Every Dealership Needs Online Reputation Management: Here Are Some Excellent Reasons Why

1. April 7, 2017 Every Dealership Needs Online Reputation Management: Here Are Some Excellent Reasons Why Image 1: Benefits of Online Reputation Management Every Dealership Should Know If you are looking for ways to generate more revenue for your dealership, you need to start thinking about your online reputation. These days, social media platforms have become a strong force in helping to promote or damage businesses. The premise is simple. Car buyers want to know what other car buyers think about a dealership before they even decide to make an inquiry. This means that the more positive reviews you have from your previous clients, the higher the chances that more will visit your showroom. P a g e 1 | 3

2. Numbers don't lie. Did you know that one study has found that car buyers trust consumer reviews 12 times more than mere descriptions about a car model from manufacturers or dealerships? More importantly, as much as 62 percent of customers have said that one to three bad reviews are enough to deter their purchase. Meanwhile, another study showed that car buyers felt confident about a dealership with three to five positive reviews. That said, here are some things that effective online reputation management can do for you. Your Reputation Will Be Constantly Monitored When you have someone professionally managing your online reputation, you can be assured that all reviews and feedback about your dealership are regularly monitored. Doing this on you own can be quite overwhelming. Not only do you have to check review sites, but you also have to visit every single social media site to see what users there have to say about you. It can be quite an arduous task, something you have to put on top of actually running your dealership. Ideally, you should have someone dedicated to do all the monitoring work so that at the end of the day, you can just view the reports. It Will Allow You to Provide Timely Response to All Reviews Sweeping review sites and social media sites about any mention of your dealership on a daily basis means you will be able to deal with reviews in a timely manner, whether they are good or bad. Responding to good reviews promptly shows car buyers that their business means a lot to you. It's a great way to establish a relationship, so they consider working with you again the moment they are thinking of buying another car. It is also a great way to cross-sell other services like tune-ups, trade-ins, and more. On the other hand, replying to bad reviews on time is critical. This is your chance to turn the negative into positive. Hear out someone’s complaint and address it so that you wouldn't have a detractor against your dealership. Perhaps, if the two of you can reach an understanding, they would not think negatively about your dealership anymore. At the same time, when you respond immediately and appropriately to a negative review, it shows that you care a lot about good experiences in your dealership. That is something other prospective car owners will take note of. P a g e 2 | 3

3. Don't underestimate what having a stellar reputation online can do for your dealership. Make use of your online reputation to bring in more car buyers and maintain good, lasting relationships with previous customers. About DealerRank: DealerRank readily provides car dealerships with effective online reputation management, so that they can focus on running their business while we monitor what car buyers think of them online. Located in Austin, TX, we also offer services such as brand optimization, web design, PPC, and SEO specifically for auto dealerships. Sources: Your Guide to Online Reputation Management, Forbes.com Be the Buzz, AutoNews.com Car Shoppers Are Judging You, DealerRater.ca P a g e 3 | 3