Have you looked at your Google Analytics recently? From the Google Analytics menu, if you click on “Audience,” then “Mobile” and finally “Overview” you will see a report similar to what is shown below. For this dealer, they are receiving more mobile car shopper traffic to their website than desktop traffic.

fifty-perecent-mobile

Specifically, this dealer is receiving 54% of the website traffic from mobile devices; 43% from smartphones and 11% from tablets. This is one of the highest percentages of mobile traffic I have seen within our customer base. However, this is only a glimpse in the future; your mobile visitors will be increasing every year.

So, it begs the question:

How long are you going to piss off car shoppers with a crappy mobile website?

For this dealer, 3,700 car shoppers per month are visiting the mobile version of their website. This is a serious problem for dealers who have not prioritized their “mobile first” strategy.

Dealers, Please Take a Look

Take a minute as shop for a car on your dealership’s mobile website from your smartphone. Tell me if you can honestly say that you are delivering a first class experience. Take a minute to answer these questions about your own mobile website:

  • Does it have all the content that your main website provides shoppers?
  • Is your mobile website a responsive/adaptive website strategy that will reward your content in Google search?
  • Is it easy to search your inventory and find cars based on style, price, or color?
  • Are your specials and incentives clearly visible on a mobile device?
  • Can you schedule service appointments on your mobile device?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you need to call your website provider and discuss a website upgrade.

Take Action Today

Do not let website contracts hold back your decision to upgrade your website if your website provider does not have a solution for another 6 months or a year.  Your monthly cost for the website pales in comparison to how much money you are losing because you own a crappy mobile website.

I don’t sell websites so this call to action has no hidden agenda. Your dealership needs to get your mobile first strategy is place; deliver a first class experience to mobile shoppers and sales will rise.

If you are heading down to Atlantic City for the Digital Dealer Conference, give me a call and let’s meet up for a coffee.  I’m heading down on Tuesday afternoon.

About the Author

Brian Pasch is the founder of PCG companies. PCG provides customized marketing and training solutions for businesses that are committed to dominate their local market.