Online auto marketing: The new money-spinning venture

Online auto marketing platforms are springing up rapidly in Nigeria. In this report, Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo writes that Internet marketing of auto products has potential for growth

Nigerian love automobiles of just all brands. Virtually al available spaces, including road sides, corners are traditionally used to sell cars.

Apart from these, showrooms, open spaces are other places deployed by auto markers to sell their brands. Again, customers are never in short supply. Daily, scores of corporate and individual clients patronised them for their brands’ choices.

Car marketing business has been a trade laced with several kinds of challenges. These challenges have to do with where and how to get affordable and genuine vehicle products from the right dealers.

In fact, car dealers normally have showrooms all over major cities so that intending buyers could easily spot them and make choices of their vehicles.

Although, vehicle marketing strategies have been evolving, but it witnessed an upsurge towards the middle of 1990s in Nigeria. With the growth witnessed in the automotive industry during that era, indigenous and foreign investors started devising ways to fully exploit the potential that lies within the auto marketing sub-sector.

Before then, most auto dealers have not recognized the importance of the Internet in marketing, selling and promoting their products and services; they were therefore selling basically with “For Sale” inscription on every available vehicle in their care.

Now, the trend is fast changing.With the advent of Internet, most of the dealers started investing significant resources as a strategy to increase their reach to prospective vehicle owners. One way, they exploited was to have their own sales pages and websites which they use to market and promote their products and services.

Leading the pack is one of the leading online marketing platform in Nigeria known as Checki. Cheki Nigeria was established in 2011 and it’s one of the most popular online market place, perfectly tailored to carter for the interest of Nigerians.

They don’t actually sell cars directly to Nigerians, but act as an online market platform that brings buyers and sellers of automotive together to transact business.

This online platform provides a perfect platform for Nigerian leading importers, car dealers, and private sellers to show their auto products to potential customers. In addition to providing online platforms, they have good online apps that can be used access their website, thereby enhancing the experience of their customers.

There is also Carmudi Nigeria, which provides buyers valuable information that helps when it comes to making purchase decisions. They ensure that serious car buyers are connected to genuine auto sellers or dealers.

They also ensure that all the information stated are valid and stated as prescribed by the manufacturer. Apart from information, the website is known to be managed by a team of experienced expatriates. In addition, Carmudi also has international presence in many countries and that speaks volumes about its organization and reputation.

Nigerian car dealers.com is equally designed to make purchasing vehicles and other motor assets seamless and easy. Like most car sales websites, Nigerian Car Dealers don’t sell cars to people directly but only provide the platform for auto dealers and genuine buyers to transact.

Affordables Cars Nigeria, is another reputable car sales website you can find online. This reputable auto dealer was primarily designed to carter for the interest of Nigerians and it has been in existence since 1995, rendering first class services to its teeming clientele.

This website is not like your usual car sales website that’s primarily concerned with buying and selling of motor vehicles. They also provide 24/7 autocare and support.

Cars45.com only buy but does not sell vehicles. It was gathered that whenever they buy, they access the vehicle and if possible refurbish or put the car into better use.

There is also Jiji.ng, which is fast-growing Nigerian free online classifieds with advanced security system. Jiji provide a simple hassle-free solution to sell and buy almost anything including vehicles.

In the online platform, Sellers are allowed to post free Ads with images; Update, move your ad to top position to get maximum efficiency from selling; Get calls and messages only from real people, because we require every user to register.

As a buyer, that person can equally buy anything through simple call or message to the Seller and agree purchase with Sellers directly

Apart from vehicles’ proper, online market places for vehicle accessories and spare parts are also springing up rapidly. Only few years ago, Izzy Parts unveiled an online portal for Nigerian auto spare parts market

With headquarters in the U.S., Izzy Parts created an online auto parts marketplace that allows African consumers to access high quality products from several original parts manufacturers around the globe.

Speaking at the unveiling of Izzy Parts in Lagos, Collins Udeme, head of Media & Communications of Izzy Parts, said the concept of creating an online auto marketplace was borne out of the company’s desire to bridge the gap between manufacturers of genuine automobile spare parts and the end users in Nigeria.

Udeme who said that Izzy Parts entered Nigeria to improve the after-sales services in the country through sales of genuine auto spare parts sourced from reputable auto firms in the U.S., added that Izzy Parts has already built a catalogue of over 550,000 auto parts and accessory items from a variety of the industry’s top brands; offering high-quality products at favorably discounted rates with warranty.

“Currently, the Izzy Parts retail platform is developed, tested, operational and available for market introduction. Purchases can be made with any of the major payment-processors. Our delivery is top quality as we are in partnership with Fedex and Bongo International,” the media head hinted.

Most recently another online application, known a,s Mecofinder was designed to locate competent mechanics for vehicle owners within the Lagos metropolis.

Speaking at the recent unveiling, designer of the app, Adekeye Damilare said that the essence of the Mecofinder is to connect servicemen and technicians to motorists who may need their services anywhere in the country.

According to Damilare, Mecofinder, the latest technological medium uses GPS and recovers signals from the satellite which is used to coordinate in a latitude and longitudinal way, to connect vehicle owners to either mechanics, vulcanizes, spray painters, panel beaters, electricians, battery charger amongst others.

“We advise users to go to Mecofinder, download and launch the app. A user can decide to select from the 14 categories that we have. When you pick any option, it automatically locates the location of that user.

It fetches all available technicians within that vicinity. The location-based device also identifies the profile of each technician, category and the distance of the technicians one may need from the location where the vehicle owner may be.”

The Business Development Manager, Mecofinder, Olumide Omoyeni said the app was developed to ease the inconveniences motorists face on the roads, adding that the platform also enabled vehicle owners to have access to competent and confirmed servicemen within their immediate location.

“We are starting with Lagos; and we are going to other states. We are hoping Nigerians will stop those who are going to give the association a bad name,” Omoyeni said.

Speaking on the future of online marketing platforms in Nigeria, Automotive Marketing Consultant and Senior Lecturer Covenant University, Dr. Oscar Odiboh said that such innovation has already become a common ground in advanced countries.

The University lecturer wonders if Nigeria is ready for it, judging by the way our automotive business is structured?

Dr Odiboh, however, pointed out that the only challenge is that innate culture of many Nigerians believing in seeing what they want to buy first before they pay for it.

President of the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA), Mr. Frank Kintum agreed that online auto marketing platforms have future in Nigeria.

Kintum, however, advised the online marketers to ensure that their products are genuine and standard so as to get the patronage of Nigerians.

“They have future in the country. One Nigerians know that their auto parts are genuine, they will always patronize them. In Nigeria of today, most people cannot get to authorized dealers to purchase their accessories.

So, if they can get genuine auto parts online, all they need to do, is to find a roadside mechanic to fix it ; and that would serve them”, Kintum said.

A car dealer and Managing Director/CEO of Allen Motors, Mr. Chiedu Akpuh said that the online portals for vehicle sales has come to stay; and is the only way to go.

Akpuh, who noted that, although it has started displacing most roadside car dealers and even those in the used car market, but that such innovation is a good and smart way of selling vehicle products.

To the CEO of Steve Cars, Mr. Peter Omefe, Internet platforms should be utilized to save buyers and sellers the stress of standing in the sun, day in day out without achieving much.

“I will not lie to you. Internet platforms, both for spare parts and vehicles is one of the best things that have happened in the automobile industry in the last decade.

“With it, it saves auto buyers and sellers the stress of standing in the son throughout the day without achieving much. I will advise those who want to buy genuine vehicles to find out credible online platforms and buy their choices.”

Chukwuemeke Iwelunmo