Proven Fixed Ops

Marketing Tactics
You're Not Using

Jeff Clark
EVP Business Development
DealerOn, Inc.
Derwood, MD
Jeff@DealerOn.com
609-346-2388

The views and opinions presented in this educational program and any accompanying
handout material are those of the speakers, and do not necessarily represent the views
or opinions of NADA. The speakers are not NADA representatives, and their presence
on the program is not a NADA endorsement or sponsorship of the speaker or the
speakers company, product, or services.
Nothing that is presented during this educational program is intended as legal advice,
and this program may not address all federal, state, or local regulatory or other legal
issues raised by the subject matter it addresses. The purpose of the program is to help
dealers improve the effectiveness of their business practices. The information
presented is also not intended to urge or suggest that dealers adopt any specific
practices or policies for their dealerships, nor is it intended to 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.

Proven Fixed Ops Marketing Tactics

You're Not Using
Workshop Synopsis
The domestic U.S. service, parts, and accessories market is roughly $310
billion, and car dealers are getting less than 30 percent of it. The average
franchise dealer gets 50 percent of their profit from fixed operations, but
spends less than five percent of their online resources on this side of the
business.
Because dealers have been slow to invest, the national independent
service companies (Pep Boys, Firestone, Meineke, Midas, and Jiffy Lube)
dominate Googles results for consumers shopping for these services, and
provide a vastly superior online experience for shoppers.
This workshop will provide dealers a specific action plan to begin effectively
marketing their fixed operations online.

Learning Objectives:
After attending this workshop you will:
1. Recognize and appreciate the disparity between the fixed
operations online-marketing opportunity and your current level
of investment in this space.
2. Better compete with the national independent service providers
who are so far ahead in the digital market.
3. Receive a comprehensive outline of the content you need to
effectively market your fixed ops business.
4. Learn the important differences in page layout and primary callsto-action for marketing fixed ops versus marketing your vehicle
inventory online.
5. Master best practices for marketing your service departments
content on Google.

Topic #1 Current Service, Parts, and Accessories

Marketplace
Slides 3-8
U.S. automotive service, parts, and accessories are a nearly $310
billion market
Typical dealer gets more than 50 percent of gross profit from fixed
ops
Consumers are keeping cars 37 percent longer than 15 years ago
(less frequent vehicle purchases, MORE service business)
Automotive service-related searches are UP 400 percent on Google
in just the last five years!
BUT
Dealers lose over 70 percent of the fixed-ops market to national
independent service providers
Dealers invest less than five percent of their online-marketing
resources in fixed ops
National service providers have four times or more the Google
exposure of U.S. franchise dealers. So while the market is growing,
its all going to the national service providers.

Notes:
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Topic #2 Service Website as Digital Fixed Ops

Hub
Slides 9-12
Direct all online service-related marketing efforts to a dedicated service
website.

Service shopping cycle is hours, not days; nearly 70 percent of shoppers

buy within one day. Focus the goals of your service website around
creating appointments and phone calls, not traditional website leads.

Topic #3 Fixed Ops Website Content Best

Practices
Slides 13-32

WEBSITE CONTENT
Integrated Service Scheduler
Large, Obvious, Trackable Phone Number
Educational Service and Maintenance Videos
Dare-to-Compare Section
Staff Pages
Tire and Parts Configurator
PPC Landing Pages
Coupons
Email Reminders
Integrated Service Scheduler
Allow customers to schedule service online, directly from your
website.
Use cookies to identify return customers to personalize their
information.

Clear Phone Number Display

Ensure the service department phone number is large and obvious
on each page.
Use dynamic tracking to gather accurate analytics.
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Videos
How-to videos to explain basic services.
Use video to educate potential customers on routine services offered
by your fixed operations department.
Video increases search-engine footprint, and helps build trust and
transparency with consumers.

Dare-to-Compare Pages
Shows transparency and builds trust with consumers.
Helps franchise dealers justify potential increased prices or highlight
lower prices.

Staff Pages
Highlight experience and certifications of your dealerships service
technicians, increasing credibility.

Tire and Parts Configurator

Compete directly with large, national brands.
Many consumers may not know dealerships sell new tires.
Highlight benefits of OEM tires and parts.

PPC Landing Pages

Service-optimized content to fit pay-per-click ad copy.
Create for each service with relevant calls to action.

Coupons
Service shoppers love coupons; give them what they want.
Create offers for holidays, promotions, and products.

Email Reminders
Collect emails in order to send promotions and service appointment
reminders.

Notes:
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Topic #4 Mobile and Fixed-Ops Marketing

(Slides 33-35)
Fixed operations search terms are two of the top four biggest local
categories.
MOBILE
1) Restaurants
2) Beauty Services
3) Auto Parts and
Supplies
4) Auto Repair
5) Real Estate
According to The Mobile Movement Study, 40 percent of maintenance
searches now come from mobile devices, a number which has grown fivefold over the past two years.

Notes:
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Topic #5 Social Media and Fixed-Ops

Marketing
(Slides 36-38)
Invite website visitors to interact with your service department through
social media, including giving them the option to socially share any
coupons or offers of which they may be taking advantage.
Search Twitter or Facebook for service-related terms like oil change,
broken down car, etc., and respond to local users.

Notes:
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Topic #6 Fixed-Ops Search Opportunities

(Slides 39-44)

Unfortunately for franchise dealerships, they are usually missing from

Googles search results pages, especially when compared to national
service brands.

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Because 55 percent of service-related searches are UNBRANDED, it is

difficult for franchise dealership fixed-ops departments to compete without
using pay-per-click advertising.

Notes:
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Topic #6 Fixed-Ops Mobile Pay-Per-Click

(Slides 45-47)
Mobile usage dramatically outpaces the mobile ad spend (PPC). This is a
huge opportunity for franchise dealers and fixed-ops marketing.

When performing mobile searches, service-related ads outrank all organic

search results. No matter for what a consumer searches (even a
dealerships name) the two highest ranking placements on a phone (and on
many phones, the entire visible screen) go to Google Adwords listings, not
organic results! Not taking advantage of this opportunity is causing your
dealership to miss out on fixed-ops profits.

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Takeaways
1. Your dealership MUST invest in fixed-ops digital
marketing, or continue to ignore half of your profit
center.

2. Relevant content on your service website (standalone or sub-domain) will help bring it to parity with
major national service brands.

3. Investing in fixed-ops PPC marketing (both mobile

and desktop) will help your franchise dealership
compete with major national service brands.

My Takeaways:
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Additional Resources
Differences Between Google Campaigns for Fixed Ops
Versus Vehicles
PPC ELEMENT

SERVICE

VEHICLES

KEYWORDS

Service Type (Oil Change),

Deal or Coupon or Offer

Vehicle (Year, Make,

Model), OEM + Dealer

GEOGRAPHY

10-Mile Radius

50-Mile Radius

CONQUEST
KEYWORDS

JIFFY LUBE, MIDAS, NTB,

MEINEKE

Other Dealership Names

TRACKING

Coupon Prints, Redemptions,

Appointments, Calls

Website Leads, Calls

HOURS

Only When Open

Anytime Where
Cost/Lead is Low

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Mobile Specific Pay-Per-Click Best Practices

1) ALWAYS use click-to-call in ads. This tools leads to a five to 30 percent
increase in click-through rate without any URL-click cannibalization.

2) ALWAYS use local extensions on mobile ads. An example appears

below:

Local Pay-Per-Click Ad Best Practices

DEALER ACTION
ITEM

BENEFIT

Tie Google Adwords ad

to Google Plus
Page/Places

Integrates reviews within

Adwords Ad, pulls phone
number, address, and
directions into ad

Use Sitelink Extensions

Lets you link to each of your

services directly from ad

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Lets you link to each

location directly from ad:

Use Location
Extensions (for multirooftop dealers)

Optimize Landing Page

with Correct Calls to
Action:
1) Call Phone Number
2) Print Coupon
3) Schedule Appointment

1. Four times the ad space

2. Increase CTR an
average of ten percent
3. Rich ad format
engages users
4. Dynamically associate
relevant business
addresses with your ads

More Calls, Appointments,

ROs, Lower PPC Cost,
Higher ROI

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