We’re diving deep into the car-buying journey over the next few weeks and giving you an inside look at the tools and strategies that line up with each micro-moment. You can check out our previous post here, which gives you a brief overview of the micro-moments dealers should pay attention to, as well as some useful tips to get you started.
But now we’re going to get into the nitty gritty details that are really going to set you over the top.
As we mentioned before, your secret weapon in this stage is your SEM strategy, but one that focuses on purchase intent versus research terms. Purchase intent includes keywords like “2017 Toyota Camry price” and “Chevy Tahoe lease,” while research terms are can be as generic as “Camry specs” or “Chevy cars.”
Think about it: by the time a consumer is searching for pricing, they’ve already decided what they’re going to buy. If you’re digital advertising budget is limited, then it’s important that you focus on keywords that have a greater chance of getting a sale. It may look great to see clicks and conversions on those research terms, but what are the odds that “2017 Chevrolet Tahoe” will turn into a sale? Buy terms with purchase intent and you’re advertising budget will go a lot further.
Of course, you can pay for some killer keywords with purchase intent all day long and never see a single conversion if you don’t think about consumer devices. You know where this is going: your site should have a mobile-first strategy. That means a responsive design that adapts for device, including desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Google says it best: Search interest for MSRP and list prices are growing, and 70% of these searches are happening on mobile. If you want to turn those searchers into leads or, even better, customers, you need to have a mobile site that caters to them. That includes a fast loading time, since 53% of site visitors leave a page that takes longer than 3 seconds to load, and tools that are easy to use.
Your search widget is the most popular tool on mobile, so make sure its accessible and easy to see to keep visitors engaged with your site beyond the page that brought them in. Don’t distract with unnecessary assets, like moving banners or pop ups. And if you have a chat function, it’s a good idea to turn that off on mobile. You want to keep your visitors focused on your deals and prices. If they have any questions, make sure you click-2-call button is clearly marked so they can give you a call.
You can use Google’s micro-moments as a digital marketing map, but you have to use the right tools during the right times for it to work. Now that you’ve got the Can-I-Afford-It Moments down, keep an eye out for our next post on Where-Should-I-Buy-It Moments.