News Articles

The number of consumers using the Internet to shop for vehicles continues to increase, and - especially in today's market - this growth includes those who are shopping for used vehicles. For this reason, it's all the more important to invest in your Internet marketing and maximize this opportunity to increase your pre-owned sales. Here are a few tips to help you achieve that goal.

A Website that Works

If you're not using the Internet to sell used cars outside of your market area, you're missing out on revenue opportunities. To capitalize on these opportunities, your website needs to generate leads and actively enable actual sales. To this end, it should:

• Prominently feature used vehicle specials
• Prominently display Internet specials
• Promote low-cost inventory throughout the site
• Offer home page access to vehicle search

To really take pre-owned sales to the next level, you need to not only attract and respond to leads online, but to also let consumers know your dealership sells used cars online

A Trusted Third-Party Lead Supplier

Now that nearly every consumer is using the Internet to shop for cars, the primary value of the Internet for used car sales lies in visibility. But it's unreasonable to think that one online source will gets you the all the visibility you need to drive as many sales as you'd like.

Third-party leads play a huge role in this visibility. There's no other way to make your inventory as visible to such a large audience of car buyers, at such a low cost.

The same considerations that drove your choice of a new car lead provider should drive your choice of a used car lead provider. Make sure you are partnering with someone that you can trust to show value that follows from your investment. What exactly should you look for? A program that includes high-quality leads, a scrubbing process that provides a valid contact, a partner that is as invested as you are in selling more cars and provides ongoing feedback on what is/isn't working, and the customer service you expect.

With other media, you might highlight one or two special vehicles, but thanks to the Internet and third-party used car leads, you have the chance to make every used vehicle on your lot stand out for the people who might be interested in it.

A Successful Way to Merchandise

Many dealers make the mistake of assuming that quality used cars sell themselves. In reality, it takes a combination of precise pricing and strong merchandising.

Whether you're part of a single dealership or a larger dealer group, pay close attention to how you are merchandising your vehicles on your site and third-party sites.

The pictures have to be of great quality; the used cars must be priced to sell; and the inventory must be up to date.

If you're posting used cars on your Web site without mileage, pricing or good photos, you're probably wasting your time (and squandering the savings and higher profits that Internet merchandising and marketing make possible). There's no such thing as posting too much information. Some dealers think that a buyer will call if they want to know more, but the fact is that it takes a lot of information to bring a buyer to the point of making contact. Buyers shop a number of different sites, and the dealers that offer the most information up front - including photos of flaws - will win buyers' trust and business in the end.

Also, don't forget to sell yourself. Many dealers understand that selling a new car involves selling the dealership itself, the sales experience, the service, and so on. But sometimes they leave that out of the equation when selling a used car. Make it a point to provide multiple photos and a detailed description of every used vehicle. And on top of that stress the benefits of doing business with your dealership — your long history, integrity, warranties, etc. All of this will help you close more sales.

A Process That Makes the Sale

Optimizing your website and investing in valuable third-party leads will undoubtedly help you reach more consumers. But the best lead-generating tool in the world can still be undermined by bad processes.

To be successful, you have to establish a quick, effective follow-up process. The best way to do this is to use a good lead management tool to help you sort, route and respond to online leads as efficiently and professionally as possible. The faster you respond to online leads, the higher your closing ratio is going to be. Period. And your objective in responding to leads is always to sell the appointment. As every dealer knows, appointments drive more sales.

If you invest in quality used car lead sources like your website and third-party leads while using a good lead management tool to reinforce good processes, you'll capture more market share and sell more cars. And you'll have happier customers, too.