On a new episode of The Modern Tire Dealer Show, Aubrey Amborn, Director of Sales at Net Driven, shares her expert insights on understanding and adapting to customers’ evolving shopping preferences. Learn actionable strategies to attract new customers and build stronger relationships with existing ones in this can’t-miss conversation.
Catch the podcast wherever life takes you—on your commute, at the gym, or from the comfort of your desk.
Short on time? Read the blog for all the key takeaways and stay ahead of the curve.
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Podcast Highlights
The Online Shift Your Shop Can’t Ignore: Consumer behavior is transforming at lightning speed, with over 65% of tire shoppers researching online before purchasing. Tire dealers must align with this trend or risk losing business.
- Takeaway: Meet your customers where they are – online. Assess how customers are searching for tires and services, and ensure your business is positioned to show up in their search results.
Having just a Website Won’t Cut It: A basic website is no longer sufficient. Tire dealers must do far more to stand out. You need a dynamic, mobile-friendly site with clear pricing, local SEO, website features like online scheduling, and a comprehensive digital marketing strategy to ensure customers can find you amidst the noise.
- Takeaway: Your website isn’t just a listing anymore; it’s a virtual storefront and customers’ first impression of your business. To stay competitive, ensure it doesn’t just exist but actively draws customers in, builds trust, and converts interest into lasting loyalty.
Digital Tools Your Customers Expect: Today’s customers demand convenience. To cater to their needs, incorporate tools that enable text-based communication, live chat, and online appointment scheduling. Aubrey highlights that these tools address consumer preferences and make your business more approachable.
- Takeaway: Convenience is key. Start by adding a live chat widget or enabling text messaging on your website to make it easy for customers to reach you in their preferred way.
Turn Browsers into Buyers with Retargeting: Not every website visitor will immediately purchase, but that doesn’t mean you should lose them. Utilize retargeting strategies like behavioral ads or email reminders to stay on their radar. For instance, if a customer views tires on your site but doesn’t complete a purchase, serve them an ad later that offers a limited-time discount or free installation to bring them back.
- Takeaway: Use retargeting to stay at the top of your mind and turn casual website visits into loyal sales.
Give Shoppers the Full Package Deal: More consumers want a seamless shopping experience that includes not only tires but also installation pricing, service details, and quotes. Beyond just listing products, create bundles or package deals with visibility into total costs. Ensure your site offers flexible service options like scheduling and full-service packages to cater to this demand.
- Takeaway: Simplify the decision-making process for your customers by offering transparent, all-in-one solutions that save time and provide value.
Keep Them Coming Back: Since tire purchases are infrequent, building customer loyalty is crucial. Offer maintenance services, promotions, or memberships that provide value between major purchases. Send text or email reminders for oil changes or post-purchase check-ups to keep your shop top of mind. Personalized perks, like discounts on a customer’s birthday, can also strengthen their connection to your business.
- Takeaway: Loyalty is built over time. Foster long-term relationships with value-added services and personalized touchpoints that go beyond single transactions.
Speed Matters in Closing Deals: All investments in digital tools are only effective if your team responds quickly and proactively. Ensure staff are ready to answer chats, texts, and inquiries promptly. A quick follow-up could distinguish between securing a loyal customer and losing them to a competitor.
- Takeaway: Speed wins customers. Empower your team to respond quickly and efficiently at pivotal moments to secure decisions and loyalty.
Adapt or Get Left Behind: Conduct annual audits of your online presence and marketing tactics. Look at key metrics such as website traffic, lead conversion rates, and customer feedback. Use these insights to address gaps and innovate new ways to engage customers—partner with agencies or tools that keep up with the latest trends to stay competitive.
- Takeaway: Complacency is your competitor’s advantage. Regularly evaluate and evolve your strategies to ensure your business remains relevant and ahead of the curve.
Discover Aubrey Amborn’s expert advice on adapting to customer preferences and positioning your tire and service shop for success in today’s competitive market.
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