Keeping up and being found is the goal

The internet shows little mercy and respect for business, even those businesses that only overlap the web don’t remain immune.  While Yahoo is still a large internet player it is in the shadow of Google and there is much expectation on Marissa Mayer as Yahoo’s new CEO to address the imbalance.  No matter how large or how successful you are currently, unless you are following the trends and technology you quickly fall off the pace and into history.  Even large and very successful companies like Nokia and RIM (Blackberry) who have ruled the mobile world are struggling to survive as the internet and mobile domains have merged. So great is the drive from consumers around internet usability, the old benchmarks of what made a fantastic mobile phone have been consigned to the past. Keeping up is the goal as with internet selling we rely on many components to successfully come together to make it work.  There can be more to it than a newspaper and eyeballs environment.

User behaviour on the web is rapidly changing brought about by evolving access methods and devices.  It is also not the world of the young any more with recent statistics showing more people over the age of 35 access the web than under.  Generally with age comes wealth, mobility, smartphones and tablets.  Following these users and their habits is now becoming a fulltime job and art, but so important to being successful online.  For dealers using Trade Me, the cost and time invested to ensure the maximum reach and exposure for vehicle listings just happens, what is not seen is the huge amount of work going on in the background.  The iPhone application emerged in November 2010 and in February this year both an Android and Touch site were launched. With this suite of three applications there is not a common mobile or tablet device that does not have access to an optimised Trade Me user experience.  It is not enough now to just be on the web you need to be device optimised.

This year has also seen the growth of the home eco system and Apple is the master of this. Without knowing it, one Apple device within a house becomes two, iTunes becomes the content provider of choice all served through an Apple TV; if your home does not already look like this your child’s classroom might.   Apple is not alone with Microsoft pitching the Xbox as a media centre and Sony the Playstation.  The concept of the second screen is alive and growing, as sitting in that cold spare bedroom or home office loses its appeal; life on the internet is now a tablet on the couch in front of TV. We are all winners as our customers move from looking at the web once or twice a day to an environment where they practically live on it.  An interesting exercise is to look at our own household internet usage, I would be surprised if you have not found it doubling each year.

With users being more internet savvy, being found and keeping customers engaged becomes the next challenge and as I outlined above they generally won’t hang around on content that is not optimised for the device they are using, hence why Trade Me has three standalone mobile applications.  If you have website, optimising it for mobile use is imperative as people who are shopping on their mobiles have different needs and expectations than those who are shopping online on their laptop or PC.  They need easier to read pages and for pages to appear quickly, they are searching for specific items therefore the information accessed on their mobile needs to be easily searched and accessed.  If your dealership does not have a mobile website, you are missing out on potential leads and sales.

More time online does not necessary mean more time looking at the same content.  As users become more knowledgeable and their search skills become more honed this leads to the fragmentation of content.  Once upon a time, Facebook was the be all and end all of social media and you would have thought no one could compete, however as users gain experience they are now moving to more niche sites for dedicated content or functionality.  People are choosing the application Path, for a more secure closed user group social network and sites like Instagram and Pinterest for more visual imaged based networking, and even sites like Spotify are starting to compete with Apple’s iTunes.  Like these sites, Trade Me holds a huge amount of user/dealer generated content and it is important that each time someone returns they are presented with new interesting vehicles.  Holding a mix of classified and auction listings ensures the user is always presented with something new and dynamically changing; if the content is not fresh the customers will not keep returning as they have choice.

Keeping up and being found is the goal, leverage where you can by partnering with providers that enhance both your fixed and mobile web presence. The longer and more often your customers are online the more dynamic and engaging your content needs to be to standout.

QR Tags - What are they all about?

Lately we have had a few enquiries from dealers about QR Tags (or Codes). Namely what are they and should you be using them? You have probably seen these black and white boxes in newspaper ads, on bus shelters and on billboards. QR stands for Quick Response, and anyone with a Smartphone can use QR tags. It is simply a bar code that is read by Smartphones with cameras. (See more about Smartphones here). QR codes were invented by Toyota in 1994 to track vehicles during the manufacturing process, designed to allow the 2 dimensional bar codes to be decoded at quickly. Now anyone with access to the internet can generate a QR code in about 5 seconds.

How do you create a QR tag?

You can easily generate a QR tag using one of many websites. The website will convert a standard URL into a QR code. Once converted, you can download the QR image file and then attach it to your e-mail signature, upload it as a Facebook profile photo, print it or post it elsewhere online. Some QR-conversion sites can also encode maps, text, phone numbers or RSS feeds. QR code-generating sites include Kaywa (below), Qurify and Delivr. I've typed the AutoBase web page into this QR code generator and ticked URL:

I can put this QR code to a brochure and once scanned, it will take the user's smartphone to our website, as below: 

 

How do you get the information from the QR tag?

To read a QR tag, you need to download a QR reader on your Smartphone. These are free to download. Here are a few that popped up when I checked the App Store on my phone.

When you see a QR tag, you can scan it using your phone. The QR code will send you to whatever has been coded, i.e. a website, text, a vcard (Outlook contact business card), a text message, a phone number or other data. Here is a listing I'm looking at on my work computer:

I then my scan the QR code in the bottom right corner using my iPhone, as below. 

Once your smartphone scans the QR tag it uses a wireless network to find the hyperlink destination. This doesn't have to be a website - it could be a create a text message or go straight to a phone number, ready to call. When scanned the code above,  my iPhone took me straight into the vehicle listing page, as below, where I can now save the page to my phone for future reference.

 

Why use QR tags?

QR tags are FAST -  instant gratification. Scanning a QR tag gives you information you need immediately, for example you may be on a PC at work, or your laptop. I have scanned QR codes i have seen as bus stops to get information on the event or product the bus stop sign is advertising.  You can scan a QR code on this listing and that listing web page will appear on your iPhone, ready to save and bookmark on your phone.

Where do I put my QR tags?

QR tags can be displayed on a website page, poster, business card, brochure, signage, Facebook, Twitter. In New York, stickers with QR tags are being distributed to bus stop which Smartphone users scan to get immediate bus timetable and traffic status updates.

You could put a QR tag on a vehicle for sale on your yard that takes viewers to that vehicle's website listing. The options are endless, but the most effective way for dealers to use QR tags would be to drive viewers to their online listings or company websites. See QR tags in action on listings and dealer pages on our website www.autobase.co.nz.

Check out this video for more information and advice on how to use QR codes within your dealership.

Get Smart – Get Mobile

 

The growth in people using Smartphones over desktop and laptop computers is mind boggling and growing exponentially by the day.  Consider this - in 2013, 50% of web traffic will come from mobile devices as more people will use their Smartphones (eg. iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows mobile, Palm Pre) rather than computers for surfing the internet. 

Check out the latest stats: 

19% of all phones sold worldwide are now Smartphones 

Over 70% of the world’s population now have a mobile phone  

The total numbers of iPhones sold worldview is over 60 million  

Approximately 35% of all mobiles in NZ are smart phones, and expected to increase to 50% by 2014

What is a mobile website?

Simply put, a mobile website is a website that has been formatted to fit a mobile phone screen with it’s content optimized for viewing and interacting using a Smartphone. This enables  your company website, to work more easily and efficiently with the smaller screen of a Smartphone or iPad.

Why is this relevant to me?

More and more people on the move require fast and easy access to websites and data. Google found that 1 in 3 customers use their Smartphone throughout the buying process. Mobile websites deliver a better experience to your customers.  If you don’t have this functionality, you could be losing out on sales.

Here’s an example from the customer’s side. Recently I was out and about in Auckland looking for a used car. My friend was driving while I used my iPhone to search dealer websites to look for stock and yard addresses, then go into Google Maps to get directions. Then after I viewed vehicles onsite at physical yards, I’d go into their website to look at further details or to forward that listings to friends for their opinions. Dealers with non-mobile websites meant I had to enlarge each page which took longer to download, then fiddle about searching for cars and squinting at my screen at tiny links.  Then I had to find their address, go from their website into Google maps, find out and type in exactly where I was, then type in their address and work out the most efficient route to go, all while trying to relay that to the driver - who was getting very frustrated with my stop-start navigating!  The dealers who had mobile websites made it 100x easier to find out what I needed to know. I could search their stock more easily, and access their contact details faster. In a few clicks I could find what I was looking for on pages that fit clearly onto my iPhone.  Dealers without mobile websites meant a lot of mucking about on my iPhone to find the information that I needed.  Now you can get directions to dealerships built into your mobile website.  It’s also easier to contact dealers using features like click-to-call, where their Smartphone will bring up your website, easily find your number, press and call!

What kind of devices use mobile websites?

Smartphones use mobile websites, eg. iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows mobile, Palm Pre  – basically any phone that has access to the internet. This includes iPads, whose uptake in New Zealand has soared. iPads (and tablets – the non-Apple versions) are also great to use on the go. iPads are not only popular with Gen Y - People over the age of 45 now account for 37% of the iPad and tablet market according to Nielsen. And why not – they are lighter and more mobile than lugging around a laptop, and easier to see than a Smartphone!   

How do I get a mobile website?

There are many website design companies who mobilise websites. Speak to your website host about this. There are also many types of mobile websites – some are better than others, so make sure that when you are investigating mobile websites, you know how it will get and display your stock and existing data? Can they host your mobile website? How much will hosting cost? Can they provide you with stats on how many leads are coming from the mobile website?  Will it be accessible across different platforms? 60% of mobile browsing is done via the iPhone, so you need your mobile site to be ‘iPhone friendly’.

Those of you with AutoBase-hosted websites, call your Account Manager now and ask them about mobilising your website!

Remember - within 2 years 50% of web traffic will come from mobile devices. Stay ahead of the game and ensure that your dealership is keeping up with the technology that your customers are using. Mobilising your website will make it easier for customers to search your stock, find your yard and make contact. 

More internet sources = more eyes on your stock = more leads = more sales.

I don’t have time. Really? Bullshit.

I've been reading a lot of articles lately that all have one overriding theme - doom and gloom. I reckon a little bit of positive attitude goes a long way especially in a retail sales environment.

There’s no doubt that this industry, especially used, has taken a fair hammering over the past couple of years and there’s probably more short-term pain to come with the new emission laws coming into effect on 1 January next year, but I’m sick of all this negativity especially when the majority of sellers have good tools at their disposal but just aren't using them to help their sales efforts.

The negativity is seeping through. From a selling perspective, we have to start looking at the glass half full, not half empty. And I know that in a lot of cases yard owners and managers have to step up to the plate and realise what the hell is going on, or not, to be more accurate.

Fact 1: The internet has changed the way Kiwi’s buy and sell their cars. What I see though, is that there are still a hell of a lot of yards that haven’t reacted to this fact. By reacting, I mean putting some real effort into having great listings.

Fact 2: Just having your cars on the internet/Trade Me is not going to give you the best possible results you want (billboard in the desert springs to mind). You have to work smart and if you want good results then you need a good plan.

And I don’t want to hear why this can’t be done because I’ve heard every excuse under the sun, and I can tell you that these excuses haven’t changed in over 10 years, but there’s usually one that always comes up, which you may have guessed.

Example 1: I had an opportunity to have a talk with a salesman at a franchise a couple of weekends ago while an older family member took a car for a test drive. I asked the salesman about how internet advertising was going and he said that Trade Me provided the majority of the enquiry. Great, no surprise there but I wanted to know more about the content of the listing itself and what he thought of it.

The listing was what I describe as conventional; 11 good, clear photos and most of the key information listed even if a little over the top. But at this early stage I want the listing to sell me this car and that means emotion – getting the heart pumping, so after reading the advertisement I want it enough to make the next move. And everyone in this game knows this. 

Here's a tip: Throw the majority of convention out the window.

I don’t really need to know about the mud flaps, armrest – front centre (Shared), pedals, rear apron and so on, especially if the text is cut short. Most of this database-driven information is all too sterile, especially slapped with the disclaimer “confirm with seller”. Most of that stuff I will either take for granted or will be shown, but don’t make it the headlining story because it’s mainly boring. Just bullet point it in the features list.

The only extra information was in capitals (which, for the millionth time, is shouting in internet terms, so don’t do it) and was almost useless. “JUST ARRIVED” (no kidding), then the year, make and model, (which is already listed) and finished with “LOW MILEAGE” which I already knew as the actual mileage is listed just above.

Just tell me about the car. How about something like “Just traded from 1 careful owner. Always garaged this car is immaculate and in new condition. Still has 24 months of the manufacturer’s warrant. Come and see for yourself this weekend. We’ll happily trade your vehicle and can provide finance on the spot. Ask for me, Andrew, and I’ll throw in a couple of extras.”

Keep all the features listed (in the features list - at best this is a technical issue) but you have to add a personal touch which will make you stand out from the crowd.

So let’s get to the crunch – why wasn’t there a short and emotive story? And the answer I got was a question: “Who is going to do that because I don’t have time”. Really? Bullshit.

How about this for an idea sales manager: 40 used cars on the yard and 4 salesmen. Empower them to each write a quick story on each car for 10 cars each week. Make it part of their KPI's. And swap them around each week to keep it fresh. This will give them a real understanding of the listing and what works and what doesn’t, just like real estate agent. 

They must understand the entire listing process and being familiar with, and getting good at writing a 50 word blurb will make an enormous difference. And if they can’t, another way is to contract someone who can, like real estate agents do, but the salespeople must understand what's written and it still must have a personal touch.

Let’s face it, the internet is here to stay and is one of the most powerful sales channels, but it won’t replace the physical yard presence. What has changed is how and when you engage with customers to get them onto the yard. No more negativity - glass half full – positive, emotive words on every listing can be done and you DO have the time (yes I was shouting).

Sales managers need to empower or at least engage with their sales staff to get the buy in and story for each car. Owner operators have to find time to put 10 minutes of story into each car. Not sure how to do it or what to say? The good news it, you don’t have to be a literary scholar - usually the ideas are right there in the cars history. It might be as simple as thinking what you would say to a prospect standing in front of you. Use Google or You Tube to search for ideas if you get stuck. Think emotion and think what you really want to say.

Example 2: A client called us to say that he couldn't understand why one of his cars hadn’t sold. “It’s the best value XXXX XXXX out there by far. It’s a great buy but I have to get rid of it to make way for other stock” he said. The listing was OK - it spelt out the features, the photos were OK and the price was sharp, but no story; no personal touch.

In my opinion, he needed to say in his listing what he had said to us on the phone. Why not? There’s plenty of emotion from the dealer and he’s clearly being very open about selling it. People would hope to get a bargain after reading that.

And we know the grass isn’t always greener on the other side – imagine if you were printing newspapers or selling CD’s? No don’t, you’d end up depressed.

Smartphones - worth the hype?

There has been a lot of publicity about Smartphones over the past few years. Smartphones are expected to overtake PCs as the most commonly used web-access devices worldwide by 2013. Consumers of all ages are increasingly using their smart phones to find directions, check the latest news, sports scores & fixtures, weather and sports, order food, research products and compare prices while shopping using their instant mobile access. Many of our customers including Dealer Principals, Marketing Managers and Salespeople are now using Smartphone – it’s like having a mini computer in your pocket. Several of us at AutoBase have iPhones and they have quickly become indispensable business resources. Following are the main benefits we have found with having a Smartphone (iPhone):

Email, Diary and Calendars

Synch your work email and calendars to your iPhones in order to check emails and meeting schedules and reminders when out of the office, without the need to pull out a lap top or phone into the office to check.

Contacts

You can synch all of your personal and business contacts to your iPhone. Every time you add a contact to your Outlook Calendar at work, the contact’s details will synch to your iPhone so that your contacts are always captured, and up to date.

Internet

Access the internet whilst mobile to look at your company website, Twitter, Facebook, competitor’s websites and product reviews, videos or comparisons. Also access WIFI spots via your iPhone. Many companies also have ‘mobile websites’ - websites which are ‘shrunk’ to fit to portable and wireless devices like Smartphones, for better visibility and usability.

Lead Management

When Salespeople and Account Managers are on the yard or out on the road, they use their iPhones to check and respond to emails efficiently without missing a message or leaving a prospect hanging. The last thing you want is a prospect going to a competitor who may provide them with the information they want faster. Also add customer contact details such as email address and phone numbers straight into your iPhone directory, and book in a meeting or follow-up call straight into your calendar so that you don’t lose that lead or let it fall through the cracks.

Social Media

Access and manage your company Facebook and Twitter accounts while mobile, keeping your customers up to date with your latest news, share latest photos and videos of your vehicles and promote specials offers and services.

Google Maps and GPS

Access to maps, directions and GPS make it easier for your staff to get to their meetings on time. Look up best routes by car, foot or bus with an estimate of the time it will take to travel.

iPhone Applications (aka Apps)

iPhone Applications (aka Apps) are 3rd party software programs specifically designed for iPhones which are downloaded directly to your iPhone and are generally free or less than $US2. There are 1,000s of iPhone Apps available ranging from Apps for checking the weather or looking for local movie sessions to checking into your Air NZ flight or games. There are many iPhone Apps now designed for car buyers, car enthusiasts, vehicle owners, car dealers and automotive industry professionals. We use an App for our company CRM system which enables Account and Sales Managers to update their leads and opportunities while out visiting our customers. For car buyers, Trade Me have an App enabling people to search inventory on their iPhone, satisfying the public’s ever growing need for instant gratification –search for what you want, when you want it. Unlike mobile websites custom made iPhone Apps are fast and provides more functionality over a mobile site by utilizing the features such as Location Services, Maps, Local & Push Notifications and rich graphics.

In America individual dealers are going further by getting iPhone Apps built specifically for their dealerships, where they can load their inventory for customers to access real-time information easily, and quickly search, scan, upload, send and share their listings. The Chrysler Group has new Smartphone Apps that provide vehicle operation, maintenance and warranty information, product feature video demos, connections with fellow owners via their Twitter and Facebook sites, access to customer care and 24-hour road-side assistance. Toyota built an App that lets car buyers window shop its makes and models of vehicles with more than 130 color options, take pictures of a vehicle identification number or VIN to get specific information about a car, and the ability to find the nearest Toyota dealership. There are also Apps for dealers to get instant information for their wholesale buyers, both in-house and when traveling. They can quickly appraise vehicles and determine retail market values in real-time. The opportunities are endless!

Access Podcasts

All iPhones have iTunes, which is a free music directory which organises and plays your digital music and video on your Mac or PC computer, iPod or iPhone and also purchase music, iPhone Apps, videos or live podcasts. Podcasts are a method if streaming audio, video or other media over the internet. You can access or subscribe to podcasts covering a huge variety of media from Sky Sport and local radio to the BBC’s coverage of Formula One.

To stay competitive stay on top of the tools your customers are using, and use any tools available to you to make running your business easier and more efficient. Our experience is with iPhones, but there are many other great Smartphones available on the market such as Androids, Blackberries or Windows. It’s something worth looking into.