Servassist Online's founder shows how dealers can gain a competitive edge by moving the service department to the forefront of online efforts.

There's an old adage in the automotive business that says it's the sales department that sells customers their first car, but the service staff that sells them the second, third and fourth.

Not only is the service and parts department of an automotive dealership essential to customer retention and loyalty, it also pays the rent -- quite literally. According to the NADA, this department represents up to 48 percent of the average dealership's profit, compared with just 31 percent for new car sales. So if fixed operations is such a crucial automotive profit center, why aren't dealerships promoting their parts and service business online more than they are?

Traditionally, internet media and interactive marketing efforts have been reserved for the glitz and glamour of new car sales. Let's face it, you don't take a trip to the dealership on Saturday morning to check out the new oil filters and timing belts. But it's time to put the red-headed stepchild of the dealership business in the spotlight. When it comes to service, you aren't just competing against other dealers in your region but independent garages and franchise service centers as well. Promoting fixed operations online is a strategy that, while still grossly underused, can give dealers an edge.

Here's how you can get up to speed.

Site design
While having a service-dedicated page on your site is a good start, too often the information found there is incomplete or outdated. The problem is many dealerships commission sites that are built from a basic template, which doesn't allow for an extensive parts and service section.

Whether you fall into this category or work with a more flexible design firm, the first step in maximizing your online service presence is to customize your service page design. To provide a more personalized experience and differentiate yourself from competitors, every service center site section should include -- at minimum -- images of your service department, a list of employees and their contact information, a method of scheduling a service online, a service reminder email program and your hours of operation.

Another way to stand apart is to incorporate added-value information into your service site. Consider seasonal maintenance tips and service bulletins affecting your specific brands, as well as links to online service schedules, either on a manufacturer or third-party site. The ability to check vehicle status and pay invoices online, for example, really stands out.

Rather than just presenting vehicle accessories in a display case in your store and referencing your "comprehensive accessories catalogue" on your site in passing, try also creating a mini online gallery of available items that consumers can buy in-store. Showcasing a new item each week will drive additional traffic that could convert into service business.

Search marketing
The addition of such service information to your site does require upkeep by your internet sales manager or other staff. But an added benefit of dynamic content using consistent language and subject matter is that it will likely improve your search engine ranking as engines note the relevance and timeliness of your site. From a service sales perspective, useful information keeps consumers coming back, which in turn keeps automotive service -- and your facility -- top of mind.

Customizing existing search engine marketing (SEM) efforts is another way to draw attention to your service business. By adding parts and service qualifiers to your search terms (for example, "Toyota Houston brake service") and matching them to service-specific ad copy ("Toyota service & repair Houston"), you increase your chances of attracting service customers that your standard ads ("save on a new or pre-owned Toyota") may not.  

Social media
The trend toward online communities and peer-to-peer forums is particularly present in the automotive space, where consumers value objective, third-party opinions in helping them make car purchasing decisions. This extends to automotive service, which for many consumers is unfortunately synonymous with uncertainty and doubt.

While you may not be able to control what consumers say about your dealership's service center online, you can take a cue from the OEMs and task someone with monitoring the local sections of brand-specific forums. By participating openly in service discussions, you can promote your service offerings in a more informal manner and give consumers a compelling reason to pay you a visit. 

With so much competition out there, service and parts is an ideal avenue through which to stand out in an increasingly cluttered space. Like a hiker in the woods, you don't have to be able to outrun the bear. You just have to outrun who you're hiking with.

Grant W. Repsher is the founder of Servassist Online, an automotive service and maintenance resource and dealership marketing tool. Read full bio.