Digital analytics have been around for a long time. But it took a norm-shattering event like the pandemic to make this data vital to business owners. When COVID-19 shuttered showrooms and kept employees home, digital retailing became a necessity for many auto dealers. But simply conducting sales online is not enough. In today’s complex business environment, auto dealers should review online analytic reports that will help them determine who their audience is and which online behaviors matter—all in an effort to improve the user’s experience.

As part of the NADA Dealership Lifeline Webinar Series, Jim Dodd, NADA 20 Group Dealership Management Consultant, reviewed how businesses can configure their website’s Google Analytics to create optimum user experience and benefit new marketing efforts. In the webinar, What Google Analytic Reports Dealers Should Know, Dodd described what the metrics can tell dealers about their clientele: an understanding of who your potential customers is; what roads brought them to your digital showroom; what buying behaviors they presented before when they’ve visited your site; and how your online marketing performance compares to others in your state. According to Dodd, one of the most important metrics is who your visitors are. The analytics can reveal what age groups purchase their vehicles from your dealership; which groups come back to receive vehicle service; and what the gender mix of the customer pool.

Ultimately, the user experience can be measured by the average session duration and pages per session; and the goal is to have users read through at least three pages in three minutes. Dodd highlighted best practices throughout the webinar, and the first step is to make sure that the Google analytics account is set up properly. Dealers should:

• Monitor the keywords per click.
   
• Learn the metrics that indicate buyer behavior and learn the skills of digital analytic attributions (or hire staff who have the skillset for this.)
   
• Get involved with a digital 20 Group to stay on top of trends and new metrics.

Dodd emphasized that it’s important to understand this is not a platform written in stone. There are constant changes and new metrics that measure buyer reach and behavior. Ultimately, smart business owners will be willing to embrace change and modify their processes to meet the new consumer demands during and after the pandemic.

A recording of the webinar is now available to NADA members on the NADA’s Coronavirus Hub.

Note: NADA’s webinar is offered to assist its dealer members in the operation of their dealerships and for general informational purposes only. Each dealer must seek their own legal counsel and make their own independent business decisions and work with their attorneys to ensure social media posts and advertising comply with state and federal consumer protection laws. Before attempting to sell vehicles online, dealers must consult with their attorney or state/metro dealer association or licensing authority to better understand the requirement in their state. The presentation of this information is not intended to constitute legal advice nor encourage concerted action among competitors or any other action on the part of dealers that would in any manner fix or stabilize the price or any element of the price of any good or service.