Most dealerships choose to hire an outside marketing agency, so a parts marketing expert can handle the advertisements while your parts team focuses on selling parts and accessories. Still, even with someone else handling all of your auto parts marketing, you and your team will still run across some digital marketing terms and tools that you need to be familiar with.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re confused by the jargon of digital marketing, then this article is for you. We\u2019ll break down the most frequently asked questions we hear from dealers about digital marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ header_font_size=”34px” header_2_font_size=”34px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”43px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Google Ads is Google\u2019s advertising service, where advertisers can create and run ad campaigns. These ads will appear in Google search results, so your advertisements will appear to shoppers using Google to search for the auto parts they need.<\/span><\/p>\n These ads are Pay Per Click (PPC), meaning that you only pay for an advertisement when someone clicks on it.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ header_font_size=”34px” header_2_font_size=”34px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”43px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Google Ads is a platform for paid ads.<\/b> You must set a budget and pay for an ad whenever a customer clicks on it. These ads can be changed at any time, and your agency will likely update the ads every now and then to keep them fresh.<\/span><\/p>\n On the other hand, <\/span>Search Engine Optimization<\/b> (SEO) is a type of free advertising. A page optimized for search engines is more likely to appear on the first page of Google search results.<\/span><\/p>\n Once optimized, unique content is written and placed on your site, it will continue to attract customers without any additional cost.<\/span><\/p>\n A lot of factors play into your website\u2019s SEO rank<\/span><\/a>, but the one you have the most control over is unique content (auto part descriptions and blog articles).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Google-Paid-vs-SEO.png” title_text=”Google Paid vs SEO” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”34px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”30px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”43px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n We recommend it! Both of these ad types contribute to sales. The more marketing channels you can add to reach potential customers, the better.<\/span><\/p>\n From the stats we\u2019ve seen through the RevolutionParts platform<\/a>, investing in both can make a big difference.<\/span><\/p>\n According to our numbers,<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|||43px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”43px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In short, the majority of your parts web store traffic will come from some kind of marketing. You must have some form of digital marketing tools in place!<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ header_font_size=”34px” header_2_font_size=”34px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”43px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n SThe more you invest, the better your agency will be able to perform. Successful ads can vary so much by brand, part, location, price, and other factors, so there\u2019s usually a testing period to find the best setup.<\/span><\/p>\n A large budget will give your agency the flexibility it needs to test and optimize your ads and increase the return on your investment (your ROI). Plus, a higher budget means they can run more ads and show them more often!<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s why we recommend starting your budget somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500 and then gradually increasing it as you see positive results.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, you are probably thinking, \u201c$1,000\/month for marketing sounds like a lot!”<\/em><\/p>\n Some dealers hesitate to invest a lot of money in digital marketing. After all, $1,000\/month is probably more than your monthly eCommerce subscription costs.<\/span><\/p>\n Remember, the more you invest, the bigger your return rate can be! RevolutionParts’ Marketing Services<\/a> average about 8.75% Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). So a $1,000 investment could give you a $6,900 return in sales. Sure, not all of that is profit, but since our eCommerce platform has low overhead and rarely requires an extra employee to handle, you can still come out ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n Important:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0That\u2019s just sales coming directly from your PPC ads! You\u2019ll get more from organic traffic or repeat shoppers who have bookmarked your site.<\/span><\/p>\n As far as marketing goes, it\u2019s a good deal. Even when you add everything up (marketing spend, a marketing services subscription, and an eCommerce software subscription), the overhead for selling parts online is much lower than hiring a wholesale rep or outside sales rep to promote your wholesale business!<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/roas-banner-1.png” alt=”banner for roas average on ad spend blog” title_text=”roas banner (1)” url=”https:\/\/revolutionparts.com\/marketing-services?utm_source=revparts&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=RPblog&utm_content=get-marketing” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ header_2_font_size=”34px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”43px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Not all marketing agencies operate the same way, and they certainly vary in price. Some agencies charge up to $30k for their services and deliver little value, while other agencies charge $2k and deliver a lot of value for your dealership. Additionally, some agencies charge a monthly flat rate while others charge a percentage of your sales. It really depends on the agency that you\u2019re looking at.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n Important<\/b>: Remember that you must pay for marketing services <\/span>in addition to<\/span><\/i> an advertising budget. The ad budget you set is not your payment to the agency. It\u2019s the amount they will use to invest in advertising on your behalf.<\/span><\/p>\n Just because an agency offers everything under the sun doesn\u2019t make it the ideal choice, especially if they\u2019re driving little value for your dealership. You need to look at the amount of value they can provide you. How much assistance can they give you with ads, emails, and SEO? If they don\u2019t have the answers to these questions, they\u2019re probably not the right fit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Budget is another important factor in deciding whether or not you should sign up with a third-party marketing agency. If your dealership only plans to set a $600 ad budget, that\u2019s probably not enough to effectively cover the costs and drive value across all the marketing channels offered.<\/span><\/p>\n Good marketing agencies tend to offer these types of services:<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”43px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”|||43px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”43px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n When you\u2019re looking for a third-party marketing agency, make sure you understand exactly what you\u2019re paying for!<\/span><\/p>\n Some agencies will charge you a small percentage of your sales. This kind of partnership pricing is almost always a safe bet since the agency only earns money when you do. It\u2019s in their best interest to give you the highest return on investment possible!<\/span><\/p>\n That said, watch out for agencies that take too big of a cut. Something around 3%-5% is reasonable, but anything higher can start cutting into your profit margin and make it difficult to come out ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ header_2_font_size=”34px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”43px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The truth is, the performance of your ads can vary a lot depending on your brand. Just because an agency says their average customer sees a 10X return doesn\u2019t mean you will, too. Don\u2019t base your decision on a single number\u2014get more information first!<\/span><\/p>\n Instead of just looking at that number, it\u2019s better to ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s the average ROI for dealers selling my brand?\u201d (<\/span>Click here<\/span><\/a> for other questions to ask an agency before hiring them). It\u2019s also best to get proof of those numbers, too. Ask if the agency has any case studies they can share with you. At the very least, you should always see a positive return on your ad spend!<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n The entire point of a marketing agency is to help improve your profits. If you realize you\u2019re consistently losing money on advertising, you might want to rethink your strategy. Either look for a new agency or talk with your existing agency to see what can be done to improve those numbers.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ header_2_font_size=”34px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.3″ header_2_font_size=”43px” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n It\u2019s true that the parts eCommerce market is more competitive today than it was five years ago, but the size of the market keeps growing, too! There are still lots of opportunities for parts websites to stand out from their competitors and take their share of the profits.<\/span><\/p>\n Each dealer\u2019s strategy differs based on budget, goals, campaign type, dealer location, pricing, shipping costs, etc. The amount of variety makes it easier to find a unique parts marketing strategy and helps your dealership stand out from the others.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at an example.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you only have $500 a month to spend, you might start by targeting the immediate states nearby where shipping rates are cheaper for your dealership. You might also exclude your ad from showing during certain hours of the day based on your time zone (so your ads aren\u2019t appearing at 2 AM). You can limit the parts you advertise to ones you know are faster moving. You may even offer a promotion in your ads to set yourself apart.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These are just a few examples of the different options out there\u2014and those are only related to Google Ads! It all varies, and no two strategies should be the same. The more specifics you can set for your ads, the better you can capture your customers\u2019 attention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n RELATED: <\/b>11 Questions to Ask a Marketing Agency Before You Hire Them<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0When you\u2019re working with an agency, it\u2019s in your best interest to make sure you understand what\u2019s going on and what you\u2019re paying for. If you get confused about something, talk to your auto parts marketing agency! Communication is key to a strong partnership, so they should be willing to consult with you about your marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n If you are ready to get started with marketing but not quite ready to hire an agency team, download the <\/span>RevolutionParts Parts eCommerce Marketing Toolkit<\/span><\/i><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/fb-marketing-tools-img-e1651620142107.png” alt=”marketing toolkit banner” title_text=”fb-marketing-tools-img” url=”https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/ebook\/parts-ecommerce-marketing-toolkit\/?utm_medium=revparts&utm_source=mkt:%20blog&utm_campaign=traffic-and-conversions&utm_content=7-faq-digital-marketing” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The marketing strategies you have in place today play a major factor in the success of your parts web store. Most dealerships choose to hire an outside marketing agency, so a parts marketing expert can handle the advertisements while your parts team focuses on selling parts and accessories. Still, even with someone else handling all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31206,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" These days, the marketing you have in place plays a MAJOR factor in the success of your parts web store.<\/p> Most dealerships choose to hire a marketing agency, so a parts marketing expert can handle the advertisements while your parts team focus on selling parts & accessories. But even with someone else handling all the auto parts marketing, you and your team will still run across some digital marketing terms.<\/p> If you\u2019ve felt lost in all the jargon of digital marketing, then this article is for you. We\u2019ll break down the most frequently asked questions we hear from dealers.<\/p> <\/p> Google AdWords is Google\u2019s advertising service, where advertisers can create and run ad campaigns. These ads will appear in Google search results, so your advertisements appear to shoppers using Google to search for the auto parts they need.<\/p> These ads are Pay Per Click (PPC), meaning that you only pay for an advertisement when someone clicks on it.<\/p> AdWords is a platform for paid ads.<\/strong>\u00a0You must set a budget and pay for an ad whenever a customer clicks on it. These ads can be changed at any time, and your agency will likely update the ads every now and then to keep it fresh.<\/p> On the other hand, Search Engine Optimization<\/strong> (SEO) is a \u201cfree\u201d type of advertising. A page optimized for search engines is more likely to appear on the first page of Google search results.<\/p> We put \u201cfree\u201d in quotes like that because it takes time and\/or money to write unique content. But once that content is written and placed on your site, it will continue to attract customers without any additional cost.<\/p> A lot of factors play into your website\u2019s SEO rank<\/a>, but the one you have the most control over is unique content\u00a0 (auto part descriptions and blog articles).<\/p> We recommend it! Both contribute to parts website sales. It\u2019s good to have your fingers in a lot of pies, so to speak. The more marketing channels you can add to reach potential customers, the better.<\/p> From the stats we\u2019ve seen on the RevolutionParts platform, investing in both can make a huge difference.<\/p> According to our numbers:<\/p> In short, the majority of your parts web store traffic will come from some kind of marketing. You MUST have some form or marketing in place!<\/p> The more you invest, the better your agency will be able to perform. Successful ads can vary so much by brand, part, location, price, and other factors, so there's usually a testing period to find the best setup.<\/p> A large budget will give your agency the flexibility it needs to test and optimize your advertisements and increase your return on investment. Plus, a higher budget means they can run more ads and show those ads more often!<\/p> That\u2019s why we recommend starting your budget somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500, and then gradually increasing it as you see positive results.<\/p> Some dealers hesitate to invest too much in marketing. After all $1,000\/month is probably more than your monthly eCommerce subscription costs.<\/p> But remember, the more you invest, the more you'll get back!<\/p> RevolutionParts marketing services average about 690% Return on Ad Spend, so a $1,000 investment would give you $6,900 back in sales. Sure, not all of that is profit. But since eCommerce has low overhead and rarely requires an extra employee to handle, you still will come out ahead.<\/p> Plus, some brands perform even better than 690%!<\/p> According to our 2017 stats, a brand like Mercedes-Benz, for example, saw a median of 1234% ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) for the year. That means for every $1 spent, web stores got about $12.34 back in sales. $1,000 invested in digital marketing means $12,340 back in sales!<\/strong><\/p> (Keep in mind: That's just sales coming directly from your PPC ads! You'll get more from organic traffic or repeat shoppers who have bookmarked your site.)<\/p> As far as marketing goes, it's a good deal. Even when you add everything up (marketing spend, a marketing services subscription, and a eCommerce software subscription), the overhead for selling parts online is much lower than hiring a Wholesale Reps or Outside Sales Reps to promote your wholesale business!<\/p> Price varies A LOT depending on the services you\u2019re paying for! Some agencies charge a monthly flat rate while others charge a percentage of your sales.<\/p> Important<\/strong>: Remember that you must pay for marketing services in addition to<\/em> an advertising budget. The ad budget you set is NOT payment to the agency. Rather, it is the amount they will use to invest on advertising on your behalf.<\/p> Just because an agency offers everything doesn\u2019t make it the ideal choice. If your dealership only plans to set a $600 ad budget, that\u2019s probably not enough to efficiency stretch across all the marketing channels offered.<\/p> Marketing agencies tend to offer these types of services:<\/strong><\/p> When you\u2019re in the market for a new agency, make sure you understand exactly what you\u2019re paying for!<\/p> Some agencies will charge you a small percentage of your sales. This kind of partnership pricing is almost always a safe bet, since the agency only earns money when you do. It\u2019s in their best interests to give you the highest return on investment possible!<\/p> That said, watch out for agencies that take too big of a cut. Something around 3%-5% is reasonable, but anything higher can start cut into your profit margin and make it difficult to come out ahead.<\/p> The truth is, performance of your can vary a lot depending on your brand. Just because an agency says their average customer sees a 10X return doesn\u2019t mean you will, too.<\/p> Don\u2019t base your decision on a single number\u2014get a bit more information first!<\/p> Instead of just looking at that number, it\u2019s better to ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s the average ROI for dealers selling my brand?\u201d (click here<\/a> for other questions to ask an agency before hiring them)<\/p> It\u2019s also a best practice to get proof of those numbers, too. Ask if the agency has any case studies they can share with you.<\/p> At the very least, you should always see a positive return on ad spend! The entire point of a marketing agency is to improve your profits.<\/p> If you realize you\u2019re losing money on advertising, you might want to rethink your strategy. Either look for a new agency or talk with your agency contact to see what can be done to improve the numbers.<\/p> It\u2019s true that the parts eCommerce market is more competitive today than it was 5 years ago.<\/p> But the size of the market keeps growing, too! There\u2019s still lots of opportunities for parts websites to stand out from their competitors and take their share of the profits.<\/p> Each dealers\u2019 strategy differs based on budget, goals, campaign type, dealer location, pricing, shipping costs, etc. All the variety makes it easier to find a unique parts marketing strategy and help your dealership stand out from the others.<\/p> For example, if you only have $500\/month to spend, you might start out targeting the immediate states nearby where shipping would be cheaper for you. You might also exclude your ad from showing during certain hours of the day based on your time zone (so your ads aren\u2019t appearing at 2AM). You can limit the parts you advertise to ones you know are faster moving or more profitable for you. You may even offer a promotion in your ads to set yourself apart.<\/p> Those are just a few examples of the different options out there\u2014and those are only related to AdWords! It all varies and no two strategies should be the same.<\/p>1. What Are Google Ads?<\/span><\/h2>\n
2. What Is the Difference Between Ads and SEO?<\/span><\/h2>\n
3. Where Should You Place Your Investments: SEO or Ads?<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
4. What Is a Good Budget for Google Ads?<\/span><\/h2>\n
5. How Much Does Hiring a Parts Marketing Agency Cost?<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
6. What Does Good Ad Performance Look Like?<\/span><\/h2>\n
7. How Can My Parts Department Stand Out From Competing Dealerships?<\/span><\/h2>\n
1.\u00a0What is Google AdWords?<\/strong><\/h2>
\u00a0<\/h2>
2. What is the difference between AdWords and SEO?<\/strong><\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Google-Paid-vs-SEO.png?_t=1516035226\")
<\/h2>\u00a0<\/h2>
3. Do I need to invest in both?<\/strong><\/h2>
\u00a0<\/h2>
4. What type of budget do I need for AdWords?<\/strong><\/h2>
\u00a0<\/h3>
\"$1,000\/month for marketing sounds like a lot!\"<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/blog-insert-CTA_marketing.png?_t=1516034830\")
<\/a><\/h2> 5. How much should I pay my auto parts marketing agency?<\/strong><\/h2>
\u00a0<\/h2>
6. What can I expect from ad performance?<\/strong><\/h2>
\u00a0<\/h2>
7. There are so many (Ford\/Toyota\/Nissan\/etc) dealers. How will I set myself apart from\u00a0all the other (Ford\/Toyota\/Nissan\/etc)\u00a0dealers?<\/strong><\/h2>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Marketing-Services.png?_t=1516034830\")
<\/a><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,62,64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-getting-started","category-marketing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n