For More Profit, Focus On All Profit Centers
“I don’t care about auto parts, I don’t care about the service center, I want to sell more cars1″
That’s not uncommon for me to hear. But this philosophy is counter-productive to dealer profits. New and used car sales is the logical starting point for Internet marketing, but when some success has been achieved in that avenue, it’s time to expand your reach into the parts and service departments.
For many dealers, the service center brings in the majority of the revenues, while others seem to not want to promote this aspect. If your repair department has too much business (a claim I’ve heard), build another bay or a whole other service center off-site.
Have an exceptional parts department? Put your catalog online and sell nationally. If you dedicate yourself to this end, it is possible to bring in business from all corners of the United States. Be ready to invest, this is about going national where the sky’s the limit. Purchase a solid, relevant domain name, put up a user-friendly, searchable, crawlable, website and hire a professional SEO firm or consultant. Since you’ll be competing with companies like JC Whitney and Auto Parts Warehouse you’ll need to be patient, dedicated and willing to invest.
Another way to bring in more new and used car sales is to actually compete online for local car loan phrase. If someone is looking for a car loan, they’re looking a car! If you can get someone a low interest rate loan, without them feeling hassled by the effort, be aggressive at bringing these people into your dealership. For many you’re doing them a favor. They don’t have to visit multiple banks to find the best rate, make it clear you can essentially do that for them.
A booming area of the car business is modifications. Younger drivers want cars that reflect their personalities, stand out, and don’t just get lost in traffic. Market your abilities to this end by displaying mods in high traffic areas.
Some dealerships are expanding into the rental arena. This can be especially profitable if you’re near an airport.
If you broaden your scope of business and push to the top of the search engines for all profit centers, it’s more money in your pocket. Car sales fluctuate, but people will always need parts and service.
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