Does your dealership’s website suffer from TARCAC (Tumbleweeds Are Rolling and Crickets Are Chirping) syndrome? Have you tried every method out there, but no matter what you do, can’t get those website traffic numbers to budge?

Here are five easy ways to drive website traffic:

1. Email Marketing
Do you even know anyone who doesn’t have an email address? People stay connected to the world 24/7 with their mobile devices. In fact, 59 percent of emails are opened on mobile devices, so you should use email to stay connected to your customers

Email continues to rank as the No. 1 most effective way to reach people interested in your business because it’s the only method of communication you own. With a clean database, effective messaging, good timing, and the ability to deliver emails to inboxes consistently, you’re able to take control of your dealership marketing with a 1:1 strategy that costs less than other marketing strategies. By staying connected with customers via email you can retain loyal customers, recapture lost business, and drive traffic to your website.

2. Social Media
If you want to be successful in today’s technology-driven world, your social media presence is critical. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 244 million people used social media in 2018 and that number is expected to grow to at least 257 million by the year 2023. The average person spends about two hours on social media each day, leaving plenty of time for them to interact with your content.
If you want people to see your dealership and your promotions, advertise where people spend their time! Your dealership’s online reputation is crucial to generating new business. Manage your reputation by interacting positively with users online, and answering their questions and concerns. Research shows that 59 percent of customers are more likely to buy from brands they can interact with online.

Want to dip your foot into social media advertising? Invest in a marketing provider that knows how important your social media presence is. Success on social media also leads to boosted search engine optimization (SEO) rankings.

3. SEO
SEO is the foundation for digital marketing and must be a fundamental piece of your marketing strategy. If your site link isn’t on the first page of the google results page, you likely aren’t being seen by anyone.

In fact, 71 percent of search traffic clicks are on the first page of Google search results. Some organizations report that click rate to be as high as 92 percent. If you lack the time and skill needed to produce the content or the knowledge needed to make it visible to search engines, hiring a skilled marketing company could be exactly what you need to rank above your competition.

4. Create a Dealership Blog
Blogs are a rich source of content that increase organic traffic opportunities by directing people searching for unique keywords to your website. Regularly updated blogs can dramatically improve your SEO ranking. While car dealer websites perform well in a narrower keyword group (with keywords focused around inventory, service, and specials), for blogs the possibilities are endless.

Blogs also give your customers a place to go to for regular updates on your dealership, such as upcoming events, service promotions, informational pieces, etc. Finally, blogs are simply a great way to engage with your customers, which leads us into:

5. Post. Engage. Respond.
Drive return traffic and increase customer retention by posting relevant, tailored content to your social media platforms and website. If a customer leaves a review about your dealership, try responding to their comment with more than just, “Thanks for the review.” I recommend using the 3 Cs method:
• Congratulate – customers want to know you care. Congratulate them on the purchase of their new vehicle!
• Connect – successful customer service, and what keeps them coming back, is creating an experience where excellent service is associated with your dealership. Don’t leave anyone hanging!
• Communicate – don’t let your customers wonder what’s happening at your dealership, tell them! Inform your customers about future events, promotions, and offers. Invite them to come back in (and bring a friend or two).

You can’t afford to let your digital reputation fall to the wayside. If you don’t have the time to invest in your online reputation yourself, hire someone who does.

It’s time to dust off your website and get rid of those tumbleweeds. Doing these five simple things is an effective way to boost traffic, customer retention, and keep the crickets at bay for good.