You may have heard the phrase “video is the new virtual handshake,” or “social media is the new virtual hug.” Now, we’d say “Google Business Profiles are the new virtual showroom.”
It can be said that the first digital showrooms launched in the late 1990’s, when AutoTrader, Cars.com and other listing sites moved dealer inventory from offline media to online shopping sites. So with no other choice than to join the emerging online shopping community, Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price pages (MSRP) and Vehicle Detail Pages(VDP) were created. Those pages then became the foundation of a dealership’s website and really started to act as a new digital showroom floor.
As we approach the modern day car buying journey we’ll have to take a pit stop in the early 2000’s as Google quickly grew to become the most dominant search platform in the world. Consumers no longer had to browse or shop locally. With the launch of Google Business Profiles (GBP) in 2014, it changed the whole world of digital shopping forever.
Today’s buyers don’t even have to go to your dealership’s website to view the makes and models your store has on the lot. In-market car buyers are simply and efficiently finding this information under the product section of your GBP Listing where you can create a carousel of cars to showcase (just like you might have with newspaper ads!) Is your dealership taking advantage of this free and valuable feature in order to grab the online shopper’s attention as they scan your GBP? If you aren’t sure or don’t know how to properly set it up and optimize it for maximum exposure, follow these instructions provided by Google or watch the linked quick step-by-step video tutorial we’ve created below.
Have additional questions about GBP and the power of the new digital showroom floor? We’d love to chat with you! Book time here with us now