Want us to design your next website? Contact our team today.

 

Award winning solutions

Car Dealer Power 2022 - DMS of the Year, Websire Provider for Independent Dealers, Consumer Lead Generation Site of the Year

Three more awards!

We’re thrilled to have taken home three awards at the Car Dealer Power Awards 2021:

  • Dealer Management System of the Year – Winner
  • Website Provider for Independent Dealers – Highly Commended
  • Consumer Lead Generation Site of the Year – Highly Commended

The awards are voted for by dealers to highlight the best suppliers in the industry. We work closely with our dealers and consider them part of the Click family, so to have their votes and praise is wonderful – thank you to everyone who nominated us!

To take home three awards is fantastic recognition of the hard work all of our Clickers put in to supporting our dealers, as well as the benefits our dealers see from using our systems.

We are a performance partner for dealers. We provide a full suite of award-winning digital solutions, including lead generation, website, and DMS.  To be recognised for all three is a huge achievement and one we’re immensely proud of.

 

Dealer Management System of the Year – Winner

We’re proud to have been recognised for another year in the Dealer Management System of the Year category.

Our DMS provides solutions to help save our dealers’ time, improve efficiency, and streamline processes.  With integrations into advertising feeds, accounting software, finance providers and more, we help simplify how dealers manage their admin.

“With it being industry-recognised, voted for by the dealers, it’s one we take a lot of pride in. The team will be really buzzed up when they hear it on the announcement day.” – Ollie Moxham, CEO

Find out more about our award-winning DMS.

 

Website Provider for Independent Dealers – Highly Commended

We’re proud to have been recognised again for our websites.  We work with over 1,500 dealerships.  Our in-house team provide UX/ UI led websites to give our dealers great online performance – from quick page speeds to in-built technical SEO.

When your website is your online showroom, you need to know that it is giving potential customers a great first impression.

“Our in-house team are continually looking at ways of developing and improving our dealer’s websites, from improving the built in SEO performance of our sites to regular design refreshes.” – Ollie Moxham, CEO

Find out more about our high-performance websites.

 

Consumer Lead Generation Site of the Year – Highly Commended

This is the first time we have been shortlisted in this category.  Our incredible Digital Marketing team have expanded and grown over the past 12 months, and we now offer a whole range of lead generation and brand awareness packages.

Through our end-to-end solution, we can track leads from acquisition through to sale, something standalone agencies cannot do.  We provide our dealers with high-quality leads that convert into sales, at a reduced cost per lead, and can prove it!

“Our digital marketing services, combined with the technology built into our websites and our integrated dealer management system, provides a strong solution for bringing more consumer leads into dealerships.  Proven to deliver a real return on investment.” – Ollie Moxham, CEO

Find out more about our digital marketing solutions.