Small Dealerships vs. Big Dealerships

We’ve mentioned before how competitive the car market is; small dealerships near me will find it challenging to fight it against the big players in this industry. Online marketing gives an opportunity to the smaller dealers by leveling the playing field. Without a solid online presence, you are missing an excellent opportunity to improve your revenue. Typically, these small dealers will spend their advertising budget on a more traditional form of marketing such as television, radio, and billboard ads. Unfortunately, aside from being expensive, this tactic will not reach your target audience.

Small Dealerships Business Plan to Compete with Giant Franchises

For small dealerships, online marketing has an enormous effect but without the high cost. Experts believe that this trend in the car industry will continue in the coming years. Therefore, having a website is more important than ever. It will serve as the core of your marketing and lead generation campaign. Here are some aspects that you must include in your business plan.

Tailored Marketing Strategy

The digital world has transformed how car shoppers approach this business. Most car buyers will be looking for a dealer who can offer them a personalized approach. Consumers prefer unique inventory recommendations and information that they need to present to the target audience once they arrive at the office of the small dealerships near me. Use data insights to automate the process and offer them better recommendations. Personalized deals and incentives will help your staff save a great deal of time and increase the probability of closing sales.

Learn SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) may be the most crucial investment you will make. A winning strategy will help determine the victor on the small dealerships vs. big dealerships battle. Based on the survey, more than 91% of the consumers will click on the company’s name that will appear on the first page of the search result. With this, your visibility, authority, and reputation will improve dramatically. It will then eventually enhance your dealership’s sales. However, there are a couple of ways to do this.

• Website- Start by developing a website that follows the latest Google algorithm policy. Consider the page speed, responsiveness, code, and readability. The designers will have a couple of options when choosing a code, but most will stick to CSS and HTML. Flash may appear fantastic, but optimizing it won’t be easy. Be sure that the website of small dealerships is mobile-friendly. Most websites that appear on the first page will not have issues when accessing them using different gadgets.

• Content- Your site’s content will serve as the driving force of your SEO strategy. Start by focusing on its readability. Choose the font size and style carefully, be sure that it will be easy for the audience to read the content. Post high-quality articles in your blog at least once a week. It should be well-researched, informative, and engaging. You need to think of ways to keep the audience longer into your site. For the images, add an alt attribute. It is a way to tell the visually-impaired audience about your site’s content.

• Keyword- This one is a part of your content. Be sure that your small dealerships business plan will have a keyword research section. Look for a long-tail keyword with low competition. Actually, it doesn’t matter if it has a high volume or not. The keyword will help ensure that you will appear on top of the search result.

Reputation Management

Managing your reputation is also a critical part of boosting the visibility and authority of small dealerships. Having an improved online reputation offers more than just convenience. It is more valuable than the average price or your collection in your inventory. Start by knowing how to respond appropriately to customer reviews. You want your customer to feel that they are valued. The way you handle your customers’ concerns can set you apart from the big car dealers. Here are some refreshers on how you should respond to reviews.

• Listen to their Customers and Admit Your Lapses- Even if you think your customer’s complaint is entirely unreasonable, admit it and assure them that it won’t happen again. It is an excellent strategy to keep them calm and prevent the situation from going out of control. Once things have calmed down, move your conversation in private. With this, you can better explain your company’s policy regarding this. You can also remind them about the agreement they signed.

• Be Thankful- It is essential to respond to all types of content, including the positive one. Be sure to express your gratitude for any positive review. Tell them how grateful you are to them for choosing your small dealerships. This strategy will make them feel valued.

• Take Necessary Actions on Defamatory Reviews- You are probably unaware that your competitors are trying to ruin your reputation by paying some people to leave negative reviews about your company. If you don’t do something about this, they will continue to defame your good name. If the claims on the review have no basis, reach out to the owner of the listing or review sites and provide them with proof that their review is libelous. In most circumstances, they will be forced to delete this before it can even cause some damage. If this happens repeatedly, you should talk to the reviewer and tell them that you are ready to take legal action.

Create an Online Showroom

When developing your website, make sure that it will be as organized and crisp as your showroom. Your website serves as the face of your company online, and designing this half-heartedly will make your prospects think that you are not serious about your business. Be sure that the messaging and branding of the small dealerships will appear consistent. Also, you should have an inventory page on your website that is updated and properly maintained.

An updated ‘showroom’ page will provide the clients with a more streamlined and convenient buyer’s journey. Be sure that the car pictures here are taken in high resolution. Add a zoom feature so the audience can quickly look at the different sections of the car. You can also give them a 360-view of the vehicle. Add all the essential information to help the buyers reach a decision faster. By knowing their options, your audience can complete their research without the need to visit your car lot. It saves them time and makes them consider you their go-to solution for all their vehicle needs.

Comparison of Small Dealerships vs. Big Dealerships

When choosing between big dealerships vs. small dealerships, there are various things that you need to put into consideration. This section will talk about some qualities that separate one from the other. Hopefully, it may also help car shoppers decide who is the better choice.

Selections

The number of selections offered by the big car dealership is obviously more enormous. There will be many makes and models of cars that you can choose from. There is also a possibility that the vehicle you are looking for can be found in their lot. They are also your choice if you need to explore all possible options. Nonetheless, small dealerships are pickier on the type of car they will place in their car lot. They want to make sure that the vehicles are high quality and will best represent their car dealership. Therefore, there’s a lesser chance of ending up with a lemon car.

Vehicle Financing

When choosing between the big or small car dealership, you will not simply look at their inventory; you will also analyze the auto loan options available. Those who are not paying in cash definitely want a more flexible option. Both types of the dealership can work with several financial organizations to guarantee that their workers will get what they need. However, if you have a poor credit rating, not many small dealerships can help you.

Negotiation Process

Negotiating with the big players in this industry will be a struggle. Usually, dealing with them will not get you in your desired agreement. These large dealerships will have a vast collection that will back up their prices. Small dealerships are trying to make a tiny profit from sales; they will mostly be more flexible when it comes to negotiation.

Customer Experience

Small dealerships offer a more intimate car purchasing experience. Since there are fewer options in their car lot, their sales process will be more personal. A large car dealership will be more focused on getting you to the car you need in the shortest time possible. Some of them may be understaffed; therefore, their attentions are sometimes everywhere. Both of them offer a different kind of customer experience. However, if you want a dealer who will get to know things about you to match you in the car that suits you, you could find it in a small car dealer.

Trade-In

There are different ways to view this. The big car dealership can offer you the price you want and be more flexible with the terms if they want your car. However, if they don’t take an interest in your vehicle, then there will not be much space for your used car in their car lot. You may feel like you are not getting a fair trade-in in this scenario. Small dealerships near me could offer you a better rate during this situation.

When small dealerships want to get ahead of the competition, remember that this is a team effort. The great team will always enjoy the larger piece of the cake. Your staff should understand how the dealership works like the back of their hand. They need to know how to navigate the various facets easily, such as the business, market, and how they move the inventory.