By now you probably already know that there is more than one way to get your automotive parts web store in front of users, but do you really understand all of the various ways to advertise? This article is going to break down the different forms of paid advertisement, also called SEM (search engine marketing) or PPC (pay per click) methods. We will explore how each one functions and which might be the better of these options for affordably finding customers online.
AdWords
We will start with AdWords accounts that generate your typical banner ad on the top or bottom of the Google search results pages based on keywords selected by advertisers. Everyone knows that AdWords is an online advertising service developed by Google and that Google pretty much rules the world, but what you might not know is that AdWords can become very expensive and have little return if you do not understand how to use this service and how your target customers are shopping. People using AdWords only pay when a potential buyer clicks on an ad, but if no one clicks on your ad, then there is no opportunity to spend the allocated budget. This typically occurs when your ad copy is boring, irrelevant or your allocated pay-per-click budget is too low for the keyword(s) being targeted. AdWords can be tricky if you do not understand the nuances of setting up good keywords, targeting the right potential customers and creating engaging ad copy.
Google Shopping
Google Shopping is another form of paid advertisement developed by Google that is better suited to businesses that offer a product. This makes this a highly advantageous method for marketing automotive parts online. Typically, it is less expensive to promote parts this way and there is a better likelihood of your ads being seen by shoppers. Since the average banner ad on AdWords ranges from $2.00 – $7.00 a click in the automotive marketplace, Google shopping may be a better option for higher ROI, since ads using this method cost substantially less and the buyer has the opportunity to see the pricing offered prior to clicking on the ad.
Something to keep in mind when using the Google shopping network is that your pricing structure must be competitive enough to entice prospective buyers to click on your ad. This is because ads within the Google shopping network will display all the vendors selling the same part you are on one page — making it very easy for customers to price match and get a lay of the land in one-fell-swoop. Having competitive pricing, an actual product image (a unique image that you took yourself would be optimal), and shipping that matches your product page estimate, will help your add stand out and entice customers to click-through to your website. Having a dedicated auto parts Paid Search Manager will help ensure your ads are continuously outperforming the competition.
eMail Marketing
EMail Marketing is by far the least expensive way to market your business online. It also has the highest ROI and we attribute this to the fact that most automotive parts dealerships are getting their email lists from past customer databases. The people that you are emailing offers, specials, coupons and promotions are already loyal to your web store and just need to be reminded to come back and place another order when they need another part or accessory for their vehicle. Many times people have a great experience buying from an online vendor, but then forget the URL they went to do they start their Google search all over again when they next need a part. You can prevent this by emailing your past customers on a consistent basis. The key here is to not over inundate your audience so much that they unsubscribe from your emails. When a user unsubscribes, it’s a lost opportunity.
No matter how you decide to market your automotive parts site the important thing is that you choose the right company to help you if you are not experienced enough in paid online advertisement to handle this task yourself. OEM Interactive partners with our dealers in a way that keeps parts departments profitable. If you are not making money, then we are not making money. We are heavily invested in the success of the parts managers, general managers and internet managers whom we work with and we have an extremely low cancellation rate so we do not force anyone into a long-term contract like some marketing companies do. If you are interested in learning more about how OEM Interactive can help your automotive parts web store then contact us!
