Text Us message conversion from Website and VDP?

[joe.pistell]

IMHO, all Carmax wants is a store visit. They apparently do much better in person than they do over the phone, email or chat.

DR thread, 'survey at delivery':

leads = 10% of all sales
repeat visits* = 60% of all sales​

500% more ROI if you focus on creating more repeat visits instead of lead gen.

*3 visits or more to your website.

 

[ed.brooks]

DR thread, 'survey at delivery':

leads = 10% of all sales
repeat visits* = 60% of all sales​

500% more ROI if you focus on creating more repeat visits instead of lead gen.

*3 visits or more to your website.

Is this because the folks that are 'responsible' for dealership websites are the folks paid on leads and/or from an eCommerce background (AutoMarketing is NOT eCommerce, unless you're Carvana)?

 

[Alexander Lau]

Not to go off topic here since we really need to keep the discussion around the effectiveness of the Text Us feature BUT.... some VDP's remind me of a Christmas Tree.

View attachment 2771

Jeff, I couldn't agree more and this has been said many times in different verbiage.

Never compromise usability for the sake of what dealers perceive as imperative 3rd party (usually script-based) lead generation components insertions. Especially, when they are stacked. There tends to be no one policing this stuff. Website vendors, chat vendors, SMS / Text vendors, etc. all of their tools interfere with user experience if not applied properly via testing. Yes, less is definitely more. There is a reason most successful software companies are successful: user-tested, clean, intuitive interfaces.

There is a reason (usability testing) tools and their APIs such as Optimizely are offered via website platform providers like Dealer Inspire. They get it...

 

[joe.pistell]

Is this because the folks that are 'responsible' for dealership websites are the folks paid on leads and/or from an eCommerce background (AutoMarketing is NOT eCommerce, unless you're Carvana)?

Mornin' Ed.

Yup. Since day 1, dealers think the internet is leads [[link to the story]. Summary:

In the Dealer/manager's mind....

1. "INTERNET = LEADS"
2. All walk-ins are due to my awesomeness

20 yrs later and we're still stuck in that rut.

Why has there been no change?
Because the car shopper wants to remain invisible. This means the Dealer/Managers mental model never gets challenged.

Additionally, us vendors all complain how backward our industry is, but, we share in the blame. The vendor industry with all it's brain power and disruptive chest thumping hasn't been able to 'connect the dots' from online to in-store behavior.

A survey, done at delivery, shines a light on that damn invisible shopper

 

[Alexander Lau]

Mornin' Ed.

Yup. Since day 1, dealers think the internet is leads [[link to the story]. Summary:

In the Dealer/manager's mind....

1. "INTERNET = LEADS"
2. All walk-ins are due to my awesomeness

20 yrs later and we're still stuck in that rut.

Why has there been no change?
Because the car shopper wants to remain invisible. This means the Dealer/Managers mental model never gets challenged.

Additionally, us vendors all complain how backward our industry is, but, we share in the blame. The vendor industry with all it's brain power and disruptive chest thumping hasn't been able to 'connect the dots' from online to in-store behavior.

A survey, done at delivery, shines a light on that damn invisible shopper

Yes, and years from now with tools such as https://www.kairos.com/crowd-analytics-sdk, biometric data will play a huge role in allowing dealerships to know more about their shoppers on lot and showroom. Think camera to report metrics. It will happen and already is, I'm exploring this now.

 

[Rob McCartney]

Am I understanding this right, this SDK would be built into an app and would capture the photo of the user for analytic data?

If that is the case it seems a bit intrusive and "Big Brother"ish...

 

[Alexander Lau]

Am I understanding this right, this SDK would be built into an app and would capture the photo of the user for analytic data?

If that is the case it seems a bit intrusive and "Big Brother"ish...

You got it, dealers have a right to figure out who's walking into their properties, no? It's being done everyday and it's hyper valuable data. Why not figure out who's who and spend marketing dollars at that specific demo? Do most dealers document this information or know?

It's all coming...

 

[Rob McCartney]

You got it, dealers have a right to figure out who's walking into their properties, no? It's being done everyday and it's hyper valuable data. Why not figure out who's who and spend marketing dollars at that specific demo? Do most dealers document this information or know?

It's all coming...

I understand wanting to know who your customers are. And I'm sure most users will install the app with out even knowing what they are agreeing to during the install process. Maybe I'm just getting old in my ways, but it seems very intrusive.

I'm not saying I have a better way as of this point in time, but seems a bit shocking to me. I know from a consumer aspect, if I knew an app was capturing my photo or even video of me while I used their app I would probably not buy from them.

 

[Alexander Lau]

I understand wanting to know who your customers are. And I'm sure most users will install the app with out even knowing what they are agreeing to during the install process. Maybe I'm just getting old in my ways, but it seems very intrusive.

I'm not saying I have a better way as of this point in time, but seems a bit shocking to me. I know from a consumer aspect, if I knew an app was capturing my photo or even video of me while I used their app I would probably not buy from them.

There is nothing for them to install. A camera would sit at the top of a dealer's building or lot and provide data to the dealer on potential customers or converted customer. I think I must have confused you. Customers don't know a thing. It's happening to you now, when you walk into various retailers, trust me.

http://findbiometrics.com/in-store-marketing-will-use-biometrics-to-target-shoppers/

"In addition to a new POS solution, the company is going to be showing off its NeoFace Watch System, a facial recognition system that can identify VIP shoppers and known shoplifters. Somewhat more science fiction-y is an in-store signage system, developed in collaboration with Microsoft, that will use facial recognition technology to determine the demographic qualities of passing shoppers, and offer them personalized marketing based on qualities such as gender, age, and so on."

 

[Rob McCartney]

There is nothing for them to install. A camera would sit at the top of a dealer's building or lot and provide data to the dealer on potential customers or converted customer. I think I must have confused you. Customers don't know a thing. It's happening to you now, when you walk into various retailers, trust me.

Yup, I misunderstood you. I was talking about this being developed into an app. As in your dealership would roll out an App to Google Play or Apple Store and that would activate the front facing camera, capture the users photo or video and send it to the dealership.

To be clear, being on the lot and having that information captured wouldn't bother me. It would actually be neat to see what the reports would be like.