Make the most of customers’ micro-moments

By Ezequiel Arredondo

Have you noticed in the last year how we seem to use our phones and other digital devices much more frequently? Last year’s surge in digital usage has resulted in our digital interactions becoming more fragmented and sporadic. But did you know that many of these seemingly meaningless interactions are opportunities to connect with motivated buyers? These opportunities are called micro-moments.

What is a micro-moment?

Micro-moments are intentional actions performed by online users to learn, discover, perform, or buy something. While referring to a digital action a “micro-moment” may make it seem trivial, micro-moments actually are key to consumers’ decision-making. Micro-moments make up the modern customer’s buying journey, from their initial online search to the time of purchase.

For example, boating customers may perform any and all of the following micro-moments during their buying journey:

• Entering a search enquiry for 2021 boat models
• Checking and re-checking third-party marketplaces for used boat listings
• Contacting your dealership to submit a lead form or request a quote
• Pulling out their smartphone to cross-reference models and pricing while standing at a dealership.

Boating dealerships can build long-term sales strategies by learning to identify micro-moments and connect with prospects at the right time. The following are proven tactics to help dealers capitalize on micro-moments:

Paid Ads

Paid ads, especially pay-per-click (PPC) ads, draw in leads through online search. According to Google, 91% of people who own smartphones will perform a Google search from their phone in the middle of a task. Paid search is an excellent tactic to capture these impromptu actions by featuring your content at the top of relevant search results. For example, the prospect who’s searching up 2021 boat models may click on an ad for your new spring inventory, converting them from a prospect into a sales lead!

Targeted Digital Advertising

The timing, relevance and quality of your paid ads have a significant influence on consumers’ perception of your brand. To ensure you’re getting in front of the right audience at the right time, Targeted Digital Advertising (TDA) identifies promising leads according to their online and offline habits and shows them tailored content. TDA uses factors such as location, online browsing habits, previous website visitations and age to determine who is most likely to interact with your brand content and follow through with a sale. Imagine a potential customer visits your website but isn’t ready to buy yet—retargeting ads will encourage them to return to your site when they are ready to complete a purchase.

Micro-moments may seem like insignificant touchpoints in the vast customer buying journey, but in reality they are the crucial opportunities for boat dealers to convert casual browsers into sales leads. With a custom-scaled digital marketing strategy in place, you can intercept micro-moments and guide shoppers through the buying journey—where your dealership is waiting at the finish line.

Ezequiel Arredondo is the vice president of operations for Dealer Spike.