Most Internet marketing experts will agree that driving traffic to your website results in the most valuable leads you can get – if you can convert visitors into leads. Just like the old adage, “volume is vanity, gross is sanity,” your website traffic is only worthwhile if you’re effectively converting it into sales opportunities.

According to an advertising efficacy study by Dataium, an average of 55 percent of dealerships’ online advertising budgets are devoted to paid search engine marketing, but just six percent of dealership website traffic is referred by paid search keywords, and less than one percent of this traffic resulted in email form leads submitted on dealership websites. While effective SEO/SEM campaigns are necessary up to a certain point, eventually the law of diminishing returns kicks in. How much more are you willing to spend for a search term that attracts 100 more unique visitors when only one or two of those visitors will convert into leads?

Compounding the challenge of effective SEM campaigns is the cost. Many website vendors and Internet marketing gurus push dealers to pay more for “their” search terms because other parties-- competitors, independent lead providers, auto shopping websites-- are all buying up the search terms and bidding up prices. To some extent, this is true: it's open competition, and automotive retail isn't the only industry subject to it. Companies in every industry must aggressively compete to attract online customers with increasingly sophisticated SEM campaigns.

Since search is now integrated into the consumer’s everyday experience, it’s also important to pay attention to changing consumer behavior and modify your campaigns accordingly. According to a study by Slingshot SEO, more than 80% of search terms today use five or six keywords. Users are becoming more sophisticated with their search terms and demanding results that deliver exactly what they're looking for. If you are a Toyota dealer in Chicago and you think you can attain a page one search engine ranking simply by paying a lot for the terms "Toyota" and "Chicago," or your website content is the same as it’s been since you optimized it for search 5 years ago, you will be disappointed.

As the competition, sophistication, and challenges increase, your ability to convert precious, valuable search-generated traffic must improve. The average conversion rate for dealership websites is estimated to be between two and four percent. Some dealers claim conversion rates more than double this percentage. What if you could double the number of leads you receive from your dealership website, without spending a penny more on SEO/SEM campaigns? Increasing conversion is the key to achieving this goal.

To convert more visitors, try this three-pronged approach:

1) Content. Keep the content on your website engaging, up-to-date, educational, and include "calls to action" on every page. Also be sure that your content supports your brand consistently. If you're a family-owned business heavily involved in your community, ensure that your website content reflects and promotes this.

2) Conversion Tools. An increasing number of tools are available that are designed to engage visitors and keep them on your website. Chat applications are one of the most successful conversion tools; so are payment marketing tools like trade-in calculators and shop-by-payment tools like Payment Pro. Incentives and coupons have all been shown to increase conversion rates.

3) Marketing. Conversion tools will convert, but only to the extent that your website visitors know about them and use them. Don't expect them to just stumble across the latest tool or gadget on your site and start using it, unless they know what to expect. For instance, if you have a payment marketing tool, create a marketing campaign to educate your customers about their credit score and to let them know they can get accurate payment quotes without affecting their credit score. A full-blown marketing campaign might include the following elements: e-mail, a dedicated area on your website landing page featuring the benefits of shopping by payment, a blog, a video of one of your salespeople explaining the benefits, geo-targeted banner ads, and more.

If you have found that funneling more of your budget into SEO/SEM campaigns isn't getting you a proportional increase in website visitors, try focusing on increasing your conversion rate. Customers will stay on your site if they find what they are looking for, so figure out what that is and provide it to them to increase your website lead count and quality.

http://www.dealersynergy.com 856-546-2440
Internet Deptartment and Management: Getting on the Same Page - Automotive Sales - Car Sales

http://www.internetsales20group.com 

One of the things I tend to see most when training with Internet Coordinators or BDC Reps all across the country, is that not many of them take the time to identify who they are and what they do at the dealership. Before I continue, lets go over a few statistics that might help to shed a little light on the importance of implementing this strategy. 

• 92-99% of People Go Online before stepping foot into your dealership.
• People are shopping on Average 5-8 other dealerships besides yours. 
• This means there are 5-8 other  dealerships trying to contact that very same person you are.
• Sales People, especially in the Automotive world tend to have a "Negative Stereotype".

Why Identify yourself on a call you ask? If I was to call you and say, Hello! May I speak to "Mr. Johnson" ? This is Anthony calling on behalf of Autobytel and ABC Motors....Did I catch you at a good time? What would you assume my job to be within the dealership if I didn't verbalize it to you during the phone call? Most likely a Sales Person, Wouldn't you agree? When a prospect believes that he/she is on the phone with a typical "Sales Person", their Defensive Mechanisms are triggered that much easier, which will result in a very low success rate as it relates to setting appointments. This is where letting the prospect know what you do is vital to increasing the odds in setting an appointment and at the same time, builds value into why it is so great they are talking to you...the "Internet Coordinator". I would say something like the following to get the prospect to Like, Trust and Believe in me.....

Mr./Mr.s Customer, I'm actually not a Sales Person. I'm what you call an Internet Coordinator, you can think of me as like your personal "Car Concierge" or sort of like your "Liaison" to the Sale. You must have went online to get your research done and thats actually what I specialize in and do for customers just like yourself on a daily basis. I will provide you with all the relevant information about the vehicle or vehicles of your interest, send you some emails with videos of the entire vehicle inside & Out and any other information you may need to help you make the best informed decision. This way,when you feel comfortable, I would like to Set you an Exclusive V.I.P. appointment with my Internet Manager as opposed to a Sales Person. This will save you a tremendous amount of time inside the dealership, your vehicle of interest will be ready and waiting for you to test drive and their will be someone waiting for you to show up, saving you at least 45 minutes in the dealership.

Always Remember...there are at least 5-8 other dealerships that this prospect has looked at besides yours, that means there are 5-8 other people calling that same prospect. It makes perfect sense to tell this person exactly who you are, what you do and most importantly, what makes you so much better than the 5-8 other people calling! "Price is only relevant with the absence of value"......Start by building VALUE in yourself....the INTERNET COORDINATOR!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at anthony@dealersynergy.com or conatct me directly via my cell phone at 732-456-0753.

"If you want the things most people do not have, you must be willing to do the things most people are not willing to do to get them"

It's that time again! AutoUSA is collecting responses to its annual Fall Internet Marketing survey. Sales Managers, Sales Directors, Internet Sales Managers, BDC Managers, Internet Directors, General Managers, dealer principals and others involved in auto dealership Internet Marketing are invited to participate.

The survey is just 15 questions and will take less than 15 minutes to complete. When all responses are collected, we will randomly select one survey participant to receive a $300 Visa gift card. But you can't win if you don't answer the questions! Please click on the link below to get started, and in less time than it takes to finish your cup of coffee, you will be entered into the prize drawing. In order to be eligible for the prize, you must work at a dealership and be a resident of the U.S. or Canada.

Thank you so much for your time and participation!

Click here to get started:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AutoUSAFall2013AIS

http://www.dealersynergy.com
Internet Director That Sold 150+ Units Per Month ONLINE Gets Promoted To General Manager
Joe Cala has 12 years Automotive Sales Experience, holding positions in:

* Showroom Sales

* New Car Sales Manager

* Used Car Manager

* Internet Sales Manager

* Internet / BDC Director

Joe Cala also worked for 1 year as an Autotrader Account Executive.

Joe is going to make an incredible General Manager of Dealer Synergy

http://www.internetsales20group.com

Yelp and Siri Integration

http://www.internetsales20group.com 

Gaining the Competitive Edge As A Member Of A 20 Group

Before I go into the “why”, let’s discuss the “what”. Specifically, what is a 20 group? A “20 Group” is a group of dealers in noncompeting markets that get together in exotic locations nationally and internationally, on a quarterly basis, to “synergize”. Although once required that a group consist of approximately 20 dealers (hence the name “20 Group”), this does not always hold true today. Some “20 groups” consist of 30 dealers while others may only consist of 15. Ultimately, the number of dealers in the group is not as relevant as the criteria by which the group itself is structured.

Today 20 Groups are structured a little differently, but it’s important to understand their origin in order to appreciate their evolution. Originally, the 20 group audience was composed of Dealer Principals, General Managers and/or senior executives of the dealership. It also originally focused on franchise dealerships. For example, in a “Toyota” 20 Group, you would find 20 different Toyota dealerships from 20 different markets, usually from all over the country. But even though the franchise was exactly the same, diversity still existed within the “Toyota” 20 group itself. For example, you could have dealerships that were small, large, part of a dealer group, part of a corporation, in a rural area, in the city, single point or part of a multi franchise point; all with different strengths, weaknesses, passions and fears. These dealers were intentionally diverse. This was imperative to the success of the 20 group to ensure impartial feedback.

Some of the most common areas of comparison, coverage and discussion in a traditional 20 group were:

• Financial Composite
  • Expenses
  • Gross
  • Net
  • ROI
  • S.W.O.T.

• Break Down of Different Departments
  • New Car Sales
  • Used Car Sales
  • Advertising / Marketing
  • Vendors / Suppliers
  • CSI / Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Legal
  • OEM Situations
  • Accounting / Floor Plan

• And More…

How was the data collected? Each dealer within the 20 Group would be responsible for filling out their “input sheets”, which would become part of the overall 20 group composite. The input sheets worked as the core for analyzing all of the details, metrics and financials mentioned above. The sheer act of an individual dealership filling out an input sheet and tracking the proper metrics was worth the price of membership. Always remember, what isn’t being tracked, can’t be measured and what can’t be measured, cannot be improved upon. Surprisingly, a lot of dealerships today still simply “wing it”. The 20 group input sheets forces the dealers to hold themselves accountable because they have no choice but to fill them out. Lack of doing so could lead to the dealer being fined or worse yet, kicked out of the 20 group completely. After all, in order for the composite to hold its validity, the numbers must be true. Garbage in equates to garbage out.  Now with those completed input sheets, the 20 group, led by the 20 Group “Moderator”, was able to take the dealers individual metrics and consolidate all 20 dealerships’ input sheets into the group’s composite. Upon consolidation of the metrics, the moderator and each dealer within the 20 group, is able to see the entire 20 Group in one view and see which dealers are excelling and which individual category they are excelling in. On the opposite spectrum, the group could see which dealers are struggling, where and why.  From this data, the group could create “standards” or “benchmarks”. The group could see who is above, below or on track for 20 Group standards. But, this is only the beginning. Now that all of this “field intelligence” has been exposed, the real “SYNERGY” begins! Within each individual 20 Group session, dealers spend time discussing what is successful, what vendors are good and what strategies are successful. Also, what vendors are bad and what to do when bad things happen. In essence, the composite acts as a conversational starter. The true value is being part of a specific group of like minded people, at your level (or better) and the group works together for one sole goal…to evolve the entire group synergistically.

The core principals described above still remain constant and relevant for today’s 20 groups. People need cars today like they needed cars back then. That hasn’t changed. But what has changed, is the medium by which people are buying cars. With 97% of consumers going online prior to stepping foot into a dealership, the Internet Sales Department was created. As mentioned, 20 Groups originally were for franchised dealers and broken down by franchise. Soon after, Independent Dealership 20 Groups started popping up, followed by:

• Used Car 20 Groups
• Special Finance 20 Groups
• GM 20 Groups
• CFO 20 Groups
• Internet Sales 20 Groups

20 Groups are essential for success in today’s market. Shakespeare said “Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are”.  If you are a Dealer Principal, GM, Internet Sales or BDC Director or any other senior executive within a dealership or dealer group, I suggest that you find a 20 Group that fits your dealership’s focus and needs.

Remember to find the RIGHT 20 Group for your unique needs and situation. You do not want to join a CFO 20 Group if you are looking for BDC information and clarity. Just like you wouldn’t hire a Service Writer Trainer to train your Internet Sales Department, you do not want to join a “traditional” 20 Group if you need information, strategy and clarity for Internet Sales. I also suggest that you are careful with 20 Groups that claim to do “everything”. Dr Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, says “Put First Things First”. Meaning, you want to identify which area of the dealership you want to perfect first and concentrate solely on that department. Once you solidify the success of that specific department, you can move on to the next focus. For example, if you want to compare and synergize with other Porsche Dealerships, then join a Porsche 20 Group. But if you are looking for clarity on your Internet Sales Department, BDC or Digital Marketing initiative, then find a 20 group that specializes in that area. 

It's that time again! AutoUSA is collecting responses to its annual Fall Internet Marketing survey. Sales Managers, Sales Directors, Internet Sales Managers, BDC Managers, Internet Directors, General Managers, dealer principals and others involved in auto dealership Internet Marketing are invited to participate.

The survey is just 15 questions and will take less than 15 minutes to complete. When all responses are collected, we will randomly select one survey participant to receive a $300 Visa gift card. But you can't win if you don't answer the questions! Please click on the link below to get started, and in less time than it takes to finish your cup of coffee, you will be entered into the prize drawing. In order to be eligible for the prize, you must work at a dealership and be a resident of the U.S. or Canada.

Thank you so much for your time and participation!

Click here to get started:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AutoUSAFall2013AIS

http://www.internetsales20group.com

Danny Benites, GM Of Greg Lair Buick GMC Will Be a Panelist At Internet Sales 20 Group Los Angeles

http://www.internetsales20group.com

http://www.internetsales20group.com
Danny Alkassmi, Odo Club Promotional Special For Internet Sales 20 Group Members ONLY

http://www.internetsales20group.com

The Alpha Dog, Jim Ziegler wants you to sign up now for the 4th National Internet Sales 20 Group, November 12, 13 and 14 in Los Angeles California BEFORE It Sells Out.

Jim even gives his personal phone number and invites Dealers to call him directly for details.

The Internet Sales 20 Group is going to be Epic!

2013 is shaping up to be a good year for auto retailers, with sales expected to top 15 million for the first time since 2007. Several contributing factors to this success are credit-related, with more consumers qualifying for loans, lengthier terms and rising interest rates.

In its June 2013 State of the Automotive Finance report, Experian documents that subprime loans are on the rise again and that consumers within all credit tiers were able to obtain financing in Q1 of 2013. Most notably, loans going to consumers with credit outside of prime jumped to 45% percent of the overall loan market in Q1 2013, up from 44% percent in Q1 2012.

Many car buyers were taken out of the market over the last few years thanks to tight credit standards, and they may not understand that the market now provides them with options they didn’t have before.

Here’s how to leverage the latest credit trends:

1) Consumers Qualifying for Loans with Lower Credit Scores

If you track why people don’t buy from you, now is the time to go through your CRM and contact all prospects that were rejected for loans in the last few years. Create an e-mail marketing campaign letting them know that lenders are easing up on credit conditions and that your dealership may be able to help them finance a new or used car now.

2) Lengthier Loans Becoming the Norm

According to Experian, 63% of car loans in Q1 of 2013 were for more than five years, and about 20% were for more than six years. Lenders are finding that consumers are less likely to walk away from their cars than they are from their homes, and therefore auto loans are less risky.

Showing a low, teaser-style payment is attractive, but a comparative payment helps consumers make a decision. Show prospects a comparison on how extending the length of a loan may help to lower their monthly payment, and it’s both helpful to them and a “forced choice” close.

3) Rising Interest Rates Help Create Sense of Urgency

The average interest rate for a five-year new car loan is around 4.08% according to Bankrate.com, down slightly from 4.46% a year ago. That’s still very low, but recent spikes in U.S. Treasury bond rates and mortgage interest rates have sparked fears that the Fed may have to raise interest rates before their target date of 2015.

If a prospect says they may wait a while to buy, tell them it would be prudent to lock in a low interest rate auto loan sooner rather than later. The media’s your friend here since they’ve been focusing on the effect of rising interest rates on housing purchases. Provide your customers with a calculation of what their desired car will cost them with a 4% interest rate compared to 6% over the course of a five-year loan. For instance:

A difference of $20 a month may not seem like much, but over five years the higher interest rate adds an additional $1,200 in finance charges. Car buyers could use that extra money for a vacation somewhere (in their new vehicle!)

Finally, extend this philosophy to your website to increase your conversion rate. Having payment marketing tools on your website, such as Payment Pro’s Shop-By-Payment, combined with a targeted marketing campaign that shows customers their financing options will help drive buyers to your website. 

http://www.internetsales20group.com
Sign Up For The Most Powerful Workshop In The Automotive Sales Industry - Internet Sales 20 Group

http://www.internetsales20group.com
Sean V. Bradley Ft. Kalina Bradley "Stop Making Excuses" Success Is In YOUR Power & Control

12 year old Kalina S. Bradley discusses insight of the "7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens" as well as the "Secret". Kalina at age 12 has a very balanced life and a clear understanding of what success and "effectiveness" means...

http://www.internetsales20group.com
Internet Sales 20 Group Los Angeles, California - November 12, 13 & 14

http://www.internetbattleplan.com 

Jim Ziegler's Internet Battle Plan XIV - Las Vegas - August 13th, 14th & 15th 

http://www.internetsales20group.com 

AutoSuccess Cover Story, Chris Carlson Will be A Speaker At Internet Sales 20 Group