Blog

Who is the BEST Automotive Dealership Website Company? And Why...???

Automotive Internet Sales is creating its TOP 10 LISTS! And the first section is Dealership Website Companies...

So, Please give me your feedback. Remember that is what this site is about... INFORMATION, IDEAS and FEEDBACK.

I look forward to all of your posts and thoughts.

SVB-

Ok,

This is an oldie but goodie :)

I want to hear all of your opinions...

What is TRULY Vital for a SUCCESSFUL Dealership Website...?

I have Dealership after Dealership ask me these questions:

* Who is the best dealership website company?

* What are the best features for a dealeship site?

* Should I have a Flash site or not and why...?

* How many websites should I have?

* What is onsite versus offsite SEO?

* How often should I update my website?

* What content is important for my website?

**** And on and on the questions go... Please understand these are NOT the ONLY questions... I am simply trying to start the conversation...

I would love to hear from all of you as to what makes the MOST POWERFUL and Successful Dealersgip Website Solution and WHY?

I look forward to your posts

SVB-

I have no problem weighing in on the subject, particularly when it comes to Internet Sales Departments. I have managed dealerships for 17 years with many different manufacturers in 3 different markets: San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles. And for the most part I would say the answer is "it depends". :) I will try to explain my take here:

1.) Dealer 20 groups are typically of the same brand, and over wide markets. So, how many leads should be determined by manufacturer type, PMA, staff, dealership goals, and regional manufacturer's sales volume targets. There should be ratioed expectations, of course. However, the dealers that are really thriving right now are getting back to Sales 101 basics, and they are focusing more on the customer. In addition, there is a great talent pool out there so they are hiring slower and firing faster.

2.) I would want to discuss the origins of the dealership customers themselves. As internet salespeople, they are too often (if not always) called "leads" intsead of "customers". If your dealership is just buying leads and expecting unreasonable results, you need to be sure you have a full plate of your own local market by optimizing your web presense with your home site. How well are you indexing in the major search engine sites like Google, Yahoo and MSN?

3.) I would certainly discuss the quality of these leads, where they are coming from, and how much money those leads are costing. I would hope to discuss all of the lead providers, the quality of their leads overall, and talk to dealers that hold these people accountable for what they are selling you. After all, they are also selling those same leads to your competitors.

4.) I would discuss our home websites as well, particularly the quality of the sites. There should be discussion with other dealers about how they are able to make their dealership very user-freindly and accessible to the potential buyer as well as current owners. How do they optimize those sites? After all, your website is your new "front door".

5.) In terms of ratio expectations, an internet salesperson that can close 15% is great, but what about how they got there. These high-closing salespeople tend to make quick contact with their prospects, and are not afraid to call people.

6.) Good internet salespeople make contact early, but also listen very well to the needs of the potential buyer, which is why they typically average around 35% appointments, 30% of which are confirmed (by a manager or internet director). Of these 30/100 appointments, they should close 15 deals. Your best internet salesperson should be invited to these meetings to discuss their processes.

7.) There also needs to be more emphasis on the perception of the "internet customer". ALL customers now are "internet customers" and some discussion is certainly due to the fact that they are not all there to grind you out on a price. Too much money is left on the table with internet prospects because that money is taken off the table with incorrect perceptions. Not enough attention to selling the value of the dealership, the vehicle and the salesperson.

The internet departments accross the United States are all unique, but share a common goal. To sell more cars! The influence and effect on a dealership of internet departments deserve a 20 Group for sure. However, these Groups need to be more than just number factories and big lunches. Internet 20 Groups need to discuss the "hows" and the "whys" a bit more in detail, have in-depth best practice discussions and hold each other accountable like other 20 Groups.

I would want to have my dealership and the dealerships in my group have some targets to reach between 20 meetings, and hold myself and other members accountable for those targets. If there is some focus on these things, I think the numbers will take care of themselves.

Thanks and I am always available for discussion at rich@dealertraction.com

Rich Mertz

Hey, If anyone knows of a QUALITY Internet Director for the Chicago area.... one of my CLOSEST clients just lost theirs with NO NOTICE... Argh!!!!

This is for a BEAUTIFUL, HUGE and Brand New Honda Dealership!!!!!

Contact me for more details

Google has been adding new features to help small-to-medium sized businesses get noticed in search engine results pages (SERPs). This year, one big change was the renaming of the Local Business Center to Google Places. Along with the name change, this product was retooled to provide business owners with powerful yet easy-to-use tools to help people discover them when they search.

You’re probably already familiar with these free business listings, as they’re often included at the top of the SERPs for relevant search queries. What you may not be familiar with are the changes that might be coming to local search. With Google’s mission to give users the most relevant, high-quality results possible, the search giant has already begun testing a radically new layout, and possibly even a new algorithm, that may affect how your business gets found online. Among the changes spotted in these intermitted tests are as follows:

· The embedded Google Map has been placed along the right sidebar, pushing down AdWords advertisements.

· Reviews are being more prominently displayed.

· The placement, or ranking, of current local listings changes radically in the test.

One thing I noticed in my sneak peek is that organic seems to play a big role in the rankings.

More details: Google local search experiment.

As far as print advertising is concerned. Which magazines have the best (Return On Inquiry) I.E. - Auto Dealer Monthly, Digital Dealer, Auto Success, Ward's Dealer Magazine, etc...? Please share with me your opinions on this and why you feel that one over another is better for reaching the mass audience. Thanks in advance for your input and make it a great day.

Best Regards,

Bill Goodfriend

This was a case study I recently posted on my blog: Automotive Marketing . We ran this study on Dealer Refresh for 2 months. Below you will see the results before adding Car Chat 24 and after. Anyone on Automotiveinternetsales.com that would be interested in a 30 day free trial, feel free to reach out.

If your hairstylist told you they were the authority on marketing, would you believe them? If you tried to cut your hairstylist’s hair, would they let you? The answer to both is probably no, and for good reason. I know that if I picked up a pair of shears, it would be more sheepdog than chic for my unfortunate client. I’m not an expert on haircutting, and my wonderful stylist is not an expert on marketing. We stick to what we know, which is exactly what you should do in social media.

A common social media pitfall is dabbling in the unknown, or what I like to call forgetting your brand. A car dealer should talk cars. A real estate agent should talk houses. Here at TaCito, we talk marketing. But anyway, back to my salon analogy. Whenever I get my haircut, I ask my stylist for her opinion. She references popular culture, shows me pictures, tells me anecdotes. I’m always sold on her opinion, and I let her do whatever she wants to my hair (no small feat for a woman, as most of you know). In other words, I listen to her because she is both authentic and an authority; those traits have changed me from her client to her evangelist.

Social media can have the same application. Why does this matter? Because customers are fickle, but evangelicals are passionate, loyal, and provide powerful word-of-mouth advertising. Somehow, people see you on social media because something has peaked their interest. Take the next step and engage your customer as an authority. People need to know that you know what’s going on in the world (not the whole world, your world. The car world, the real estate world, the marketing world.) They want to see pictures, they want to hear stories, and they want to believe that you are the expert on whatever you are selling. This does not mean sell yourself constantly. Much like I would be annoyed if my hairdresser only talked about how great she is at cutting hair, your customer does not want to hear about how you are the best dealership/agent/marketer. Plus, that’s dull. Show your customers how good you are at what you do, and then allow them to draw their own conclusions. If you’re as good as you say, they’ll be your evangelist, too. Here are some suggestions for being your brand’s authority:

1. Be external. Do not incessantly talk about yourself; talk about things that represent your brand. Share photos, links, stories, videos, etc.
2. Be conversational. No one likes a know-it-all but they do like new information. Share accordingly.
3. Be polite. This means responding to people even if they are criticizing you. 24/7 feedback has its risks, so keep customer service in mind when dealing with someone that is displeased.
4. Be interesting. Like I said, it’s not all about you. 85% of information you put online should be external and sharable (see point 1).

For a great example on a company that is an online authority on their brand, check out Anthropologie. Over 200,000 like them on Facebook and they have seamlessly been able to transition the familiar “best-closet-ever” feel of their stores into an online community. http://www.facebook.com/Anthropologie Or, check out To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit about supporting people who are at-risk to self-hurt. Almost 800,000 people like them on Facebook, encouraged by not only the wonderful cause but the integration of music, blogs, testimonials, and other media.http://www.facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms?v=wall

Ps- If you’re in the Dallas area and want to be as blissfully happy with your hairstylist as I am, go to Pure Salon in Las Colinas and ask for Ashley. 972.717.9200.