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Dealers need to revaluate the way they engage with customers visiting their websites outside of opening hours and specifically on Sundays, according to Tim Smith, commercial director of GForces.
Smith said 51 per cent of visits to Motor Trader Top 200 websites occur outside of working hours. He also pointed to the trend towards buyers visiting websites on Sundays to make their final decisions.
“Dealers need to ask themselves if their websites are as productive as they could be. We know footfall is down so you have to make sure your web traffic is going up. You have to be on 24/7,” he said.
Smith pointed to recent research from Buddy Media which showed how brands that post content on their Facebook business pages outside normal business hours see engagement rates that are 20 per cent higher than average.
“Mobile is changing the game. People check Facebook first thing in the morning and last thing at night,” he said.
Smith advised dealers to review their online and social media activities on Sundays, saying this was a crucial day for buyers researching online and making purchasing decisions.
“Sundays are key. That’s when dealers need to increase the number of posts they make as web traffic is high but fresh postings on websites, or through social media, is currently low,” he said.