Results of Search Optics’ first annual digital marketing survey show the value that dealers place on organic website visitor traffic — and the gaps in internal digital marketing skill sets that currently exist. Knowing how to spend digital marketing dollars across a wide range of services is a top concern, says the California-based company.
More than 80 per cent of respondents indicated that SEO is the top service they buy from external marketing partners, followed by website, paid search, social media, email, display advertising and video.
Keeping ahead of the competition is a key concern, along with keeping up with technology, gaining insight into market demands and implementing the most effective digital strategies.
Dealers look for honesty and integrity in a third-party provider, along with strategic guidance and ideas to help them grow.
“Digital marketing plays an enormous role in the success of today’s automotive dealers, from driving traffic to the lot, to advancing the sales cycle through the use of digital strategies,” says Troy Smith, president and founder of Search Optics. “This survey provides clear insight into the greatest challenges dealers face as the speed of digital change in our industry advances at a rapid rate, and winning more business depends heavily on their ability to keep pace.”
The telephone survey spanned more than 160 U.S. car dealers, representing brands from Asia, Europe and the U.S. More information on the survey findings is available at Search Optics blog.
