Marketing Lessons From Netcars.Com

This calendar week I had the pleasance of interviewing Louis Rix, Marketing Director from Netcars.com - one of the world's fastest growing online automotive sites. In this interview, Louis non exclusively provides only about insight into how he's winning large with online marketing, but also provides helpful online marketing tips whatever concern tin job to increment leads as well as online sales.

1. Hi Louis, state us well-nigh your electrical flow purpose at Netcars.com?

Currently inward my purpose every bit marketing manager of netcars.com I deal the relationships with our PR Company, SEO Agency as well as Design Agency (everything passes through me). I operate closely with our internal PPC Manager as well as link edifice team. I am also responsible for reporting to the board on a monthly Blue Planet with all novel as well as ongoing developments.

2. How has Netcars.com changed it's online marketing strategy over the past times few years?

We’ve exclusively been established for 12 months. However, inward that fourth dimension we’ve covered a massive amount of ground. We convey a real complex PPC drive that tin itemized downwards to a “T”.  We convey also launched Facebook advertising; competitions to grow our fan base of operations as well as increment website traffic. Twitter has been a bully tool for us to job from both a BtoB as well as BtoC indicate of sentiment as well as we’re constantly engaging with our audience. Linkedin Advertising is also used to create cook awareness as well as drive sign ups. As a concern nosotros also invest heavily inward natural search. We operate amongst a real accomplished SEO Agency but nosotros also convey internal link builders.

3. What are the iii most effective online strategies you've used to fuel Netcars.com's amazing growth?
The iii biggies are: PPC, SEO, Revenue Share Partnerships.

4. What's the biggest challenge yous human face upwards when it comes to online marketing?

Staying ahead of the game/competition inward natural search. Constantly re-engineering our site from a user appointment indicate of view.

5. Do yous anticipate whatever meaning changes coming to online marketing inward the nigh future?

The huge growth of Social Media advertising as well as the huge ascent inward the discover of people accessing the network through their mobile/smart phones is leading to large increases inward mobile advertising. Gamification is also a hot topic at the moment.

6. What did yous exercise previously inward your professional person life that prepared yous to last the Marketing Director for Netcars.com?

From 2001 to mid 2010 I ran www.carfinance247.co.uk with my blood brother Reg. Car Finance 247 is a successful machine finance broker/dealer that operates nationwide inward the UK. I yet ain this concern with my blood brother but due to our commitments with our novel enterprise nosotros convey a management squad inward identify that command the concern as well as written report into us both. While running Car Finance 24/7 I was inward command of all online marketing (Affiliate, SEO, as well as PPC). This is where I learned as well as honed all of my skills that convey enabled me to successfully arrange to my novel role.

7. How volition Netcars last on the cusp of modify for online marketing? Do yous excogitation to bring together the gamification trend?
At Netcars we’re constantly on the lookout adult man for new, exciting marketing ideas. Gamification is definitely something we’ll last launching inward early on 2012. We’ll last rewarding “net points” to users (to purchase machine parts for their digital car) for commenting on weblog posts, writing machine reviews, participating inward the forum as well as helping our community. The cease user is ever inward the forefront of our minds whenever nosotros cook whatever developments to the Netcars website. We’re going to last working difficult on improving the information displayed on our “Used Brand/Model” category pages past times adding videos, make/model comparing statistics as well as an “ask the expert” section.

8. What makes Netcars dissimilar than other online automotive sites?
Our motto is “We exercise things differently” – this is clearly displayed inward our unique PPC billing model. We tin also motion quicker than our larger counterparts. We desire to part our information whereas everyone else keeps their stats locked away. We also aim to cook the machine locating procedure an exciting 1 rather than a mundane task.

9. What tips on SEO tin yous give our readers?
Follow 4 steps:

a. Keyword Research – How exercise your users search for your product? Do non overlook this of import stage. You volition uncover “low hanging fruit” (high volume search price with depression competition). There are enough of keyword query tools out in that place including Google’s costless tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

b. Site Architecture – this volition last determined past times your keyword research. Most importantly yous convey to cook certain your site is accessible to search engine spiders. Once that box has been ticked yous demand to nautical chart the funnel/architecture from your homepage to every page on your website. Do all relevant sections interlink (allowing link juice to follow)? Make certain yous convey your most of import pages at a maximum of 2 clicks away from your homepage.

c. Link Building – Quality over Quantity! Obtain links from relevant, authoritative partners, sites talking well-nigh your products. Obtain invitee posts/articles from highly respected websites. Make the most out of your PR efforts – syndicate press releases online (with dorsum links embedded).

d. Constantly engage via Social – Facebook shares as well as tweets are beingness indexed past times Google as well as are a ranking factor. Make certain you’re engaging with your audience as well as offering a broad diverseness of assistance as well as information. If soul has a bad sense on your site or with your production verbalize to them. Don’t only “sell” yourself on Social Media – people volition locomote bored.

10. What tips on PPC tin yous give our readers?
First, it’s massively of import to last able to quantify your PPC spend. If yous can’t rails goals you’re screwed every bit yous won’t know what adgroups/campaigns are converting or not. Here are a few more:

a. Test advertizement copy.
b. Day parting – only about days convert ameliorate than others.
c. Time parting – only about hours of an private twenty-four lx minutes menstruum also convert better.
d. Add sitelinks to your PPC adverts. They increment CTR (click through rate). 
e. Positive reviews. If yous convey over thirty positive reviews on your production cook certain they are coming through inward your ads. Again the star seller ratings increment CTR.
f. Use your keyword research to excogitation out yous Campaigns as well as Adgroups.
g. Constantly deal your bids. Position 3-4 may convert ameliorate than pose 1.
h. Never give up – yous don’t convey a concern if yous can’t cook Google PPC pay for you.

Special cheers for the invitee post service as well as marketing tips from Louis Rix...

Louis Rix is the Marketing Director for Netcars.com 1 of the fastest growing online automotive sites inward the UK.

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