Like any other product, cars can be bought online. Whether it be through classified ads or a car finder, consumers are looking for the easiest way to purchase a motor vehicle without having to haggle for hours with a car salesman.
Launching an eCommerce store like carsearchbrokers.com.au within the automotive vertical is the perfect way for any auto enthusiast to become their own boss. You can work from home, set your own hours and build a website around a hobby that you love. Here are a few tips to help you get started with getting your own website up and driving traffic to it:
Competitor Research
Determine what type of eCommerce site you want to create and research your competitors.
The automotive niche can be extremely competitive. There are dozens of car finders currently available online, and you need to make yourself stand out from the rest. Most of your competitors will likely offer some basic information on makes and models, pictures, location, seller information and pricing.
Try making your website unique by offering a service that other sites won’t. Determining what information or features your customer base would value the most will help you narrow down some key functions of your website.
Superior Branding and Design
Sleek, elegant and simple are all key elements that every website and brand should adhere to.
The main features you have on your website will determine your branding. Once you have your feature set nailed down, create a simple logo with some variations and a color set to use for your website. Your design will be based around the colors you choose for your logo.
Your design should be simple with navigational features that are easy to follow. A top down design with minimal graphics and flash is currently considered best practice. Ensure that your website will be responsive and can work on all platforms and devices, including smartphones, desktop computers and tablets.
Value Beyond What You Sell
While the main point of your website is to facilitate the sales of cars, you must offer people something of value.
SEO is no longer only about keywords placed on a page and HTML tags. People want real, engaging content that they find useful and you must provide that. Once your website is up and ready to receive traffic, a content marketing plan should be an essential part of your marketing campaign. Your content can be in the form of a blog on your eCommerce website, and should be updated at least once a month with a new entry. The optimal length for a decent blog entry is between 300 and 600 words.
Remember to optimize your content for SEO as well. Every entry and every web page should center around once specific keyword or a set of keywords. For blog entries, make sure you mention the keywords no more than three times each.
Run a PPC Campaign
Driving traffic to your website with organic SEO can take months, and is especially difficult if you plan on launching a car search eCommerce website.
Once your website is up and running, use a PPC campaign to garner traffic immediately. This will help you build a base of customers that are keenly interested in using your website’s functions while growing your traffic organically with content marketing and social media.
Because the automotive vertical is so competitive, narrow your niche down to a few select keywords that aren’t too broad. This will help you save on bid prices for clicks and increase your click through rate.
Building and promoting a website in such a tough niche can be daunting. If you have little to no experience in Internet marketing, hiring an affordable consultant is likely your best option.
