ASA Automotive Systems Inc. has long helped retail, commercial and wholesale tire dealers, and retreaders, too. And now the company has identified another need in the marketplace -- customer acquisition.
ASA is creating an entirely new digital division to focus on consumers -- specificiallly, on how to direct consumers to the tire retailer, and retain those consumers.
Justin Chalk, vice president of product management for ASA, says, "we see a lot of cookie-cutter websites" for tire dealers. And those websites are no longer sufficient in the modern, mobile world. ASA's digital division is staffed by industry experts, who will provide services and products that integrate:
| digital marketing strategy | content marketing |
| social media | mobile-optimized websites |
| Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | Search Engine Marketing (SEM) |
| digital advertising | products that enhance the in-store experience |
“ASA digital is an important expansion of our company’s product line, which will address a critical need in the industry currently being underserved and perfectly complements our core shop management software business,” says Dave Vogel, general manager of ASA Automotive Systems. “ASA’s digital division will operate in the same way: serving the digital marketing needs of ASA dealers, and also operating as a stand-alone digital products entity.”
That point about the digital division being a stand-alone product is important. Tire dealers can utilize ASA's new digital team even if they're not existing users or customers of the ASA point-of-sale system.
And it's an a-la-carte system, too. There are services designed for tire dealers offering mobile tire service, for instance. If a dealer isn't offering that service, no need to include that in that dealer's bundle. But the platform also offers solutions for online appointment scheduling and texts to remind consumers of upcoming appointments and to alert them when the vehicle is ready. There are tools to help with managing a dealer's online and social media presence. There's also a platform designed for the service department, plus the capability for a dealer's fleet customers or B2B customers to log in and check the status of their accounts.
ASA has worked with Openbay Corp., and Openbay founder and CEO Rob Infantino says the collaboration came about because the two businesses had tire dealer customers in common. Infantino says ASA is taking the best tools and technology "and offering it in a suite."
The new digital tools are designed to drive consumers to the dealer operation with modern methods, such as connecting their company website directly with the point-of-sale to assist with website inquiries, scheduling services and helping build their online reputation.
“Our new digital offering will allow us to serve the growing needs of businesses trying to take advantage of emerging digital marketing tools and delivering an experience that meets the needs of the modern-day consumer,” Chalk says.
ASA unveiled the new digital offerings at the 2019 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, though it had already been telling its existing customers about the enhanced products in the weeks leading up to the show.
For more information, visit www.asaauto.com.
