In an industry where trust is so crucial, reputation management for car dealers has become critical. Many buyers will choose to visit your car dealership or go elsewhere based on your online reputation alone. Here’s why car dealerships in the UK should be concerned about reputation management – and how to begin.
Reputation Can Make or Break Your Business
A positive online reputation is one of a company’s most valuable marketing assets. People conduct the majority of their research on a company or product online, and they do it long before they consider purchasing.
Online reviews are one of the most reliable sources for unbiased, real feedback — social evidence in the form of reviews and star rating influences buyers more than any other form of promotion, no matter how inventive.
In this article, we will share some tips on how you can improve your reputation management to ensure that your business strikes the best first impression on potential customers.
Online Reputation Reflects Real-World Client Experiences
A study published in Forbes surveyed business owners and operators throughout the world to find out what significant industry trends are on their minds. A staggering 97% responded that managing their internet reputation is critical to their business.
You might think that the services or products you offer are the key selling points. However, we have seen that customers’ experiences with your team will most likely be reflected in online reviews. This is true in any industry, not just in car dealerships in the UK.
You may already be at a disadvantage because people have a negative view of vehicle salespeople in general. But not to worry, thinking like a consumer will help you discover where your dealership can improve to improve the customer experience.
Use the Power of Online Listings
Your online reputation is determined by the impression that your online presence gives to potential customers. So, the natural first step to building a reputation is to have an online presence.
Establishing review sources like Car Gurus, Autotrader, Trustpilot, Facebook and other industry-specific or OEM-specific review sites is a must. Having a website and earning reviews on Google also adds to your online reputation scores. Essentially, make any location where clients might be looking for a dealership a part of your online reputation campaign.
Not all review sources are created equal, but here are some key things to get you started:
- Make sure you’ve set up a Google Business Profile and claimed your listing.
- Update your Facebook, Apple, and Bing pages with current hours and other information that purchasers will find useful.
- Make sure users can sense your presence, which indicates that your material is current and relevant.
- Allowing your listings to feel abandoned is a mistake because your leads have plenty of alternative possibilities.
Focus on Quality and Quantity
Having a presence online is not enough to drive up your online reputation, unfortunately. More than presence, your car dealership’s online reputation is most seen in the quality and quantity of your online reviews.
Specifically, potential customers will be keen on checking the following:
- Reputability of your dealership
- Pleasantness of your employees
- Making them feel good about their purchase decision
Depending on how well you are delivering the above expectations, online reviews will begin to reflect reality.
Localise: Your One-Stop Reputation Management Solution
Setting up your online reputation management might be daunting. But it can be simple when you work with a platform like Localise. What makes Localise different from other reputation management services?
Access to Top Review Sources for Automotive
Localise is one of the few, if not the only, reputation management platforms that has access to the top review sources for automotive in the UK — Autotrader, Car Dealer Reviews, and Car Gurus.
With access to these tools, you can add all your review sources and see them in one dashboard. Say, for example, you have review sources on Facebook, Google, and Yell, you can add them to the platform, and Localise will be able to capture data from the source.
Having access to Autotrader, Car Dealer Reviews, and Car Gurus will give you an advantage in terms of gauging what your audience thinks in these niche spaces.
We Focus On the Small Players Too
The UK is dominated by users who rely on Apple devices in their day-to-day lives. When they go out on a drive, many use Apple Maps to navigate and find their locations. However, Apple systems do not display ratings or reviews from places like Google or Facebook. Instead, they show reviews from the smaller players like Yell and Yelp.
Localise values data from major players like Google and Facebook. But we also try to cover every corner to give you the most holistic view of your online reputation as much as possible. This is the Localise difference.
Work With the Right Team
Start the dialogue regarding internet reviews before customers even step out of your dealership! It is the perfect chance to make it simple for them to leave a review on any of the review sites they prefer.
But perhaps this is a bit too much on top of your workload. Then you can always reach out to outsourced services in reputation management. Providers like Localise make sure that this process is easier and lighter on your part. These services for example could include sending a review invite link to your consumers via SMS.
Get Started Today
When’s the best time to start? As early as you can, of course! Learn more about reputation in the UK with Localise.
