By Kevin LeSage, Director of Digital Marketing, Autotrader

The auto industry is rapidly changing, and it’s our job to stay a step ahead of both the competition and our customers’ needs. New technology is introduced at a dizzying pace, making more data available by the second, but before making major changes, it’s best to have a foundation in place first. The long-term improvements you can make today will draw some of your highest ROI for the future.

Along with technology, digital strategies are also changing daily, whether it’s a new metric to measure ROI or a new search engine algorithm promising to upend past search tactics. With so much noise in the field, it’s easy to lose track of the fundamentals in the sea of data and “expert” recommendations.

So, what is fundamental to your digital strategy in 2019? How do you leverage your own data to drive that experience for the consumer, and where should you focus your time and resources? The best foundation to drive more leads is personalization, optimization, and customization.

Personalization: Delivering a Relevant Experience to Every Customer

Personalization sells. As a consumer, you’re engaging in personalized content every day. Google recognized this years ago with their search results; no two are the same.

Think of personalization as the three Rs: the right person, the right place, the right time. Well, maybe four Rs; Let’s include relevance too. Personalization provides content that users want, when they want it, and with no effort from them.

Strategizing and personalizing really pays off too. According to 2018 Epsilon Research, 86% of auto customers are more likely to do business with a company offering personalized experiences, yet only 55% of these websites deliver this experience well.

Optimization

There is no better digital ROI than there is with SEO, but SEO is not as easy as it once may have seemed. It’s a race between you and your competitors that requires more than just updating title tags. Google traffic can come and go, which is why it needs to be proactively measured in-house or with an agency.

Then, of course, a disruptor on the horizon that dealers need to prepare for is voice search, and it’s here to stay. More than 90% of major brands are investing in voice technology right now, a recent Adobe study showed (and Autotrader is one of them). Make sure you or your partners have this in the roadmap.

Customization: Creating a Seamless Path from Online to In-Store

One size doesn’t fit all. Believe it or not, dealers want a voice and the ability to customize their message. And not all consumers engage the same way, so we need different paths that lead to conversion. Having custom options and technology to align a consistent ‘why buy here’ message is essential.

Customization options allow the customer to control their experience through the choices they make, which can inform personalization engines. Without overwhelming the customer, allowing a high degree of customization means the user can more easily and quickly find what they want, promoting site and brand loyalty, and influencing sales.

Today, we can’t talk about customization without talking about digital retailing. Websites must be more than just informational; they need to be transactional. Educate consumers before they come in and engage them with technology to bring them closer to a sale.

Personalization, optimization, and customization are foundational areas to keep in mind for your digital strategy this year. By focusing on these digital underpinnings, you’ll give your customers a fluid experience from shopping online to purchasing in-store, all while targeting their needs and allowing them to search in the way that suits them.

Learn more about “What’s a Fundamental Digital Strategy in 2019” by attending Kevin LeSage’s session at Digital Dealer 27 Conference & Expo (Aug. 19-21, 2019 in Las Vegas).

About the Author

Kevin LeSage is passionate about helping dealers translate comprehensive marketing strategies, into actionable process. In 8 years touching many aspects of the business, from SEO/ PPC, Account Management, Sales, Analytics, Sales Management. Favorite quote: John Wanamaker (1838-1922) “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half”.