Sell more this summer with SEM
The online world can be a crowded place. With most businesses now on board with creating a strong online presence, many are realizing the impact that online advertising can make as well.
One of the most popular and impactful ways your dealership can advertise online is through Search Engine Marketing (SEM), also called pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Because this digital marketing method is so effective and can be adjusted to fit any budget, it has become a necessity to maximize sales opportunities and protect your business against local competitors.
The first and most obvious reason SEM should be a priority for your dealership is to earn increased visibility online. Using paid search ads makes your dealership more visible to potential customers who are proven likely to be in the market for your boats and other products. Investing in SEM puts your dealership’s ads at the very top of search engine results pages, above organic listings. It promotes brand awareness and drives familiarity with your business for customers – even if they don’t click on your ad, they’ll remember seeing it. Research shows that 41% of clicks go to the top three paid ads.
The second stand-out reason to invest in SEM services is the ability to engage with your target audience. Using information like location, demographics, past search behavior, keywords used, and more, you can make sure that you are only running ads for people who meet the requirements as target audience members. Not only does this help you reach people who are most likely to buy a boat from your dealership, but it also ensures that you’re not wasting money on people who are not likely to buy from you.
On that note, SEM is a digital marketing strategy that can fit any budget. It is true that the more you invest in a campaign, the more results you’ll see – however, you can set your own budget with SEM and implement a cap to keep from going over that amount. Pay-per-click means you are only paying for the clicks your ads receive, not impressions, although those are valuable too. If a click on your ad and a visit to your site results in a lead or sale, it is well worth the cost.
Another worthy reason to consider SEM? The leads you could collect through this strategy are clearly interested in your boats and other products right now. These are high-value, bottom-of-the-funnel leads. They have already been introduced to your dealership and demonstrated interest, and now you just have to close the sale.
For obvious reasons, the summer months are important ones for boat dealerships. Reaching prospects in your area through SEM and preventing customers from visiting local competitors instead is key to getting the most out of the season. You know that customers in your area will be googling the best place to buy a boat this summer – make sure the answer they find is your dealership!
Lauren Labunsky is the public relations manager for Dealer Spike, a company that provides innovative websites as well as a suite of powerful online advertising solutions that help marine dealers help increase sales and service profitability. For more information, visit www.DealerSpikeMarine.com or call 800-288-5917.
