Anyone using Wordpress to post vehicle inventory?

[Dan Sayer]

I have been toying with an idea to try to get into the dealer websites.

@Carsten thanks for the backstory. DDC is Dealer.com who is an OG dealer website provider within automotive. All of our OEM program websites are on their platform because we are forced to select from a list of providers. The game for any vendor (website, widgets, agency) within auto is to get a certification from an OEM to be able to "pay to play" and be allowed to actually build websites for franchise dealers. @csabatka1 can tell you how that looks. We just recently caved to Kia and moved from his WP sites to two more DDC Kia sites and they suck compared to his BUT there is a lot of money that dealers lose by not falling in line with an OEM program provider.

As far as WP, I think the reaction you're getting is because you're reducing it to only fools or those asking for a good hacking would use WP. One of the largest providers of websites for auto is DealerInspire who builds on the WP platform. They sold to Cars Inc for $140M give or take in 2018 so they were doing something right as well as they have the majority of OEM blessings to be able to sell websites to dealers. There are plenty of other vendors in the forum that have been hacking their way into automotive retail for years. I would seek them out to learn where your time breaking into the industry is best spent. You are right, it isn't in a DMS lol

 

[Chris Cachor]

Yea also important to note Wordpress' reputation has changed over the years. The plugin ecosystem around it I always thought was very good. If you're a small vendor looking to differentiate yourself, rolling your own CMS isn't the place to start. Wordpress works just fine. More importantly, dealers are paying for this service, so it shouldn't even be something they're too worried about. Let the developers and "site flippers" take care of that stuff.

 

[Carsten]

@Dan Sayer Thanks for the insights. True about WP. You really need to know the pitfalls that are related to using it.

As for DealerInspire, I would imagine it wasn't really the technology that was bought but rather the customer base and name brand. the enterprise company that I left not long ago was getting into the buy them out game and even did that for the car business.

The great thing about this for me is that I love cars in a strange way most people wouldn't consider. I like figuring out cars at night by tail lights and things like that. Sort of like how people remember actors n movies.