If all you say is “Thank you” to your online leads, you’re missing out on opportunities that are ripe for the picking.

I want to dig into your dealership’s website in a bit more depth. I don’t want to discuss load times, whether it’s mobile-friendly (it really should be by now), or how you’re merchandising your inventory. Instead, let’s look at how to evolve your website’s “Thank you” pages to better support your brand and retail efforts—once that customer has decided to take a leap of faith and has sent you an actual lead.

Most dealership websites usually finish on a simple white page with some version of the following copy:

Your information has been successfully sent. Thank you for filling out our “Book a Test Drive” form. We appreciate your interest, and we look forward to speaking with you very soon. An agent will be contacting you shortly either by phone or by email to discuss the details of the information that you requested.

Riveting stuff! While it does cover the bare-bones basics of being polite, it’s vague and could be built out to be so much more enticing and to build greater rapport before the customer steps into the dealership.

A visitor to the website has just shown heightened interest in a vehicle or service. With a finely tuned “Thank you” page you could reinforce your brand’s principles, offer them cross-department specials, and build strategies they may want to share with family or friends.

The team at Wordstream in Boston built out great tips that you should be taking advantage of with your dealership site’s “Thank you” pages. Here are some of my favourites, and a couple of my own.

1. Confirm the conversion.

The first thing you should do on a “Thank you” page is confirm the vehicle they want to test drive or the inquiry the visitor has made.

Work with your website provider to build out variable “Thank you” pages based on the customer’s actions. Be diligent and repeat the core vehicle info they just looked at. Treat service or parts leads the same way—just repeat what your visitor was requesting to show that extra level of “virtual listening.”

2. Post related content.

Is there useful information you can display after the lead has been submitted? Useful content can go a long way in showing your prospects the real value in working with your staff. Consider a few:

• Questions to ask a salesperson before test-driving a car.
• How to ensure you’re getting the right part for your vehicle?
• How to conduct your own vehicle walk-around on the dealership lot?
• Where can you check service schedules?

There are so many ways to introduce useful checklists to your customers. Work with your departments to build three or four.

3. Encourage them to bring a friend or a family member.

Adding messaging to invite a prospective guest to bring along a friend or family member is key. Of course, they will rarely come on their own, but remember visitors won’t take actions you don’t request. I know most people will visit a dealership with a trusted friend or family member, but this quick message could entice a guest who was planning a solo visit to bring a “plus one.” That extra visitor could also be a potential customer down the road.

You could also encourage them to share the vehicle they’re interested in with family and friends via email or social. Timing is key here because they just submitted their lead, so act fast to leverage their interest and excitement about a potential purchase.

4. Cross promote your departments.

This is a no brainer. If they are submitting a service lead, how can you leverage offers in other departments? Rotate different offers in and out of your “Thank you” pages and test to see if there is any redemption happening. Again, if you don’t get these offers in front of people early, they may not be aware of them during their visit.

Plant seeds about great opportunities they can take advantage of, regardless of what they’re at the dealership for. Build a matrix of pages based on department, and plot your offers accordingly.

5. Add personal video messages.

Build a series of quick “Thank you” videos from key department management staff or ownership. Drop these onto your “Thank you” pages to communicate that they have made a great decision selecting your store, and that you’re going to ensure their visit meets the highest standards.

Now, that last part is up to you. With several of these tips it’s critical your online experience matches your in-store experience. A generic “Thank you” page without any brand presence or personality does reflect on your store and staff, so remember— they are interested in your dealership, and you need to show that you’re interested in them.

Thank you for reading my article this month. I appreciate your interest and look forward to writing for you again soon. No agents will be contacting you, either by phone or by email to discuss the details of the information you just read.