How to Engage Customers Effectively

In the age of digital retailing, prospective car buyers are spending more time researching online versus visiting multiple dealership showrooms to learn more about the car they are in the market for. In a recent study, Cox Automotive found that car buyers often bounce between different dealership websites to research and compare car prices and different models. As digital becomes the landscape of choice for both research and retail, marketers are banking on marketing strategies such as retargeting to help maintain customer engagement and to give them a second chance at turning leads into sales.

Retargeting efforts can help drive highly engaged visits and more conversions on your website. According to aggregate data from Orbee Auto, dealership websites saw increased deeper funnel page views on SRP and VDPs on visits from return shoppers. But while retargeting is a marketing method that is widely adopted, some consumers aren’t too happy when they find themselves constantly being targeted online.

Oftentimes, one of the biggest reason why consumers have negative reactions towards retargeting ads is that the ad they are being served is irrelevant to their shopping interests. But as a dealership trying to re-engage with car buyers, how can we bring them back to our website without being too annoying? For starters, we can use first-party shopper data to create a more personalized experience that is relevant and tailored to the shopper’s interests.

Based on analytics, key data points signal engaged customers on your website

Did you know that your own website has an abundance of accessible first-party data readily available to use? With this gold mine of data, you can easily analyze shopper behavioral data from website activity or even through email activity. It’s important to learn your customer’s habits, priorities, and desires so you have a better chance of knowing when is the right time to serve an ad and what type of ad you should serve them. While tracking first-party data is the first step in helping you acquire insights about your shoppers, building custom profiles can help strengthen your retargeting efforts. Segmenting, or creating shopper profiles, can benefit your dealership in identifying the likes and dislikes of a shopper, which will allow you to connect better with them during their car buying journey.

Personalized and relevant content is known to contribute to higher return visits. Dealerships can combine first-party shopper data with the right combination of marketing automation to drive better engagement and conversions from car buyers by making it easier for them to find what they are looking for. It also provides valuable and timely content that fits the shopper’s current needs, which in turn increases your chances of higher conversion rates. Through data-driven decisions, your dealership can gain unprecedented insight into shoppers and serve tailored solutions that your shoppers will appreciate.

Personalization allows for endless possibilities with customer engagement

The appeal for personalization is high among consumers. In fact, consumers not only want more personalized experiences, they expect it. Just like how personalization can be used to enhance your website visitor’s customer experience online, you can also use it to personalize your retargeting ads or email campaigns to ensure that each campaign is relevant to a shopper’s shopping interest.

For example, given the rise in video across all screens, dynamic videos coupled with intelligent shopper data can enable auto dealers an entirely new way to reach and speak to your car buyers.

Email is the most frequently used consumer touch point for targeted marketing campaigns. If your dealership is implementing personalization on your website such as a shopper history widget that allows visitors to quickly navigate back to their previously viewed and favorited VDPs, you can create automated emails in conjunction with the widget to help remind shoppers with follow-up emails listing their previously viewed and favorited cars and prompt them to come back with customized offers.

Retargeting can be powerful and engaging when done right

Personalization and retargeting come hand-in-hand. No one wants to be served an ad that is irrelevant to their shopping interests, but as you adapt your website and messaging, you will begin to see increased return shoppers, time-on-site, improved quality conversions, and maximized ROI.