Jason Abrahams, CEO/Founder, TireTutor

The Importance of Digital Retail

With consumers keeping their cars longer, new car inventory at an all-time low, and EVs going mainstream, dealerships are realizing the importance of marketing and software that helps them sell more tires. Tires keep your customers coming back, increasing car count in the service drive and trade-in opportunities.

E-Commerce is no longer a novel shopping experience, but rather preferred and expected by many customers. 83% of consumers shop for tires online, but end up purchasing in-store because pricing and online purchase functionality aren’t available from local dealers. With e-commerce software, consumers can shop wherever and whenever they want. In fact, 42% of tire purchases are made outside of normal business hours. Consumers want to read reviews, compare prices, buy tires and schedule service from the convenience of their homes. Offering flexible shopping increases your chance of capturing the sale.

Not only does digital retail provide consumers an easy way to shop online, it also enables a streamlined process for shops to sell tires, which includes tools to view inventory, compare competitive pricing, and respond to customers quickly. Tires are a key factor in retaining a customer. The lifetime value of a customer is approximately $2K, and 80% of consumers service their car where they purchase tires. Empower your customers to be involved in the decision-making process by sending quotes digitally, allowing them to shop on their own time. If you don’t reach the customer where they’re shopping, you’ll lose out to large online retailers.

How to be Successful with a Digital Marketing Strategy

Make it as easy as possible for shoppers to find you. A strong website with clear ‘calls to action’ and high-performing SEO, combined with an optimized Google My Business profile is the first step to success. Google can be an equalizer for brick-and-mortar shops to compete with online mass merchandisers.

Digital advertising is the most cost-effective way to reach your target audience, ensuring you’re bringing the right consumers to your business. Get your tire inventory on the front page of Google when shoppers search “tires near me”. Google Shopping Local listings put your exact tire inventory in front of an in-market shopper looking to buy tires.

Vehicle shopping and purchasing has gone digital and now it’s time for tires to adapt to this new landscape. Utilizing digital retail software and marketing platforms will help you retain customers and increase fixed-ops revenue as tires become increasingly important. Providing transparent online pricing and sending digital quotes will keep your customers engaged with the service department, ultimately making you more money.