Great Basic Structure Jeff, I think the positive externalities that these 4 points share really can improve the Internet Operation of ANY Dealership! I am a one-man-show Internet Manager at a Suzuki Dealership in Indiana and average 23% of our Dealerships Monthly Pre-Owned Sales and 20% of the New & Pre-Owned Combined Sales. I pay close attention to Jeff and the Advice on this site, GREAT STUFF Jeff (you make me money every day)!!

1. Phone number placement throughout the site:
I have increased my call volume by including a Watermarked Logo, My Name and Contact Number on EVERY Photo I post through AutoTrader, Cars.com, our Rooftop Website and Email Correspondence w/ prospects! This can be done with a product Jeff has posted here on DealerRefresh, it's called FastStone Photo Resizer.

2. Update your specials:
I Agree with Jeff here!! Often the Specials Page can be one of the most Visitied Pages!! (Especially by local shoppers), Be sure to utililize all the Specials availble to you (ie. New, Pre-Owned, Parts, Service).

3. Pricing - have some sort of pricing on your site:
I have heard from AutoTrader and Cars.com Rep's alike that when consumers dont see a price, the vehicle "....must COST too much!" Is that the impression you want to leave? Why not give EVERY consumer ALL the Information they need to make a well-informed buying decision!!

4. Multiple photos:
This is a gimme! Everyone knows that the more emotion you create during a prospect's "shopping" stage, the better chance you have to be contacted. How is this done? QUALITY photos(at least 9-12 of em') of every vehicle!!

Hope this helps reinforce some of the points Jeff made in his article. This site is really a GREAT resource for Internet Managers/Directors to stay informed about the ever changing world of Online Automotive Marketing.

Jake Wirth
[email protected]
(574)606-8925

Good Day Jeff;

Absolute superstars will become par for the course in the very near retail automotive future. I commend you for being a professional in the trade, and extend to you every measure of support I might have the ability or resources to provide.

Concerning your article, the four "Key Elements" are good. However, the most pivotal aspect of what you do (and what every other top performing AIM Professional™ does) is knowing your target. Indeed, there are myriad approaches and techniques out there that will add value to a dealership-based web interface. Making a website more visually appealing is a plus, especially when the focus of that appeal is the inventory (and second best, the professional staff). Outstanding placement of an INSTANT contact number is also a grand idea. Pricing and Specials are relative. In some instances, one may defeat the purpose of the other - but, definitely, at least one of these elements has its place among most auto dealer websites.

What I sometimes read for is what has not been written. And, being that I learned early in my years to understand the value of Proverbs, I know man does sharpen man. I consider ours a very fine and visionary fraternity. And, with those sentiments, this advice on bettering an automotive web presence…

A properly placed ad is the most important step. An effective message is the second most important step. Then, the photos, and navigation, and pricing, and so forth and so on... This is the Internet Sales approach of Champions. Think of the best online retailers of automobiles. They have each invested serious resources into a marketing media that is still an adolescent, at best. However, you will find throughout each of these leading retailers' sites a consistent strategy and marketing approach. Why in the world would a place like Kellogg, ID be home to the greatest e-dealer operation known to WARDS? Simple answer; because David Smith and company market well to particular and specific audiences or targets.

As I am pressed for time at the moment, I cannot delve as deep into the subject as I would have liked to at first. But, do take into account this industry fact - the Internet is the quickest, most responsive guide to the universe for the hungriest AIM Professionals™, and provides an interactive haven for buyers who know that it is the sales professional who is the most eager to sell any automobile - the dealer's check is going to be the same at the end of the year regardless. And, therefore, the best approach to the Internet marketing media is to get it in front of the two parties who have the greatest interest invested in the idea of bringing a business transaction on a particular automobile at a particular dealership to fruition on a particular day (most notably - today).

The absolute best way to improve dealer websites is to put them into the hands of the most resolute professionals. This is the fastest changing dynamic of our industry. People - your gift Jeff, and the greatest attribute you bring to your dealer organization, whether through a timely mail piece, an on air radio or television interview, or the articles you prepare and have published. The Internet is another tool to be added to your repertoire, and it will provide a platform upon which reciprocal excellence may be performed.

Your Auto Buyer Consultant,

D. Ramonte Rawls, President
Auto Buyer Consultants
770.507.5733 Office
404.403.7476 Mobile
EA: [email protected]
WA: www.AutoBuyerConsultants.net
"The Future of the Largest Automotive Market Place..."

I have just found this site because of the article. So many ideas I cannot empliment them all at once. You had also mentioned elsewhere on this site about posting a picture of the vehicle in the email response. We have gone a step further. We have added a picture of the sales person who is sending the email and maps to find the dealership. We believe this will help eleviate skating within our dealership and prevent the customer from going to the wrong dealership.

Thanks I love this software tool for my inventory pics!

They key is to add dealer branding to your photos so they stand out amongst the crowd on classified websites. Get your logo and phone number in front of the consumer.

Here are some good examples of photo branding:
www.vinsolutions.com/PhotoBranding.aspx

I agree regarding the importance of image water marking.

Users of our CarSpot Pro+Solo can automatically name photos, resize, create thumbnails, watermark, etc. Users can even automatically insert extra photos (such as of the sales person or a last photo about why to buy from a particular dealer).

The system is rules-based so for example a car with less than 10,000 miles can automatically be branded as "Low Miles!" or a vehicle that is manufacturer certified can be listed as such automatically.

You can also send a different version to different vendors--i.e. you can use one toll-free tracking number on your AutoTrader ads, and another tracking number on your Cars.com ads.

I think the link Jeff sent is great for a free solution, but if someone is truly looking to automate these processes, our system may be worth checking out at: http://www.carsgofaster.com

GREAT Product!!! Can't Believe it's FREE for Home Users.

The Batch Rename Utility is handy when you have to FTP or Batch Upload Photos of Inventory to different Used Classifieds Services (AutoTrader, Cars.com, VEHIX) using different filenames. You can change them all at once!!!

J,

It's a really a nice tool. One can always do this by creating a droplet in adobe image ready. As far as inventory management goes our product AutoJini.com has this feature.

Jeff,

That is a good find. I never thought about watermarking pictures before uploading them. This would really help get your URL and dealership name out there when using third party listing sites. Sometimes accessing the dealership URL or phone number is not so easy on some sites.

This would be a good feature to add to an online inventory management system. I'll have to keep that in mind.

No price quote = highest price.

Internet shoppers are going to ask the nearest 3-6 dealers for a price quote. They will then narrow their choices to the 2-3 dealers who gave them the lowest prices. If you didn't give them a price, they assume your price is the highest and you are out of the running.

Our older, veteran Sales Manager who still thinks selling cars today is the same process as it was in the 70s and 80s says "the job of the internet sales department is to get people in here for an appointment. You can't sell cars on the internet!"

He's dead wrong, and you are too if you're refusing the customer's request for a price quote.

I believe the best answer to this lies within your market. Have you mystery shopped your competition? Do they submit price quotes? If they do quote, do they quote aggressively? With just MSRP prices or price ranges? Let your local market conditions drive your process to be as effective as it can be. If your competition does not even submit a price quote, why give away your gross with a very aggressive quote? On the other hand, if your competition quotes aggressively, do you lose these potential customers by not quoting at all, or quoting very high? I have learned that it is better to keep on top of your local market conditions and work with them, rather than to "swim upstream" against the market. Of note, if you do offer a price quote in return for a prospect's name and number, I would strongly support that you provide the quote as promised and respect the prospect's request. Nice input everyone! Kevin Frye/eCommerce Director/Jeff Wyler Automotive Family

I think the wording of this question would have been better served by something along the lines of "When receiving a "Quote Request", "Request A Quote", "Fast Quote" or other type of lead where the consumer has been promised a vehicle price quote in exchange for submitting their personal contact information, do you respond with an email that provides the quote as promised by the online lead form?".

I have set up processes for many types of Internet Leads, not all of them require sending back price quotes, and I have found that as long as you NEVER quote a price on one single vehicle, and ALWAYS quote prices on multiple vehicles, including whatever you have that comes closest to what the customer asked for, that the ability to then get in direct contact with that same customer is greatly enhanced. Let's face it, we live in a world that requires us to get to the next step, with many steps required to get to a delivery. If we do not engage in direct CONVERSATIONAL information exchange with these online car shoppers, we are at very little risk of selling a car!

There does not seem to be any "one size fits all" approach to retailing new cars online that works - perhaps that's why it is so much fun and challenging?

FWIW - our mantra here is that the Internet car shopper is not necessarily looking for cheaper price, but they ARE (always) looking for AN ALTERNATIVE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE.

Many months my upfront grosses are the highest in the place. And I always quote upfront. Granted, I think we are helped by the fact that we are selling a niche brand (Subaru).

I understand a lot when you don't want to give up the price and worry about the loss of gross. The best advice is to give the customer the range of the price quote they are looking for.
If you don’t provide the price range the customer is not going to respond 90% of the time. Also with providing prices on your inventory on line, the customer is more vulnerable to inquire. When the price is not listed they are off to the other dealership that is providing that information. That online customer will search as many dealers until the Internet sales manager will quote the price right away, which you may all ready be too late. This goes more for the Used then the New.
When I receive a Quick Quote from the online customer, I automatically send the Auto Response letting them know I will be contacting them as soon as possible with the information for the vehicle they had inquired on. Depending on the model of the vehicle I have templates pre-made with the vehicle, rebates included, and picture of the model they are interested in, along with the price range. If there is a vehicle that is comparable to the one they are interested, it is always a good idea to include “You may also be interested in the *Model* which is comparable to the *model* you are interested in”.
***Taking the extra time to reach out to their needs will get you in their interest which will lead to you setting the appointment and selling that online customer.
***Getting involved with asking if they had ever test driven that vehicle before & speaking highly of their trade in will even better your chances to get a response from your online shopper.

I hope this helps with your question.

Jennifer Schrader
Internet Sales Manager
BDC Director
www.williamskia.com
[email protected]

I stumbled on this forum at Edmunds.com and found it to be interesting. Of course when you have customers and ISM's both giving opinions in the same thread, there is bound to be some good reading. The thread dates back 4 years and is 1500 posts old, but people still post daily.

One of the first topics discussed is pricing, hence the link here.

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef09a8b/0

Enjoy. Oh, and Jeff, keep up the good work.

I avoid price at first when possible... it strips nearly all the gross out of the deal right from the beginning. We tend to close at a higher rate and a much higher gross when we don't quote a price. Sending out prices on the initial email usually ends with a "bidding war" accross the city, and whoever feels like losing the most money to move a unit wins.

Giving the price sets the customer up for what to expect. When the customer comes in, the close is much easier.

I think the internet user is online to find
(1) A vehicle.
(2) A Dealer
(3) Price
In that order. In my metro market, the first response with a price wins.
No price - no response

Here are a few preliminary steps I would suggest:
1. Review your website: Contact #s, where they ring, are you tracking those calls, who is getting them; hours of operation, services available, links on your website, etc. Test EVERYTHING!

2. Where are your leads coming from? Who are your lead providers, how many leads have they given you and what is the cost. Get the URLs for their back-end tools and save the password/username in a secure document only you have access to.

3. What kind of Internet Department are you going to have? Cradle to grave where the ISM takes the up, works the deal and then delivers, or where someone receives the lead on the floor and works them with your supervision, or perhaps with BDC setting where people in a call center set the appointment and certain individuals show the vehicle and work the deal. Each has specific strengths and weaknesses, so determine which way your dealer wants to go.

4. What is your process? How long will you work leads, what types of templates will you use, etc. Many customers will be turned off if you do not give them a price. And I hate to say it, but your Toyota/Honda buyers are typically more savvy when it comes to Internet sales. That is to say, they are typically more comfortable with the gathering info and shopping on the Internet so they will be a little different than Cadillac shoppers.

5. Your CRM software can be as simple as Outlook for now, but there are many good vendors out there. An inexpensive one is Autojockey which has a lot of features and is not a lot of money.

6. Develop a spreadsheet to track your ROI! This is your lifeline. By tracking deals, profits, leads in, appts set, units sold and the profitability of the department is key to asking for more money and more leads!

7. Contact your lead providers like Cars, Autotrader, Dealix, AutoUSA, CDM Data, Dealer Specialties and ask for some time to meet, understand what they represent, any training opportunities they may have, and if they can come by and orient you ontheir back-end tools.

8. Ensure your merchandise is ready! Good quality, multiple photos will tell the story to a prospective customer that this is a vehicle worth looking at. Do not skimp, and if you are not satisified with the quality or number (I recommend at least 7-9) make changes!

Get with your Manufacturers' Reps and see what help they have. There are some great resources out there, including this one! As you start to negotiate the course of an Internet Director, you will be exposed continually to more information and things to help make you better. Learn a little every day.

Good luck and stay in touch.

Gerald Hand
Internet Director
Toyota of Irving

I'm completely new to the internet side. I'm the first person in this position at this Dealership. So I'm carving the way here but not sure steps I should be doing. I know we need a ISM tool asap but I don't want to make a mistake on what one to choose. I have been looking at:

- IcarConnect
- AVV
- Rey Rey

I have heard that AVV doesn't have the best support when you run into problems. To be honest I'm really not sure exactly what I should be looking for in a tool, becasue any tool would be better then no tool at all which I'm at right now. Any help would be great. Thanks!

Jeff,

Man, what a site I've been in the eBusiness for quite some time now and let me tell you, what you have here is special. Let me tell you why; I've been in the eBusiness for quite some time now (3 years) and always for the same dealership, I thought that I was very good at it, I had my processes my way of doing the templates my way of having my Sales Consultants make the phone calls... But a month ago I decided to take on a challenge, I felt that I reached a wall with my previous employer and wanted to better myself so I took this offer from another Dealer (same make that I worked for before), I thought it was going to be easy after all I created a complete BDC from scratch with a budget of $5,000.00 a month... How wrong, so far (and I've been here for 8 days) I haven't been able to come up with something diferent for this Dealership, I am only 6 miles away from my old dealership and I know that I have to be diferent, but the problem is how can I be diferent from myself after all, the templates, the processes and even the phone scripts were either created by me or modified by me. So I started to look for new ideas online and found your website... and honestly let me tell you I have learned more in 8 days reading your site than 3 years as a BDC Manager and 4 years on the floor as a Sales Consultant.

Just wanted to thank you... and if you have any pointers please give a buzz I will appreciate it!!!

Sincerely,

Samuel A. Rodriguez

Adam,
Reading your comments on your disappointment in BZ Results doesn’t surprise me but, being someone who caters to the industry I find the biggest problem is not the tools but the people using them. I do not wish to offend you or generalize you with most but when it comes to Car Salespeople it seems there are very few who are able to navigate their way around a computer let alone manage the structured processes it takes to create sales from the technology the companies of the likes of BZ Results provides.

BZ has a proven record of developing amazing sales results at Dealerships and at those that perform well you will find internally they have an Internet Manager with exception management skills. These types of managers are a rare breed, the likes of Rusty Strange at Beaman Automotive or Marty Paoletta at Lexus of Nashville are worth their weight in gold. You will find that they use totally different lead management programs and at the moment different web sites but in sales they excel.

What makes the difference well for starters if your internet manager does not have business management experience or a computer at home you are kidding yourself to think they will help your dealership produce sales.

I liked working in the industry but I love working on the outside helping others develop what they have. Email me if you or others have any questions or comments.
[email protected]

Cheers

Jeff,
Being a former BZ client, I can appreciate and even get a wicked little grin on my face over this. I know I have ranted on about the BZ on your site before. By the way thank you for providing a soap box on which to stand.

Someone should really speak the truth about BZ. They have made dealers wary about new ideas and services because they sold them up the river with an inferior product and a less than knowledgable support team...Oh, I forgot to mention the iron clad long term contract that is sold off to a leasing company for 80% of face value... so once you realise that their solution is crap... its too late.

It makes automotive e-commerce development even more challenging when there are snake oil salesmen like SEAN WOLFINGTON in our midst... sure he got his 120 million, but what has his product or services done to move the industry forward? Buzzmail? What a revolution!

If anyone else would like to comment on BZ please email me.
I know from many conversations with other BZ clients I am not the only one who feels this way...

Thanks Jeff! Keep up the good work!

All the best,
Adam

Jeff,

You make an interesting point. I would liken it to advertising in the "last century." Dealers have been told that not having a web site is like not being in the yellow pages. You give the impression that you're not in business. However, that is only correct if you do more than just put your site on your license plate frames.

As a trainer and now CEO of an auto related Internet company I can assure you that the only way to effectively use a web site is to take people by the hand and drag them to it so they can see what you do, who you do it for, and what is really in it for them.

Just as in the past, telling people you sold cars wasn't enough. You needed to let them know that you financed them, leased them, and traded them. You also had to show them what you had along with prices, etc.

Today, the web is just another tool in the box. It is not now, nor has it ever been, the answer to all sales situations. Developing ways to keep customers coming back to your site and really spending time there is critical to making it work. On our site we have articles about things that benefit a variety of consumers. Also, within a secure dealer section we provide information and other services (i.e. floorplan, finance, and other useful companies for dealers) for their use.

This way, even if they don't use your site today, there is a reason to come back again and then perhaps use it in the future.

My GM places no value on having a dealer website. Even though I bust my @ss daily (and for years) keeping it current all by myself - photos and graphics included - he places no value on the work or the design skills I incorporate into building the site's home page, the graphics, SEO, inventory postings, etc. I have lost much interest in doing work whereas I receive no monetary or other recognition. The GM simply refers to his ROI - as sales made each month -- without any regard to offering a decent salary for the skills used in promoting his business. I consider the dealer website to be a separate business entity...24/7 Interactive Advertising. I handle the incoing calls and emails regarding vehicle inquiries - then set the appointment. I also handle an excel spreadsheet daily which show current new vehicle inventory (in stock and factory ordered units) so the GM knows what we should order each week from the factory plant. All that work is accompished for the sake of personal pride alone - and pride doesn't pay the bills.

It's rather discouraging to know how some dealers think. I'm looking for a better way of making a living than my current situation provides. To those who think the web is valuable, my hat goes off to you for having some insight into this business. You should embrace your internet staff and pay attention to each member of your group.