I am telling you all that this dealership... John Hinderer Honda is AMAZING. Look at this dealership!! They have a GREAT team. Lets wish them luck and assist them anyway we can in growing their department.
SVB-
Google AIS Custom Search
dealer (382)
Thank you for joining Automotive Internet Sales; we are becoming the fastest growing Social Community site in the Automotive industry!
I would like to make a small request... Can you please upload a profile picture of yourself :) I have received several requests from members asking me to ask the rest of the community to post a picture, its more personal than the AIS logo. This site is designed to be a "Social Community" for Automotive Internet Sales... actually TOTAL Automotive Internet OPERATIONS... Sales, Fixed, F&I, Digital Marketing etc... I want people to feel comfortable here, interact with each other, learn, educate, motivate, inspire, excite :)
THANK YOU AGAIN!!
*** Now, to let everyone know, this site has been live for a little over 2 months and we are working hard daily to build the site up... But this is a community and we are going to need your help to make this site truly amazing. So, please feel free to upload your own content... articles, blogs, pictures, videos etc... If you NEED help or are not sure what type of content to post. PLEASE JUST ASK ME and it would be my pleasure to assist you in doing so... * By you uploading content, you can properly do SEO to it and back link to your dealership or company and increase your overall SEO visibility! (I can show / tell you how to do this as well).
I am in the process of speaking to and recruiting some AMAZING writers, experts, moderators etc... to be a part of this community and lead / moderate discussions, groups and provide subject matter expertise. For example, I am NOT a fixed ops director but I have several that are AMAZING at fixed ops and are part of the community and have already been posting a lot of GREAT content for you all.
I would also like your advice and opinions as to the direction you would like this community to go in... The more feedback we get from the community, the better we can customize this for US!
You will notice that there are about 25 "Groups" that have been created, basically these are areas where you can find specific information in regards to your particular interests / needs... please let me know if you have any ideas on creating additional groups that are not currently there...? Also, I encourage EVERYONE to join and or create a group!
And Finally, I would also request that if you like what you see... if you see value in what are community is doing PLEASE tell everyone :) Invite everyone you can to join AIS!
Have a wonderful day!
SVB-
Jared Hamilton sent out a Tweet that caught my eye about the recent report from Compete that Bing powered search is now 29% of the search market share so I thought it was time to share a few insights into Automotive SEO with Bing and Yahoo. Car dealers need to have a digital marketing strategy for Bing and Yahoo that is independent of what they are doing in Google. Do you have a Bing and Yahoo strategy?
In general, Automotive SEO "basics" apply to Google, Yahoo, and Bing which includes strong page titles, URL names, and relevant content. However there are some big differences. Yahoo and Bing favor sub-domains that are keyword targeted more than Google. Having hundreds of SEO tests running a year, I'll share with you a two examples that demonstrate this sub-domain preference.
Toyota Sale Search
When you search Google for the phrase "Toyota Sale" you will see among the Page One results "www.toyotaforsale.org" which confirms what I have witnessed thousands of times; Google favors exact match domains or near match domains.
Yahoo and Bing on the other-hand will often favor sub-domains more than exact matches when they are properly optimized. A search in Yahoo and Bing show similar results and shows the site http://toyota.cardealersale.com on Page One. The Home Page title on this site is "Toyota Sale | Toyota For Sale". This sub-domain is NOT on Google Page One.
What this means is that you can get on Bing and Yahoo page one for important keywords using a sub-domain microsite strategy.
Jacksonville Hyundai Searches
When exact match domains are not available you can see that sub-domains can also play a major role in achieving visibility for short search phrases. The sub-domain http://jacksonville-hyundai.fl.cardealersale.com is showing on Bing Page One. You will also see in the example below that Bing shows a domain with TWO dashes in the name "www.jacksonville-hyundai-fl.com" which you will normal NOT see appear on Google Page One. Bing and Yahoo like these dashed domains!
OEM Compliance With Sub-Domains
Most dealers also should know that OEM are more tolerant with sub-domain microsites that stand-alone microsites on a new domain. For example, http://service.irvinebmw.com is a service microsite but it is associated with the primary dealer domain and thus complies with BMW microsite regulations. For Toyota warranty information, Acton Toyota created http://warranty.actontoyota.com which indexes nationally on Page One for a search on Toyota Warranty.
In summary, there are more ways to gain Page One exposure on Yahoo and Bing than in Google and this means that the early bird will get the worm.
Automotive SEO Conference
Do you want to learn more about digital marketing? Come out a few days early before NADA and attend the 2011 Digital Marketing Strategies Conference February 1-3, 2011 which is right before the NADA Convention in San Francisco.
Register online at: http://www.digitalmarketingstrategies.org.
The conference has attracted some of the top speakers and educators in the automotive industry and if you are looking to lock in a successful digital marketing attack in your PMA in 2011, you need to be in attendance.
PRICE PRICE PRICE....Well take a look at these numbers!! AutoUSA is a lead source provider to 4000+ dealerships nationwide!
http://www.imakenews.com/autosuccess/e_article001976082.cfm?x=bhTC7kM,b7Wgd1Lp
VERY interesting article...look at what MOST dealerships recognize as the main reasons for growth (where is PRICE at on that list?!?). This why it is so very important to not only be online, but also have a GOOD reputation and reviews by our customers that we deal with everyday! Make sure that when our internet customers close thier eyes and invision your dealership(s)...what do they see? An untrustworthy place to do business? or a fun and easy place to purchase their next vehicle???
You must have a "difference" in the way you do business and treat customers...rather than be the Badger Salesman (see the "Fun Stuff" Group if you have NEVER seen the badger!)
A proven better solution to "buying more 3rd party leads" - as the article suggested dealers are doing moving into 2011 - we all know that generating our OWN leads is a much more successful operation in overall closing ratio, not to mention name exposure and exclusivity.
If you need any help with your Digital Marketing, Social Media, Online Reputation, and/or overall exposure on the Internet, please don't hesitate to contact me personally for a FREE Synergy Session, and a customized digital solution for your dealer group! Happy New Year to everyone!!
Andy Fedo
VP of Training
As I sit down to write this post, I’m reminded of a situation where I once had to break the news to the owner of a dealership that he needed $1 million cash infusion to keep his store running. He’d been doing things the same way for years and it cost him dearly. The signs of demise were always there, predictions were made, but he chose not to act.
It’s a similar story with Social Media and online reputations for dealerships today. Doing things the same old way will not cut it in this new economy. The following is a list of my top 6 Social Media predictions for dealerships in 2011. Some points could be considered wishes but hey, a girl’s gotta dream, right?:
1. There will be more Adopters and less Adopt-Laters. Dealerships will buy into the fact that a well-defined strategy for Social Media generates leads. It’s not about waiting for the customer to come through the door anymore. It’s about meeting the customer where they are and listening. Everyone will become better for this.
2. Dealerships will realize they can’t do it alone. Social Media is part PR, part marketing, part advertising, part geek…with a twist. The futility will become clear in the thought that Social Media and online reputations can be managed in someone’s spare time. They’ll see that the Internet Sales Dept is there to field the leads that come from Social Media and that those sales professionals can’t do that when they’re struggling to find content to attract new buyers.
3. Dealerships will allocate 25% of their advertising/marketing budget to Social Media and Online Reputation Management. Ford did it in 2010 and they’re now the leader on Social networks.
4. Dealerships will stop “blocking” Social Media sites from their staff’s workstations. They’ll establish a clear Social Media policy and fear will no longer blind management’s ability to see the value in having employees–their ‘brand advocates’–share cool things about the store to their trusted networks. Management will understand that staff is already using Social Media on their phones and laptops so blocking is pointless. Sure, it’s a shift in the way we measure productivity but by using positive reinforcement and recognition, management will be able to drive employee enthusiasm. The benefit will be that when the staff shares their enthusiasm with customers, it’s contagious.
5. Dealerships will recognize that content rules. Social Media is not only about a new medium, it’s about new and more meaningful marketing messages. Here’s what killer content does:
- Attracts customers
- Educates buyers
- Establishes credibility and trust
- Builds buzz throughout Social Networks
- Inspires customers to love you
- Increases your PageRank in SEO
….and it generates word-of-mouth and quality leads!
6. Dealerships and managers will have the patience it takes to build a following on Social Media. We all remember how comfortable it was to sit with the print advertising rep each week, design our ads and watch the customers come in the door. Dealerships in 2011 will see that today’s customer wants to buy or service their car from someone they know, like and trust. They’ll accept that Social Media relationships take time to build and this will encourage more dealerships to start using Social Media and integrate it into their budgets for 2011. The payoff is Customers for Life!
John Wannamaker, often considered the father of the modern department store and modern advertising was quoted about 90 years ago as saying “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.”
Unfortunately, this problem holds true for many car dealerships (perhaps not as dramatic as quoted by John Wannamaker). However, there is no question that advertising seepage and waste is one of the most pressing concerns for advertisers and reducing that ALONE should dramatically improve your advertising ROI without additional investments.
Therefore, as you plan your advertising strategy for 2011 what plans are you implementing to:
- Reduce the percent of advertising seepage?
- Find out which ‘half’ of your advertising investment is being wasted?
- Measure and track your advertising channels to determine which is NOT meeting your minimum advertising ROI requirements?
- Cost benefit analysis to determine how much say a 5% reduction in advertising seepage will mean to your bottom line?
- What specific strategies you can put in place to reduce advertising seepage?
- What specific strategies can you put in place to stay in touch and engage your existing customers?
- How do you plan to increase your parts, service and maintenance revenue with your existing customer base?
- Have you claimed Your FREE Google Local Places Listing and is it adequately optimized and mobile device enabled?
- Are you still advertising in the Yellow Pages? Do you know your marketing ROI for this channel?
Now, before we move on, let’s discuss WHY advertising seepage occurs. Let’s assume that you advertise only in the newspapers and Yellow Pages. You place your full page ad, with pictures of the cars you want to promote, your financing options, your phone or vanity #, address and website address. While this well and good, unless you have a short code keyword or something that tie the two channels together, you will miss the % of your potential customers who prefer to use a mobile device to communicate and you are ignoring the largest growing segment of your potential target population.
According to EMarketer (Nov 2009), the % of mobile phone users is expected to increase at a rate of about 20% EACH year between 2008 and 2013 and as % of total US population, increase from about 16.7% in 2008 to 39.5% in 2013. In addition, according to Center for Media Research (Sept 2009), “80% of local media execs believe mobile will be the main distribution to consumers within 3 years”.
The New Multi-media Environment Calls For An Integrated Advertising Strategy.
Fortunately, there is a way for auto dealers to adopt this trend quickly, inexpensively and seamlessly into their current online and offline advertising strategies. The use of short code text messaging is already widespread. Adding this ONE keyword to all your advertising channels will vastly improve your response, leads and conversion rates.
Note that widely popular television shows such as “American Idol” and “Dancing With The Stars” give their viewers the option of calling or texting a vote to their favorite performer.
A catchy and memorable keyword in addition to a vanity # are a powerful combination to get your dealership’s name and brand message to consumers.
The multi-media car dealer will use their keyword, in the words of Thomas Hensey (Rhino Marketing), to “identify, find, touch and thrill” the target customer by offering them an incentive to text to their database. The dealer will then send the customer to their mobile website ad, featuring their specials, while at the same time sending that ad to YouTube and Social media.
In the process, the dealership builds a text messaging database of inquiries, leads, and customers for ongoing, periodic follow up. So long as the dealer continues to “touch and thrill” their database, they will be able to increase new sales, service and maintenance revenues.
The key to reducing advertising seepage and increasein sales and revenue is the ability to integrate ALL your advertising channels, and the short code keyword provides the dealer an inexpensive, quick and seamless way to do so.
Michael Ofori is President of MVO & Associates, LLC, a multi-media advertising agency and can be reached at 978-631-0363 email mike@multimediaadvertising.biz
A great question was asked just over 24 hours ago, and I would like some of our "phone ninjas" to give opinions on how they address the issue of "price" without giving a price...? As we know, we can create value in ourselves, and our dealership value package to make price not the most important thing in the whole mix if we have other things to offer to ensure it's the BEST DEAL!
We also know that most customer won't be leaving the dealership with the exact vehicle that they originally inquired about, so chances are details about pricing, options, color, etc...are going to change a few times before our customer's buying process is over. Having said that...
http://automotiveinternetsales.com/group/customerloyaltyownerretention
Please join the group and post any feedback/comments in the Group Discussion, and be sure to look at which other groups listed interest you! Happy Selling!! (and New Year!)
Andy Fedo
VP of Training
Automotive Internet Sales Expert Sean V. Bradley is Speaking & Exhibiting at the NADA Convention in San Francisco February 2011
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Sean V. Bradley, CEO and Founder of Dealer Synergy, a nationally recognized and award winning training, consulting and digital marketing company for the automotive industry has been selected to be a speaker at the upcoming National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention in San Francisco being held on February 5-7, 2011. This will be Sean V. Bradley's 3rd consecutive year as a Top Rated NADA Convention Speaker and Exhibitor. Sean and the Dealer Synergy team will be at Booth #4464N in the NADA Exhibitor Hall. Sean V. Bradley is one of the Automotive Industry's Pioneers for Video Search Engine Optimization. Sean was the first person to introduce Video Search Engine Optimization to the Automotive industry in 2006. Sean V. Bradley has spoken on the subject of Automotive Video Search Engine Optimization at all major events in the Automotive industry, including Digital Dealer, Synergy Sessions, NADA and NCM 20 groups as well as his previous two years as an NADA Convention Speaker. As a matter of fact Sean V. Bradley has received some of the highest scores from NADA attendees year after year for both content of his workshop as well as Sean's ability to captivate his audience as a charismatic public speaker.
The economy is coming back and it is coming back strong for the Automotive industry. Dealers are looking for new ways to sell more cars, more often and more profitably. There is NO better way than through Internet Sales and Digital Marketing / Social Media. Sean has evolved his powerful philosophy and digital marketing strategy of Video Search Engine Optimization to include "Social Media Search Engine Optimization". Social Media is the #1 form of communication on the planet and Facebook is the #1 website on the planet. Properly trained, dealerships can take advantage of the POWER of Social Media and Search Engine Optimization to drive massive amounts of organic traffic to the dealership's website or focus sites. So, when you combine the power and value of "Video Search Engine Optimization with the power and value of "Social Media Search Engine Optimization," the synergistic opportunities and results are amazing.
Sean V. Bradley is the #1 Automotive Internet Sales Trainer and Consultant in the industry with almost 12 years Automotive Internet Sales, Business Development and Digital Marketing experience. Sean is also a Certified FranklinCovey Trainer / Facilitator on the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" Curriculum, as well as a member of the National Speaker's Association (NSA). Sean V. Bradley is the creator of the www.internetsales20group.com (Internet sales 20 Group) as well as the "Cyber 20 Group" www.automotiveinternetsales.com.
NADA attendees can see Sean's Workshop on Video and Social Media Search Engine Optimization on the following days and times:
Saturday, February 5 11:00 AM Room: 2011 West
Sunday, February 6 11:00 AM Room: 2024 West
Monday, February 7 10:30 AM Room: 2011 West
The Dealer Synergy team will be available at Booth 4464N for demos as well as to answer any and all questions. Sean V. Bradley will also be at the booth conducting LIVE training on Automotive Internet Sales and Digital Marketing / Social Media.
Dealer Synergy, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an Award Winning Training, consulting and Digital Marketing Company. 888-379-6374
SOURCE Synergized Media
Happy New Year !! Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful New Year! 2011 is going to be a great year! Wishing everyone good health, success and happiness in the New Year. From my family to your family HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dealersynergy/3420894237/ I wanted to congratulate Rob Fontano on his recent cover story. I have had the opportunity to watch Rob evolve over the years and am excited for all of his success. Rob has been through several Dealer Synergy training workshops over the years. I have attached a Flickr link in the post of Rob Fontano and Football great Keith Byars (Formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins). I had Keith Byars as a guest speaker at one of my "Internet Director Immersion Programs" and as a guest speaker at NADA in 2009.
I think Rob came to my "Director Immersion Program" JUST FOR KEITH BYARS LOL! (It was his second Sean V. Bradley / Dealer Synergy workshop!
For all "Automtoive Internet Sales" members... you should really read his article and maybe even reach out to Rob on AIS... He is an awesome person and a great Internet Sales Professional!
Good memories my friend!! And I see that VSEO is working well for you too :)
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/e8e0b8bc#/e8e0b8bc/1
Hello All,
Just wanted to send out a reminder that the contest for all my fellow "Phone Ninja's" is going to end on December 31st, So please make sure you have submitted your best objections and rebuttals in order to win some great prizes. Just take a few moments and think of that 1 customer that really was hard to deal with and let us know how you were able to overcome their objections and get them into the dealership. So far I have received some great entries but I am still looking for some more. Hope everyone had a Wonderful Holiday and also that you have a WONDERFUL NEW YEAR! Lets work hard and make 2011 a GREAT YEAR!!!
Thank You,
Kristy Ehmann
Dealer Synergy
Over a foot of snow in Philadelphia! Funday Monday....and back to work! Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend, I know I had a very eventful 3 day weekend, and ready to finish the year strong!! We have 5 days to get in all that we can...STAY FOCUSED!! :)
We just added "Groups" to the website, and will be continuing to better the website with some enhancements coming into 2011. Click on the section on the bottom left side of the page, and take a look at some of the topics that interest you. As always, I encourage comments, feedback and questions so we can all "synergize" to get better at what we do.
I'm proud to say that not only will Sean Bradley be a featured speaker all 3 days at the NADA conference, but we will also be holding a MAJOR Press Conference with some exciting announcements for Dealer Synergy for the New Year!
WOW! The Holiday Season is here! Did it creep up on you too? Where has the last month gone!?!
I know I have had my head down working hard to make sure that Dealer Synergy is prepped and ready for 2011, but I did want to stop everything I am doing just for a few minutes and...
Wish everyone a very wonderful, merry, joyful, happy, safe and prosperous Holiday Season and New Year!! I hope everyone gets what they want, and especially gets time to spend with great family and friends! Enjoy it!!
Best Wishes,
Andy Fedo
VP of Training
Dealer Synergy
http://www.facebook.com/seanvbradley
INSIDE a LIVE Training WORKSHOP on Objections, Expectations & Rebuttals... Automotive Internet Sales Ninjas in TRAINING!
VERY POWERFUL!!! Notice... They are NOT using ANY Scripts or Books!!! All on the FIRST DAY! Go Team GO!
http://www.facebook.com/seanvbradley
I would like to start off by saying “Happy Holidays". I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful holiday season.
The "Holiday Season" is in full effect and the end of the year approaching quickly, I am hoping all of you are using this time of the year to your benefit. This is the best time of the year to set and close more appointments than any other month of the calendar year. Customer's are in "Shopping/Buying" mode during the holidays so use this mentality to your advantage!!
With that being said, my question to each "Phone Ninja" out there is this.....
- What issue/objection are you hearing customers say most and trying to overcome?
- How and what rebuttal have you been using to overcome these objections?
In order to make this a little more interesting and to generate some feedback, I would like to make this a little contest. We are going to judge who came up with the best, well thought out rebuttal and give away a holiday prize!
So please take a moment and think of each call you have taken and decide what is the most common objection you’re dealing with on a daily basis and how have you effectively overcame this objection. Is it the customer who is waiting till tax time to purchase a new vehicle? Is it the customer who has to wait till after the holidays to see how much money they have left to put down on a new vehicle?
I look forward to hearing from everyone and seeing how and what you said to help your customers and set more appointments. Once again Happy Holidays!
Thank You,
Kristy Ehmann
Dealer Synergy
First, let’s look at the media advertising landscape for 2011; then determine how your strategy fits into that and more importantly, how you are going to maximize your advertising ROI within these parameters.
According to Carat, a leading independent media communications agency, total ad spend in the US is expected to increase by 1.7% in 2011. “All media are expected to return to growth, except for the newspaper sector, which, along with magazines, is expected to be the weakest performer. The two biggest areas of growth are internet and television, followed by radio, outdoor and cinema… Online continues to capture a bigger percentage of the media spend in 2010 at 11.3%, increasing to 12.1% in 2011”.
The trend towards mobile smart phone devices to reach people on the move cannot be over-emphasized.
Now, given this landscape let me ask you the following questions:
- What is your advertising strategy for 2011?
- Do you have a plan to minimize advertising leakage or waste?
- Do you have an integrated multi-media advertising strategy across ALL your media channels to maximize advertising message, leads and conversion?
- Do you have a rigorous tracking mechanism in place know which channel provided the best ROI, and more importantly, to quickly adapt to changing response, leads and conversion patterns?
Despite the changing demographic and ad spend landscape many automobile dealers continue to devote the majority of their ad budgets to TV, newspapers and radio. It is true that the internet is getting a larger share of today’s ad budget, however, there is NO INTREGRATED strategy yet in place to minimize advertising leakage or waste.
Every month, the average automobile dealership spends about $50,000 in advertising and the average dealership will use a combination of TV, newspaper and magazines, radio, direct mail and the internet to advertise. The critical question is WHETHER all of these channels are integrated in a way where EACH channel provides input into the other that validates the dealer’s brand message.
In my opinion, the most ROI effective, integrated advertising strategy MUST encompass the following and include an appropriate, affordable, easy to implement online platform to enable seamless execution:
- TV: You are already spending money here so make sure you include your toll free #, website info and provide an incentive for your watchers to respond to your shortcode keyword.
- Newspapers & Magazines, Radio & Direct Mail: A contact phone #, website and shortcode keyword are critical here. Note that a response to your shortcode keyword will allow you to direct your customers by smart phone to your mobile website, YouTube and Social Media sites.
- Your Online Website: Must be well planned, easy to navigate and SEO optimized. Do not forget a call to action to your shortcode keyword.
- SMS Text Marketing Platform (Opt-in): If you do not have this, you are missing a HUGE part of your potential audience. For people on the go, you can push through instant coupons, discounts, contests and gratification.
- Automated Submission Of Ads On YouTube & Social Media: Your presence in this space without a lot of effort and resources is key. Tie in with the other strategies produces maximum results.
- Automated Mobile Website Capacity: This is critical in today’s smart phone environment and to reach the Y generation.
- Tracking & Measurement: Having a separate shortcode keyword for each advertising channel will allow you to track responses, leads, conversions and ongoing customer lifetime value. This will also show you over time which channel represent you most effective ROI and potentially reduce your ad spend.
Once you have your prospects and customers’ keycode contact #, you can now send your prospects periodic new sales specials and coupons, and for existing customers, reminders and/or coupons for maintenance and other services.
Now, you are wondering HOW you could do all that without substantial incremental expense. First, doing this for 6 - 9months should show you which channels have the smallest or even negative ROI for possible elimination. Second, the potential incremental sales from this strategy should more than make up for any additional expense with this strategy.
You can position your company today to capitalize on the new advertising landscape by incorporating these multi-media advertising strategies to improve your ROI. Many of your competition are already doing it.
If you want to find our how other automobile dealerships are using this strategy, please contact me.
http://www.internetsales20group.com
Former General Manager of the World's Largest Dealership "AutoLand" in NJ Mike Cola is interviewed by Automotive Internet Sales
