Putting it into Perspective: Facebook Versus Company Website

With all of this talk about having a Facebook fan page, you may be feeling as though you are missing out if you don’t already have one. While Facebook offers phenomenal returns, there is still a marketing tool that brings more returns and more customer interest: the dealership website.

In a recent survey conducted by Get Satisfaction and Incyte Group, more than 80 percent of respondents said they visit a company’s website before visiting the Facebook page, and the main reason they visit a Facebook page is to find information more quickly or get answers from other customers.

In fact, according to All Facebook, just 12.8 percent of respondents say they visit sites like Facebook to interact with brands. When you consider the intent of Facebook and social media sites is to socialize with friends, 12.8 percent isn’t a bad figure. It does help put things into perspective, however.

What Does This Mean for Your Dealership?
Using social media sites to market your dealership is an important strategy, but it should be used to help complement your marketing toolkit, the center of which should be your dealership’s website. Focus on building a solid foundation through a website that can handle customer service requests through instant feedback methods such as chat, and you will have a strong core around which to build a profitable social media marketing campaign.

Researchers concluded that ultimately, users would prefer websites that function more like social media, rather than social media that functions more like a website. Let users react and interact on your website, and you can improve customer satisfaction and dispute resolution results.