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Jan 31, 2009

Sorry my first post...I should look at my typos closer before pressing submit.

Jan 31, 2009

I have to agree with Gerald. I think Dealers are forgetting that they still have to sell the vehicle. Technology is not the answer to everything. I recently got a call from a customer who was very upset because the lost a deal "based on our VIN decoding” Apparently the listing showed options that the vehicle didn't have. I went through the process of explaining the importance of selecting the proper trim, verifying options etc. and the dealer was adamant that they did that part of the process correctly. So I pulled out the stock number and went through the process with the dealer. There were 12 different trim possibilities for this truck. I asked some specific information about the truck and then narrowed it down to one trim level. We exploded the VIN and then verified the options. Turns out his employee selected the wrong trim level. He then explained to me that the person he put in charge of this process isn't "a car guy". He's a techy. Here's my point about this story. Would that same dealer put that "techy" in charge of all his print listings 10 years ago? Absolutely not! In fact most dealers I know did this themselves because they were the ones that bought the vehicle at auction, or valued the trade and they felt that they knew they could "call" the vehicle better than anyone else in the dealership. Plus, they would create the print listing with a marketing flare..I read these comments earlier "none-smoker" "one-owner car" etc. It's important to remember that you are still trying to "sell" your inventory.

umer.autojini · Jan 30, 2009

Here are my 2 cents... everything starts at the DMS and good VIN decoder... for a new car if your DMS contains OEM Model No, OEM Color Codes, and OEM option codes a good VIN decoder will do a great job in decoding the data and providing the color matched images. Receptionist will not cut as the DMS data entry manager

For used cars you need a good process and great online inventory manager and as Glen said a reliable staff person... responsible for used car inventory... images, features, comments etc...

Or you can out source it to likes of DSI, CDMData, AutoUpLink etc... but really research the local franchise for these companies and choose the best one.

BTW checkout this service... Dealer Assist Now - Dealer Assist Now they will write the description, update the prices, add clear call to actions on the ad... etc.

Andrew... checkout the AutoTrader.com Build Your Car tool... it can give you all the option and available colors on the vehicle... to get the codes... get firebug and view the HTML field label... I know it s cumbersome but it's Free! For a paid product checkout Chrome NVD.

Regarding CarMax feature search I found it bit too much... they dumped lot of features in there and did not categorize them. I guess one can always find faults in the best painting.

Oscar Vanderkooij · Jan 30, 2009

As a reference also take a look at CarMax. They allow you to search by features, because they make sure certain options are always called the same. This allows a customer to look for all sedans below 15K with less than 50k miles and leather seats and navigation system. No more searching through all cars to find out which have a navigation and which ones do not.

Oscar Vanderkooij · Jan 30, 2009

I have to agree with Gerald, that the easiest way to make an impact on how your customers perceive your used cars online is to manually write the comments. What is a customer looking for in a car? One owner, non smoker, low mileage, navigation system. These are the things you want your customer to read first, because those are what they look for and search for. Regarding the SEO of your dealer website inventory, you need to use a tool that is part of your website (not a third party tool), preferably one that allows the SERPS to index each individual car page.

Now in a perfect world I would want more control on what the Search Engines see. I would like an inventory tool that allows me to select which keywords I want listed in areas of the page that SERPS look for (e.g. title tags, meta tages, emphasized words, etc.)

For example on our inventory all pages get indexed, but the title of the page is the Year Make and Model of the vehicle. Same for the meta tags which simply have the Year Make Model and some generic text the same for each car. What I would like is a way to change all SEO related pieces of each individual car page to include certain keywords I believe customers use to search. Too much work? Not necessarily if the tool gets designed right.

Gerald · Jan 30, 2009

Great topic. Commenting on equipment IS important, but I see few (none almost) even putting vehicle specific comments on their pre-owned inventory. This is time-consuming, but very important, yet few are doing it. It is relatively simple to do after sitting in the car, take notes on the condition, options, etc., what appeals to you, and spell it out in the listing. At the same time,you can use the observations to ensure optional equipment is listed as well.

Jan 30, 2009

When it comes to used vehicles, to get a really good display of equipment - the stuff that people care about - it takes a manual effort. The VIN explosion process can be great and when a human takes the time to select the appropriate trim and important features, it really differentiates the vehicle on-line.

I've heard from many a consumer who uses the vehicle photos to look at options to determine if the vehicle has a certain piece of equipment or not.

In my opinion, the best practice is to assign (inspect what you expect) a person to this process. Whether that is an employee, appraiser or third-party vendor doesn't matter as much as getting someone to take it seriously.

Differentiation with video, photos, pricing and marketing is all part of the on-line advertisement... why leave out the important differentiating features?!

Jan 30, 2009

I wish I knew as well, but at least if you can get the extra options to a model, like leather, Nav, rear DVD, parking sensors, etc, etc...you can hopefully market the vehicle correctly on the website(s) by showing it all under the comments area.

My Cars.com rep sent me a good document that the salespeople that actually trade in the vehicle, fill out about the condition, extras, etc. Now getting that used is the hardest part...

Jan 30, 2009

Great topic.On used vehicles I vin de code thru the DMS but i have found adding text ie Manufacturer reviews etc from the initial source feed (for me DLR specialties) will up load dms and satillite sites. You may have problems with interface between different programs,or the amount of space provided to download information. Usually you can work that out. It has been well worth the effort.

andwrig · Jan 30, 2009

It would be great if there was a web based resource, preferably something that integrates with our DMS, that we could access to see the original equipment packages and options on a car we trade or buy at the auction (Maybe a PDF of the window sticker). Does anyone know of something like this? As we all know, the VIN will only decode so much information. Look at the number of packages and options on Ford trucks or BMW's. There are literally thousands of combinations. I am a big fan of as much detail in a listing as possible. I am currently revamping and enhancing my stocking in process in an effort to display more accurate information for the customer. This a great discussion topic. So much time can fall by the wayside if the process is not streamlined. Great post Alex.

Jan 29, 2009

I work at a Toyota dealer. We have the main Toyota/Scion store plus 2 off property used car lots that sell all non-Toyota's usually, except for high mileage stuff. Our ReyRey DMS system is good for having location codes for the different lots. We have gotten pretty good at the system of when the car is traded in, where the status is then changed to in service. As it's going through service it still shows on the site(s) but just doesn't have pictures. Once it is through recon then pics are taken and usually the day after I upload them to the ReyRey FTP that then goes to the vehicle and then out to the site and our 3rd parties.

I particularly like how Reynolds works with the model and trim of the car which then shows up verbatim on the website. We noticed very quickly when we got the new site that we could do that and it really helped us market the vehicles on the site better, showing models like "limited" "le" "xle" and also showing some options "LA" "Bluetooth" "Nav".

I then set it up with our 3rd parties to make sure they showed certain information in the comment area of each vehicle which in turn helps customers know what they are looking at, and it's less time for me having to go into individual vehicles to update their options.

Of course we could always have more comments but at least we have some, rather than none at all.

Jan 29, 2009

This is an important topic, and reading Alex's account of what they go through brings into perspective the effort required to provide good information to potential customers.

Here's my 2 cents as someone both in search marketing, and who recently purchased a new car.

Often car shoppers do not want to pick up the phone or visit a dealership, they want to browse what is available at various dealers online and go from there. When I was shopping I had a few models in mind, but also had a number of options I deemed absolutely necessary in any vehicle I would purchase. I did find plenty of instances where I just didn't know if a particular vehicle included what I required.

May a dealer have missed out on a lead because of that? Absolutely.

So, what to do given the enormous amount of work that can go into vehicle listings...

An initial thought is to determine how much a lead is truly worth (how good are you at closing a deal?), how much time would be required to include all options on every vehicle, and how much would it cost to include all that data (fees, man-hours, etc.)? Does it add up? Is it worth it?

One way to reduce the amount of information to include on any given vehicle is to create pages which do include all that data, and track search traffic related to them. If after an appropriate amount of time you discover no search referrals for a particular feature/option then leave it out on the details page. Instead, focus on the ones that are bringing you visitors.

That information can also be had through keyword research, and you can even drill-down to your state for this, but nothing is better than data right from your analytics (there may not be enough data to register with Google at a local level: Google Trends).

Also try using Google's search-based keyword tool. Input a URL for the manufacturer's options' page for a specific model, type in some options, and see what's given as a result (http://www.google.com/sktool/#keywo..., sirius, moonroof, navigation, trailer brake)

You can also utilize data from your PPC program.

It will likely still be a lot of work to input the options people are looking for. So, I would certainly recommend including all available options for every model somewhere on your website (like a page for each model) to try and capture those customers who, like myself, need (err...want), and are willing to pay for, certain options. This can help capture them, but may not translate to a lead since the page is not an available vehicle.

Dan

Jan 29, 2009

I find it interesting that most sites have no vehicle options input by the dealership at all. Even people who are featured as leaders of our industry, check out there sites for info or selling copy. Odd. I would think this is what sells the interest, call, email, vehicle. Interesting features of that particular vehicle should be sold. People don't go down through the generated options listing, at least the ones I have asked about. Some seem to think that it could be wrong, just a computer generated listing. Putting a real piece of selling copy in there generates interest(marketing) and thats what real human beings want. They want to be sold on whats on the front of the cereal box, not on whats on the side in small print.

I guess it would boil down to having a professional who understood what makes this vehicle stand out and then actually putting it into print. Sounds like work! Well, it can all start when the car is appraised - What the previous owner was saying, what the appraiser said, what came out of clean up and service. Pull a Carfax. Then you would look at it and put all these interesting pieces of info together and Kapoweee, a Story-Features- Why buy me!- Why buy from me!

What the emailer was asking is why he cant get info thats relevant and informative to his search. On properly displaying it, sounds like some may be so big you cant check and adjust, sounds like work.

Jan 29, 2009

Just to kick things off...

Checkered Flag houses 11 new car franchises and a used car super store (Drivers World) under 7 rooftops with a single DMS box (most dealers have separate boxes). To say things are a bit on the complicated side for us is an under statement. I don't even want to think about the complications a group like AutoNation or MileOne have. I do wish I knew what CarMax was doing though.

We have to separate our DMS boxes based on a Dealership ID number (company number) and a regimented stock numbering system to appease outside vendors. We are an ADP DMS company and have found that certain option codes do not parse into other vendors. HomeNet and Dealer.com have had to write special codes in order to match-up with the things ADP uses, and we have to update these things with every new model year. This is especially the case for color codes on Honda's. HomeNet uses a 2 digit code while ADP uses a 3 digit code. And god forbid a manufacturer comes out with a brand new model - chaos!

Now that I've set the stage for just a few of our own difficulties, let's look at internal process:

New Cars
Manufacturer drops MSO number into their own system >> admin updates ADP with an "in transit" status code >> car arrives at dealership >> lot attendant stocks vehicle in and "for retail" status code is updated in ADP >> vehicle PDI'd and placed on the lot >> VIN decode and options uploaded to HomeNet >> eMarketing Coordinator checks to make sure things decoded correctly in HomeNet >> inventory is sent to various aggregators on the Internet

Used Cars - depends where sourced, but let's look at a trade-in

Salesperson enters trade info into iMagicLab CRM >> Used Car Manager re-enters info into vAuto for appraisal >> deal is done and trade is re-entered into ADP >> vehicle goes through reconditioning and marked as "for retail" in ADP then on the lot >> eMarketing Coordinator takes photos and notes any "extra" items/options the vehicle has >> eMarketing Coordinator updates HomeNet with any "extras" and uploads images >> eMarketing Coordinator prints window stickers and places them on the vehicles >> Used Car Manager prices the vehicle in vAuto >> vAuto updates pricing in HomeNet >> HomeNet sends to the various aggregators on the Internet

------WOW------

What a PITA! Can you imagine how many times things get missed, the ball gets dropped, or something goes awry?

This is what we've come-up with and it seems to work the best. It is far from perfect. I can say that we are working on a more efficient system that will be rolling out in February, but it won't be worth commenting on until we've got a few months under our belt with it.

VENDORS: please do not call or email me with ways to make our process cheaper/faster. It isn't that I don't want to hear about it, I just get too many calls and emails with those kinds of pitches already. We plan to stick things out with our current vendors. Please add a helpful comment to this discussion instead that will benefit the industry - not just Checkered Flag.

Alex Snyder · Jan 29, 2009

I received this email from a very perceptive vendor:

I was wondering if you have ever done an article outlining the importance of good vehicle data on your website? I have been building up my wish list for a new truck and consistently find a severe lack of option info on sites. I know there is only so much info that can be had from VIN decoding, and that it becomes a manual chore to get really stellar info populated. I just have to think that if you are spending all sorts of time adding content to other parts of your site to gain SEO value and sell your dealership, etc... that spending the time to add options and details about the vehicle would also be beneficial. This issue is probably more prevalent with trucks...I was curious to get your thoughts on it.

I figured this would be a good one for all of us to answer and discuss. Getting inventory to properly display is a very tough process; not only because of technology (mainly DMS difficulties), but also due to internal processes. This is all especially tedious when you are dealing with multiple stores.

How do you deal with things?

William Bryant · Feb 25, 2009

Yeah... on comments, re-read it in a different tone since "tone" can't be read online. Learned that one here the hard way, trying to be silly and meaning no offense! No harm though, we'll all see each other a Digital Dealer (?maybe) and have a good one!

Gerald · Feb 2, 2009

Jeff/Alex- FYI- I believe portraying someone or entity incorrectly (negatively) in speech is slander, while malicious, false and defamatory portrayals in other forms of communication (written word, photos) is libel. all the same, bad stuff. Just FYI

Jan 30, 2009

Jeff -

Nice job reeling it back in; too many negative vibes ruins the focus of the community and keeps everyone off-point.

As a group, we have so much more to offer each other, and the industry, than simply complaining about something that is completely within our control.

Not happy with something? Change it & share your solutions.

Looking to bitch? Go to Rants & Raves on Craigslist.

Jeff continues to bring high-level discussions & idea sharing to the table - we can do the same...

Jan 29, 2009

Jeff - It does seem to create a lot of tension. I felt it was best that I posted the comment on there just recently.
We get so tied up on fighting for our products, defending them & hating on others. We tend to forget the passion for learning from others.

Jan 28, 2009

Phew!!! I thought it was me. Thanks guys.

Jan 28, 2009

AutoTrader always brings out the best in people.

Jan 27, 2009

I am 100% on the same page with you.

Jan 27, 2009

Hey Jeff,

I quite reading the Autotrader post a few days ago, did it get off track like it always does? It always seems like your "Rules" post comes out whenever there is an Autotrader post on the site.

bpulseadmin · Jan 27, 2009

Complete dealership display advertising service at 20-30% the cost of traditional media

Cobalt, the leading provider of automotive marketing services, announced the launch of its PowerDisplay advertising service today. PowerDisplay is the first online display advertising solution designed exclusively for automotive marketing that is accessible to any auto dealer currently doing brand advertising. Provided as a turnkey service, PowerDisplay delivers dealer brand messaging to automotive shoppers in the dealer’s local area for fractions of a penny per impression. PowerDisplay delivers impressions that are more targeted at automotive shoppers yet typically 20-30% of the cost of traditional local broadcast media, in a service that is fully integrated with the rest of a dealer’s digital marketing effort. Unlike traditional media, dealers will not have to pay and then hope their advertising works; with PowerDisplay they will only pay for results – advertising that generates shopper visits to the dealer’s website and showroom. SEATTLE, January 23, 2009

Key aspects of the PowerDisplay solution are:

Optimized for Automotive Marketing: Design, placement and measurement of display advertising is optimized for the needs of automotive dealers, rather than being a generic service. Cobalt Display Marketing Specialists are automotive marketing experts.
Brand Awareness: Affordable brand exposure for dealers where consumers shop online.
Targeted Reach: PowerDisplay goes out and finds consumers that are currently engaged with automotive web content in the dealer’s local market.
Turnkey Solution: Cobalt Display Marketing Specialists work directly with the dealer to ensure successful implementation and measurement of display advertising.
Pay-for-Performance: A unique pay-for-click model means a dealer does not pay to show the ad, they pay for the traffic that advertisement brings their dealership.

NADA[1] reports that the average auto dealer spends up to 65% of their marketing budget on local broadcast media – TV, Radio and Newspaper – yet more than 80% of automotive shoppers use the Internet as their primary resource during their buying process. Until now, only automobile manufacturers and a small percentage of dealers have had the expertise and been able to afford online display advertising. PowerDisplay makes this cost-effective marketing tool available to all dealers in a turnkey service to help them save money on advertising their dealerships’ websites while reaching more active automotive shoppers. With PowerDisplay the average dealer can have a high impact, highly measurable, online advertising program for a fraction of the cost of their traditional media budget.

PowerDisplay is Cobalt’s latest addition to the industry’s most comprehensive suite of dealer marketing services, including Dealer Websites, Lead Services, Search and Owner Marketing. It is fully integrated into Cobalt’s unique marketing results reporting. Cobalt dealers who embrace the company’s entire digital marketing suite not only maximize their marketing return-on-investment, they can manage their marketing pipeline from awareness through showroom visit the same way they manage their sales floor.

“PowerDisplay has been a tremendous asset to our organization,” said Shaun Weissman, Manager of Business Development for Rallye BMW of Westbury, NY. “Geo-targeting and contextual placement ensure that we are effectively targeting customers who are actively engaged in automotive content online in our market. We continue to see great results and are proactively minimizing our traditional media marketing budgets to invest in display.”

Cobalt’s PowerDisplay service complements a dealer’s website, email and search marketing efforts by increasing the exposure of their brand early in the consumer buying cycle. As documented in a 2008 Specific Media™ study of comScore™ data, display and search work together to maximize marketing productivity. Brand-and segment-related searches (for cars, automakers and vehicle classes) jumped by more than 100% in several categories after consumers were exposed to display ads for those brands.

“Dealers have been looking for a way to capture upper funnel customers and raise brand awareness more cost-effectively than with television,” said Max Steckler, Vice President of Advertising Products at Cobalt. “Cobalt’s PowerDisplay offers them the best opportunity for creating targeted brand awareness that is affordable, effective and easy to execute.”

“We chose Cobalt’s PowerDisplay solution after testing out display with Cobalt and a competitor. Cobalt’s cost per visit was 50% less than the competitor, it delivered more than twice the exposures, and increased leads,” said Xavier Brizar, Manager of Biddulph Mazda of Peoria, Arizona. “In addition, the campaign strategy I receive from my Cobalt Display Marketing Specialist is second to none and continues to add to our success.”

PowerDisplay is available immediately. To learn more about PowerDisplay, please visitApex Moon | Cobalt.com or call 866.200.5099.

About Cobalt
Cobalt is North America's leading provider of automotive marketing services. For fourteen years, Cobalt's mission has been to help automobile dealers and manufacturers increase their retailing effectiveness and profitability. Cobalt provides marketing services to half of the automotive dealerships in the United States, as well as automotive dealers in Canada and Mexico. Cobalt’s marketing services are endorsed by approximately two-thirds of the world's major automotive manufacturers.

bpulseadmin · Jan 24, 2009

DealerTrack Acquires AAX Inventory Management Suite Creating the Industry’s Most Complete Inventory Solution

DealerTrack Holdings (Nasdaq: TRAK), a leading provider of on-demand software and data solutions for the U.S. automotive retail industry, today announced that it has acquired the AAX® suite of inventory management solutions and other assets from JM Dealer Services, Inc.. The AAX inventory management suite will be marketed in conjunction with the current DealerTrack inventory management solution, InventoryPro™. DealerTrack will now offer the industry’s most complete set of inventory management solutions. LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.

Launched in 2002, AAX is the industry’s leading solution with a wide variety of users, including the nation’s top six dealer groups. AAX has delivered strong used vehicle profit growth for their dealership customers coupling insightful analysis of transaction data with the industry’s most successful in-store inventory management consulting services.

“Building upon our current assets, including InventoryPro and data and analytic services provided by Chrome® and ALG®, the acquisition of AAX now positions DealerTrack as the industry’s most complete and best-in-class inventory management solution provider,” said Mark O’Neil, chairman and chief executive officer of DealerTrack. “We see inventory management as one of the fastest growing and most important segments within the dealership technology market and we believe we are well positioned to lead this growth. Additionally, we look forward to broadening our relationship with JM Family Enterprises, Inc. (parent company of JM Dealer Services) beyond inventory management.”

“We are very proud of how our associates have developed the AAX suite of inventory management solutions into the recognized leader in the marketplace,” said Colin Brown, president and chief executive officer of JM Family Enterprises. “DealerTrack is a great fit and we look forward to working with them as a technology partner.”

Separately, DealerTrack has further enhanced InventoryPro with the inclusion of additional transaction data and expanded analytic capabilities provided by ALG and the ability to update internet pricing. With these additions, InventoryPro has become an even stronger fully featured solution offered at an attractive price.

PriceDriver™ will be introduced at NADA as a stand-alone product which allows dealers to see current market pricing for vehicles in a clear and detailed format. Moving forward, DealerTrack will be offering three unique inventory management solutions for a dealer to choose from: AAX, InventoryPro and PriceDriver.

O’Neil stated, “We are really excited about the position this acquisition gives us in inventory management. With the AAX team’s strong industry knowledge and DealerTrack’s best-in-class technology capability we look forward to growing both platforms to help our dealers succeed no matter what their business demands.”

DealerTrack will provide additional details on the transaction on its upcoming fourth quarter and full year 2008 financial results conference call on February 19, 2009.

About DealerTrack (www.dealertrack.com)
DealerTrack Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRAK) is a leading provider of on-demand software and data solutions for the U.S. automotive retail industry. Our solutions enable dealers to receive consumer leads, submit credit applications, compare financing and leasing options, sell insurance, vehicle accessories and other aftermarket products, document compliance, and execute financing contracts electronically. In addition, the DealerTrack DMS (dealer management system) is used by dealerships nationwide. Over 20,000 dealers, 700 financing sources, and many other service and information providers are active in the DealerTrack network. For more information, visit www.dealertrack.com.

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