THINKING DIGITALLY PAYS OFF FOR THIS DEALERSHIP.

“In a complicated world, you want to make things easy for the customer.” – Jeff Smith, Dealer Principal, Jeff Smith’s County Chevrolet.

Years ago, Jeff Smith’s County Chevrolet moved away from traditional print media and focused on their digital strategy. That decision is paying off. With six competitors within a 20-minute drive of County Chevrolet, Smith evened the playing field as his virtual showroom was just as close to in-market shoppers as the other dealers. Smith and his Sales Manager, Kevin Iannicello, realized that the transaction process begins on the website, so having good, relevant content and an easy-to-navigate website is crucial. The dealership’s CDK Digital Marketing Package has made all the difference.

In 2018, Smith tried another website provider while still retaining his CDK Website. He did see benefits to working with a smaller, boutique provider, but in the end the choice was clear for Smith and his sales teams. The infrastructure, SEO, strong OEM alignment, and the proactive support system at CDK Global was the difference-maker. “CDK does a great job at staying current — and staying ahead of the curve. In a digital world, it’s nice to pick up the phone and have a dedicated person to help us navigate through all of this, “said Smith.

DID YOU KNOW?

The transaction process begins on the website, so having good, relevant content and an easy-to-navigate website is crucial.

County Chevrolet’s partnership and engagement with CDK continues to be beneficial. Year over year, site visits are up 47 percent, VDP page views are up 70 percent, and email leads are up 26 percent. Smith and his team are also fully engaging with all of the resources in their Digital Marketing Package. “I really like the CDK back end. The flexibility is just outstanding,” says Iannicello, who also engages with the strategy and support resources available to him: “I really like the monthly Dealer Forums. CDK is proactive in providing service, where with some other site providers, it feels more reactive.”

Focusing on their digital strategy has helped County Chevrolet stand out from their competitors. Smith, Iannicello and the rest of the team know that their online showroom is just as important as the physical location of their dealership. And the online content makes all the difference. “If we set things up right for the consumer, we will win as a retailer. If we can win digitally, we can win on the pavement,” said Smith.

See how CDK Digital Marketing can make a difference for your dealership. Visit cdkglobal.com/en-ca/digital-marketing.