Aftermarket, five online marketing strategies

Going digital without overdoing it. For most automotive after-sales companies, online sales are still a mistery, and this could prove to be a real obstacle for companies offering assistance and vehicle maintenance services. In a world where people and objects are increasingly connected, we cannot expect to attract new customers by sticking to old marketing strategy. The reason behind this tardiness, according to Marco Marlia, Co-founder and CEO of MotorK (pictured on the left), is due to a lack of knowledge on how the network works by most aftermarket operators.

But above all the lack of foresight in capturing the business opportunities that lie behind the clicks of millions of users connected every day. Potential customers who search the web for answers to their questions and needs. And that often, and this is especially the case with many workshops, find themselves searching through websites that are not updated, non-responsive, lacking any interactions or tools for making reservations or online payments. Starting from this rather gloomy picture, Marco Marlia, during Autopromotec Conference 2018 – State of the Industry -, highlighted a few essential guidelines to be followed. "Online business practices have radically changed our habits - explained the CEO of MotorK – in fact, it is no longer the customer who goes to the shop but the opposite. This is why the ability to attract those who regularly surf the Web providing them with timely answers and promptly meeting their  needs with quick solutions, detailed information, promotions and the ability to take actions, such as payments and reservations with a simple click, has now become crucial".

In order to identify and adopt the best strategy, the first step is to understand how people use the Internet. According to the latest Audiweb-Nielsen data, in Italy, 34.2 million users have searched through the Web from a PC, smartphone or tablet. This represents 62.3 percent of the population aged two and above. As for regular mobile users, the data is even more surprising: a sign that most of the web’s traffic goes through single devices. In this case, 68.7 percent of the adult population, or 30.1 million users, were connected for 49 hours on average per person. Significant numbers that, if observed from an economic point of view, should push aftermarket companies to invest in e-commerce. In fact, more and more users are now relying on search engines to find specialized workshops. Marlia analyzed, using keyword, the type of search that most users have made in recent years on Google. The result was that from 2015 to 2017, the most typed words relating to the sector were: servicing, MOT inspections, tire replacements, bodywork and workshops. "Being among the first results in search engines means finding business opportunities also on the net - said Marlia -. Most people will hardly ever go beyond the second page, therefore investing in a greater online presence is absolutely crucial".

For Marlia, however, having a responsive website, i.e. optimized to be viewed also through smartphones and tablets, may not be enough. Attention to details is also necessary. "One must have a section that clearly shows the kind of services available, another one with easily identifiable contacts without having to scroll entire pages before finding them, a faqs section where users' recurring questions are found and, last but not least, one that highlights promotions" said Marlia. Add to this a constant “social presence”: facebook, instagram and youtube and the sharing of photos and videos as well as the possibility for the customers to leave comments, all key elements to generate interaction and at the same time build an online reputation in view of obtaining more contacts. These must then be correctly analysed and monitored in order to improve services and meet the customers’ needs.