More and more of the automotive buying process is moving online. Many customers begin their sales journey on the internet and as a salesperson, you may be looking for ways to capitalize on this. The question you may be asking yourself is: do I need a personal website?
A Personal Website Doesn’t Always Mean More Leads & Sales
A Google search (and likely why you landed on this article) will likely point you in the direction of “Yes, it is beneficial to have your own website”. On the surface, a personal website (aka a site that is separate from your main dealership) may seem appealing. It allows you to build your personal brand and highlight what makes you an effective salesperson. There are dozens of marketing and web design companies who cater to building websites for automobile sales professionals.
Their hook is often that they can help you gain more leads, and in some cases, this is true. However, in terms of long-term strategy and effectiveness at increasing your online lead conversion, it’s our opinion that the ROI on a personal website just isn’t there. There are more effective tools and platforms to invest in without having to dedicate as much time, effort, and money to build your personal brand.
Alternative Strategies for Online Presence and Lead Generation
Leverage Your Dealership’s Existing Resources
One of the biggest pitfalls of establishing a personal website is you’re effectively competing against your own dealership while also trying to bring in more leads for that business. In order to effectively market yourself as a sales representative, our recommendation is to lean into the phrase of “if you can’t beat them, join them”.
To put it simply, the dealership you work for is going to have more online “oomph” because they have a physical location, established CRM, and third-party channel accounts.
- Physical location = anchors the dealership as an established business and serves as the foundation for a Google Business Profile, local SEO rankings, and baseline online presence.
- Established CRM = website management, inventory management, lead management, vehicle descriptions, sales channel management…the list goes on.
- Third-party channel accounts = further promotion of the dealership’s listings, remarketing opportunities, can serve as individual hubs for online reviews and ratings of the dealership.
Utilizing Your Dealership’s Existing Website
An important part of being an effective salesperson is to build trust with your customers. What better way to build a rapport with a customer than by helping them get to know you a bit better? An often overlooked or underutilized feature on a dealership website is the “Meet Our Team” page. You’ll often see the sales team’s photos featured, but a way to enhance this page and to build your personal brand is to have your bio included on the site.
Having your personal bio featured on the main dealership website serves multiple purposes: it provides prospective buyers with more information and insight into you as a person AND can also help to further establish your online presence. Your name is an important keyword!
Building a Strong Online Reputation Through Reviews and Testimonials
Another method to establish credibility as a salesperson online is to solicit reviews from your previous customers on platforms such as DealerRater, Google Reviews, Edmunds, CarGurus, and more.
Again, this is two-fold:
- Your dealership receives more positive feedback
- You can gain name recognition on these platforms and increase the likelihood of a future customer specifically asking to work with you on their next purchase.
Bonus points if the platform allows for customers to review specific employees!
Email Marketing
A good CRM forms the core of any dealership’s communications and lead management. Digging into the data within this platform can be intimidating, in terms of building continued client relationships, this is a gold mine for creating personalized outreach campaigns! Your dealership’s CRM can be utilized for messaging regarding:
- Lease maturity
- Upcoming promotions
- Equity positions
- Recall notices
- Prompting recent customers for reviews
It is also recommended to review and regularly update your email replies to ensure they have accurate information.
Optimizing Social Media Profiles
Your social media profiles can serve as more than a place to share pictures of your family, pets, and memes. By creating a professional profile on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, you can build a strong online presence and grow your personal brand. Social media profiles are a great, cost-free alternative to creating and maintaining a personal website.
Facebook: Leverage Your Personal Connections & Local Audience
No matter how long you have been on Facebook, this platform is a great way to utilize your personal connection to broaden your online audience and generate more leads for your dealership. By sharing existing listings, promotions, and posts for your dealership (and adding your own thoughts/contact information), you can create a new pipeline of leads for yourself, while also supporting your dealership’s growth.
Instagram: Visual Storytelling & Brand Building
Like Facebook, Instagram can provide individual sales people with opportunities to show off what is currently on the lot, while also building their personal brand. A reel or video on Instagram can provide you with an opportunity to highlight what you like about a certain vehicle, as well as any promotions your dealership is currently offering. Instagram also offers you the opportunity to tag your dealership within your own posts, which can broaden the reach and boost your personal brand.
LinkedIn: Connect With Auto Industry Professionals & Share Thought Leadership
You’re less likely to sell a car through LinkedIn than Facebook or Instagram, but this platform is a gold mine for professional development and industry insights. Not only can you extend your professional network, LinkedIn can also be a springboard for building your personal brand and establishing yourself as an expert in your field.
Whether you are sharing infographics or posts from others in your industry and providing your own commentary, or publishing your own articles, LinkedIn is a great place to establish a professional brand and build trust in your expertise.
Video Marketing
Social media has expanded the importance of video marketing, and there are numerous ways to leverage this for your personal brand. In addition to vehicle spotlights and promotions, video marketing is a great way to introduce your audience to you as a salesperson.
Get to Know You Videos
Creating quick “Get to Know You” videos is an effective way to help humanize the sales process and create rapport with your prospects before they walk into the dealership.
Customer Testimonials
The best way to build your personal brand? Have your past customers speak about their experience working with you!
Q&A Videos
A large part of the sales process is answering customer questions – take your frequently asked questions and make it a short video series. This can help you build credibility as an expert in your field and help your customers get some of their questions answered before they make it onto the lot.
Increase Your Dealership’s Leads & Online Conversions w/ Surfwrench
Surfwrench, LLC works with dealerships across Western New York to improve their online ratings, leads, and conversions. We are proud to help organizations improve their sales funnels to sell more units and increase their bottom line.
For more information regarding how Surfwrench can help you increase your conversion rates and take your dealership’s sales to the next level, please reach out to us at 877-653-5828 or [email protected].
