Making sense of KPI's and all that jazz

[ErdmanMotors]

Quick background, I have been working with my dealer group for 5 years, 2 yrs as System Admin and 3 years as Digital Marketing Manager. I have made several changes over the years with our partners with our websites, CRM, getting us up to speed with SEM campaigns, chat etc none of which were in place before I took over. For the most part results have been positive and results paying dividends.

I over see three dealerships and I understand how to get all the data and reporting. Does anyone have any particular resources or insight as to making effective decisions based on the data. That is my goal going into 2015 to start making more KPI/Fact based decisions. If there was anywhere to go I figured this would be the place.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[mbloom19]

Quick background, I have been working with my dealer group for 5 years, 2 yrs as System Admin and 3 years as Digital Marketing Manager. I have made several changes over the years with our partners with our websites, CRM, getting us up to speed with SEM campaigns, chat etc none of which were in place before I took over. For the most part results have been positive and results paying dividends.

I over see three dealerships and I understand how to get all the data and reporting. Does anyone have any particular resources or insight as to making effective decisions based on the data. That is my goal going into 2015 to start making more KPI/Fact based decisions. If there was anywhere to go I figured this would be the place.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

If you haven't already, then I would start reading everything that Avinash Kaushnik at Google blogs about. He is the leader of Digital Analytics at Google and was a keynote presenter at Digital Dealer a year ago. In my opinion, his insight into data analysis is second to none. Here is a link to one of his mailbag's
Dear Avinash: Your Digital Marketing + Analytics Challenges Answered

 

[Rick Buffkin]

If your looking for a tool to help you make fact based decisions, Take a look at String Automotive's product. I think you'll like it.

String DPS - Discovery Platform & Market Intelligence App for Car Dealerships

 

[joe.pistell]

Quick background, I have been working with my dealer group for 5 years, 2 yrs as System Admin and 3 years as Digital Marketing Manager. I have made several changes over the years with our partners with our websites, CRM, getting us up to speed with SEM campaigns, chat etc none of which were in place before I took over. For the most part results have been positive and results paying dividends.

I over see three dealerships and I understand how to get all the data and reporting. Does anyone have any particular resources or insight as to making effective decisions based on the data. That is my goal going into 2015 to start making more KPI/Fact based decisions. If there was anywhere to go I figured this would be the place.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

Mike,

If your Sys admin and DMM, you should be reporting to the GM. He'll try to take your "data geek stuff" and turn it into creating more Ups. The software should be for him, not you (you can't make data driven decisions without his confidence in the solution).

 

[joe.pistell]

Mike,

Something to think about.

Reporting is all about communication. You can't communicate without relevance. Car guys don't want more tables and charts. GREAT DECISIONS from data results require qualitative data along side quant. Qualitative v. Quantitative Data

IMO, Be brave. Cross over to the qualitative side. Dare to immerse yourself in the entire sales floor experience. Tell the managers you want to learn all about the biz so you can help sell more cars. Your managers will be impressed & help you in any way possible.

Shadow sales reps. Help the rep with the test drive prep. Ride along in a test drive. Go to meetings, listen to phone ups, be there for the appointments.

In no time flat, you'll see how digital impacts traffic and sales, and look at performance in real-time. You'll speak digital to managers in car-guy language and they'll love it.


HTH
Joe

 

[bono426]

One of your most powerful tools that you should be using is Google Analytics. Learn how to use it beyond just the amount of people that visit your site. Start playing around with where the traffic is coming in from, overlay that with where the sales are coming from (Similar to String's DPS) and go after these markets with AdWords.

Setting up goals and conversions should be done as soon as you feel confident in what you know what you're doing.

While learning the sales side is a good move, I don't see it as being a solution to what you're asking. Google Analytics, your crm, and adwords could be what you're looking for.

A blog that is posted on this site that would be a good read for you is How You Can Install Lead Source Values into Dealerships' Google Analytics

As I like to tell my interns and people under me, "get creepy with the data." The creepier you get, the more advanced your advertising is.