What 2020 put in motion, 2021 has brought to fruition for businesses and consumers. Over the past year, we have seen online shopping, digital advertising and streamlined management processes take permanent precedence in the way shoppers and shop owners do business.

Now as we near 2022, we are gearing up to prepare for an increasingly digital future. In the last few months, we enthusiastically launched some new products that quickly joined the caliber of our classic lead-driving services. Please meet the top 10 products – both new and known – that we foresee making online business easier and more rewarding than ever in the new year:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO is the foundation of website success, as it’s the driving force that gets your website seen by potential customers. Businesses who prioritize SEO as part of their website and online business strategy stay at the top of the search engine because their websites remain relevant to online searches, no matter if search engines or shoppers change their habits.

Crucial benefits of including SEO in the core of your website strategy include:

• Connect with Purchase-Ready Leads: Get in front of shoppers who are already aware they need a solution but may not know about your brand
• Maintain Your Brand’s Relevance: Stay compliant with changes in shoppers’ search intent (ie, the reason shoppers perform an online search)
• Turn Your Community into Customers: Connect with local shoppers, who account for 46% of Google searches¹
• Build Trust with Shoppers: Improve your brand’s credibility by appearing at the top of search results

2. Paid Search

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising allows your shop to appear at the top of Google search results. When someone searches for a keyword, you only pay when they click, making PPC the most accountable form of advertising. Furthermore, PPC targets ideal customers in the moments they need you most, with no wasted impressions or ad dollars.

Why will PPC advertising still be a driving factor for digital marketing in 2022? Here are a few reasons:

• Increased Brand Awareness: Achieve first-page ranking in no time and drive more traffic to your website, growing your brand awareness and increasing in-store visits
• Geotargeting: Target shoppers based on location to ensure your ads are relevant to the people who see them
• Access to Google Ad Specialists: As a Google Partner, we have certified Google Ad Specialists ready to make your ad campaign a complete success
• Transparency: One of the biggest of benefits of PPC is transparency – regular reporting provides the data to know what’s working

3. Social Media Master Tech (SMMT)

Considering 74% of consumers rely on social media to guide their purchases², it’s an essential piece of your business marketing strategy. With Social Media Master Tech, our social media experts manage your online presence by posting auto industry-inspired content and visuals, integrating your digital and in-store promotions, protecting your online reputation and driving engagement on your social channels.

What’s new for businesses using SMMT?

• Instagram Management: Expand your reach, increase your visibility and grow your sales with 112.5 million unique Instagram users
• Target Local Shoppers: We post your customer coupons and manufacturer rebates to capture the attention of consumers in your community
• Integrated Facebook Messenger: Increase your engagement with your customers directly on your website
• Better Content: More personalized content with submission reminders and a dedicated account manager
• Transparent Results: Track your progress and success with monthly social analytics

4. NEW! Premium Text

Drive online lead generation for your shop through Premium Text! Our dynamic texting tool, which we rolled out earlier this year, lets prospects and customers text your store from your business number.

Premium Text is more than just responding to shopper inquiries. It also means:

• Timely Payments: Receiving and processing service payments through text
• Enhanced Teamwork: Transferring customer conversations between representatives
• Greater Organization: Categorizing incoming questions into well-organized inboxes
• 24/7 Availability: Automating responses to common FAQs for faster service
• Higher Volume of Testimonials: Requesting individual customer review to feature online

5. Full Slate Appointment Scheduling

How much of your business day goes toward answering phone calls? In 2021 and onward, we’re looking to maximize the amount of time businesses have to focus on running their shops by reducing time spent on scheduling appointments over the phone. Full Slate Appointment Scheduling provides a full-service online scheduling feature that benefits you and your customers.

Why do we recommend incorporating online appointment scheduling? Here are some of the top reasons:

• Book Appointments Online: Customers can book directly on your website, saving time in their day and yours
• Email & Text Reminders: Reduce no-shows by automatically reminding customers of their appointments
• Customer Care Management: Track client info, appointment history and email all in one place​
• Multiple Locations: Manage your business hours and shared staff across multiple locations (if applicable)
• Client Reviews: Automatically collect feedback, along with the option to publish these ratings and reviews​

6. eCommerce Pro

Last years, consumers spent $791.70 billion online – a 32.4% increase over previous years³. Considering more than 80% of your shoppers begin their search tire and auto services online, it makes sense to ensure they can complete their purchase right on your website.

Our eCommerce Pro platform means your shop can be open 24/7, and you can capture more untapped revenue. Here’s how you can use eCommerce Pro to your advantage:

• Pricing Integration: Pull pricing information and inventory directly from your existing pricing connection
• PayPal^® Integrations: PayPal interface branded to your website gives you the ability to accept secure payments through PayPal and all major credit cards
• Lower Operational Costs: Send customers directly to scheduling their installation with you after their purchase is complete
• Cross-Product Integration: Our Instant Price Email product is fully supported with the eCommerce Pro platform

7. Reputation Management

Your brand’s reputation matters, and here’s proof: 93% of consumers read reviews before visiting a business⁴​. Each 1-star increase in average online ratings can increase your revenue by up to 9%⁵.

What are the BIG benefits of proactively managing your online reputation?

• Brand Credibility: Improve a potential customer’s first impression of your business​​
• Reliable Customer Service: Identify trending customer support issues​ and respond rapidly
• Real-Time Solutions: Enable timely follow-up and customer support
• Online Brand Equity: Be aware of how customers and prospects alike feel about your brand​

8. Virtual Showroom

As an auto industry business in a competitive marketing, it’s important make sure you have a website feature that can display your inventory online. Shoppers appreciate how easy it is to explore a potential vehicle purchase from the comfort of their computer.

Equipping your website with a virtual showroom draws a greater volume of excited shoppers to your site:

• Convenience: Customers can shop your inventory from anywhere
• Up to Date: Easily upload and manage showrooms on your website
• Accuracy: Leads can trust they are viewing genuine, available inventory
• Modern: Stay relevant with emerging shopper trends and preferences

9. TurboConnect

Get your content in front of a higher volume of audience for mere dollars. TurboConnect boosts the exposure of your Facebook content to ensure more of your followers see your posts. With three package options to fit any size business, simply pick a marketing goal and budget to get started.

TurboConnect takes your social media content beyond the limits of general Facebook posts to maximize your brand’s influence:

• Reach the Right People: Boosting a Facebook post expands your audience to reach the people who are most likely to make a conversion
• Affordable Ads Fast: Essentially, you can create a Facebook ad in a few minutes, including creating your audience settings
• Analytics: Boosted posts provide analytics that display the post’s performance so you can optimize your strategy over time
• Extend to Instagram: You can choose to boost your posts on Instagram as well to reach even more potential buyers

10. SimplePay

Embrace no-touch retail! When it comes to completing a purchase, consumers want and expect flexibility. SimplePay provides a seamless, user-friendly payment option that increases your sales and improves customer satisfaction. Collecting payments on your website is simplified with SimplePay.

Benefits of SimplePay include:

• Easy: Seamless and quick checkout experience on all devices
• Dynamic: PCI-compliant and integrates with PayPal and Braintree
• Organized: Track payments and performance with monthly reporting
• Multi-Location: Multiple location capabilities included

Our digital experts are happy to speak with you if you have any questions or would like to demo our top products. Connect with Net Driven today!

¹SocialMediaToday

²awario

³DigitalCommerce360

⁴Qualtrics

⁵Forbes