The context of micro-site being used here is that of your domain-based, static, generic, impersonal template-produced website that links or directs visitors to your website.

While the idea behind this has promise, the application of such micro-sites ignores an important ingredient in today's marketplace - Consumer Engagement.

Squidoo Lenses make for a good use of what these allured to "micro-sites" are out to accomplish. For example...


The page in and of itself is only a member to a greater message. For instance, the page that lens directs visitors...


Similar in concept to micro site, but applied in a way more in step with many of today's customers.

-Ryan

I have personally designed, deployed, managed and monitored ROI on well over 100 microsites and various other sites that may or may not fit everyone's definition of what a microsite is, or is not. I can personally attest that some of my microsites generated nothing more than a bunch of work getting them built and launched... followed by a big yawn and "so what" from any car buyers that found them. However, many other microsites I have produced have been huge ROI successes... Far beyond anything else I have seen in over 20 years of developing digital marketing tactics (yes, I was writing text ads on BBS's when most readers of this blog were still in diapers or grade school). I have enjoyed the same feeling that I imagine musicians get when they produce a hot record that becomes a runaway hit when a microsite gets indexed to the top organic position for search queries on a make and model, and then becomes the subject of viral marketing acceleration with what seems like unsolicited spontaneously induced links from blogs and enthusiast sites on a worldwide basis... And, THEN found out (like rockstars do the morning after) what a headache 100,000+ unique visitors and 1,200+ lead forms submitted monthly can be when they come in from 35 states and 4 countries! However, once you hit the jackpot with microsites they become like crack to an addict and you start scraping budgets and finding funding with creativity that makes a junky looking for money for his next fix seem less motivated... And then you have to deal with the pebble in the pond syndrome. Yes, you have to hire more Internet Sales Specialists (you think a web site is tough to manage?!?!?!), hire contractors to build more offices... Expand your BDC... Handle more heat and unwinds... Chase more stips... Do more dealer trades... Settle more commission disputes... Broker more split-deal and skating allegation dispute resolutions between your team and the salespeople on the floor... Yup, microsites can really suck! Heck, the microsites I conceived and produced white at Courtesy Chevrolet just about killed me! I was working on many days from 8AM till 11PM handling 5,000+ leads and phone calls each month and had to grow my staff to over 30 people on 5 teams, selling between 340 to 420 cars a month. Anyways... I am NOT BEING SARCASTIC! Be careful what you wish for and understand that out of every 10 microsites, 5 will probably be flops, 3 will generate a decent ROI and more than pay for the 5 duds, 1 will be notable and make you want to brag about it... And, if you are very lucky, brilliant or both, 1 will explode with traffic and leads beyond your ability to handle it and only then will you realize that chasing SEO stardom looks great until you get it!

Just remember this... Mircosites should be as unique as people's ideas, desires, wants and needs. Otherwise, you are probably better off with landing pages, deep links and subdomains within your primary web sites.

Pricing? In my opinion a good single micro site with photo galleries, specification pages, news stories, reviews and plenty of links into your main site's inventory and form pages should cost no more than $1,000 up front for design and production and no more than $200 a month for hosting, maintenance and support that includes updating and revisions. Without any support, a microsite should be had for less than $100 a month. Or, simply build them yourself using 1and1.com, NetSol, Yahoo or any of the other cheapies and then frame in or link to your forms and inventory from your primary sites. It really is a question of how valuable your time is and how much money you can beg, borrow or steal from everybody else's budget in the dealership!

Lastly, if you are not creative and do not ENJOY coming up with marketing concepts, deploying them and then spending a LOT OF TIME monitoring the results and making countless changes and adjustments... Then a microsite strategy is probably not for you. In fact, microsites are simply not the right way to go for every dealership... You gotta want to be a Digital Marketing Rock Star with a BURNING FIRE IN YOUR BELLY! I lobe watching an expert use a chainsaw to create a sculpture out of the remains of a tree felled by lightning, but you won't see me with a chainsaw... I like keeping my legs and arms attached! Don't mess with microsites unless you know what your doing and are willing to commit to learning ninja-level digital marketing management skills.

Here's my contact information:

Ralph Paglia
Director - Digital Marketing
ADP Dealer Services
cell: 505-301-6369
email: [email protected]

Also, there are many articles and forum posts on this subject at the professional community site www.AutomotiveDigitalMarketing.com

The way we deal with this opportunity is by testing microsites success in generating leads as compared to the actual dealers pages, (A/B Testing) which ever one over time performs better gets the directed traffic. Microsites can be a very well targeted tool and can often perform better but only when alligned well with the search terms that lead the customers there. More on this later. Great topic.

Mark Bonfigli
President, CEO
Dealer.com, Inc
www.dealer.com

Joe - you always make a good argument. You're 100% absolutely right about having to do combat with the people who want our money. Micro-sites are a perfect weapon in the arsenal for that, until they start fighting back with their own Micro-sites. I'm not sure if they would or not, but it would certainly go hand in hand with some of the direct vehicle campaigning they're doing. If they were to start doing something like that (and charging us for it), I could see $1,000/mo. for a micro-site becoming a good deal....especially if AutoTrader.com does it!

@Lindsey
check under the about us tab then check out news.
We use grass roots events to market the web site.
Not as advanced as what I would like but I am a one man show and kinda of hard to manage prices, pics, comments, previous customers, carfax, autotrader, cars.com and taking care of the tech issuses that pop up from time to time, But hey never a dull moment and the days go by fast.

If you take all the above comments and place them in a blender, then copy n paste them here... that about nails my opinion on it.

Micro-sites
...w/o branding affiliation is a waste.
...Can be duplicated with landing pages.
...create more work
...SERPs can confuse a googler
...should have a unique tel# (more shopper confusion)
...have questionable ROI (gulp, $1k p/mo? I am in the wrong biz!)

All that being said...
I am a micro-site proponent. To me, the battle is for SERP dominance and micro sites help me get there. Allow me to explain.

To me, the center of all car buying is GOOG.
If you see an ad and you want to pursue it, you go to GOOG. If want more info on a hot lil' mini that just wizzed by you at lunch, you GOOG it. If your getting deeper into the process and you want to buy one, you GOOG it. Its HERE -at this search point- '[goog: make/Model/location] that Cars.com and AutoTrader.com STEAL your shoppers! That's right Cars.com and AutoTrader.com are your SERP competitors.

From my seat, if my site and my little army of micro sites can rank 3 of the top10 for "used ford 500 dealer near [city, state]" then thats 3 less spots for dealerrater.com, autotrader.com and the rest.

Because GOOG will only give one URL 2 links for a search, then that means the most your site will see with Landing pages are 2 results per search request. It is possible to have 2 results from your Microsites PLUS your home site, all on the TOP10 (1st Page).

BONUS:
Sometimes, you're going to want microsites just to protect yourself. Want proof?
See position #2.

The best offense is rooted in superior defense. Your turn is coming.

just my $0.02 from your ol pal,
Joe

We have built a few micro sites this year with awesome results. Type into Google "special financing tulsa" you will see that my micro site is #1 and my website is #2 before the micro site we did not show up at all for that search term. For 400.00 and no monthly fees (includes URL and hosting) I am #3 or better for all the search terms I choose. These sites provide me with everything I wanted and a little more with no up keep and no headaches, just more clicks.

Lindsay, $1,000/mo for a microsite? Wow.

There's obviously value in microsites and landing pages, but It all depends on the content and how it relates to the goal of the promotion.

Obviously the overall goal is to generate a lead, but more specifically, you might want to lure customers away from a competitor, or push some SEO, or improve your online reputation. You're going to do something different for all of those cases, so buying a plug-and-play microsite from some vendor isn't always the way to go... especially if they're charging a g-note for the site. It's like anything else on the net - the best solutions are basically free, as long as you have the expertise to get it done yourself.

Brian - that is a nice site. What kind of online or offline marketing campaigns do you use to promote the Tundra coupon page?

Well I have some ideas on this when working within a budget.
Check out my site and see what I have done with a Mountain bike race
we sponsor every year. Doesn't cost anything other then time.
100% increase in traffic to the Tundras since going live with the coupon sale and popup.

I've looked into micro-sites from several different vendors. I have not been able to justify the cost of another $1,000 per month for a website that is only focused on one vehicle model, and no other links to your actual dealer website. Does anyone know of a website company that has landing pages within your dealer website for each model?

Right now, we have landing pages for each make, and individual vehicle pages for each VIN - which is great for SEO. I just wish we had landing pages for the models - it would be great for PPC campaigns!

I agree with Alex about confusing customers when a dealer has too many websites. We have one for each make we carry, plus a splash page that links all the sites together. We also have "Cobalt" sites as part of the GM requirement. All in all, for three dealerships, we have 10 websites!

Depends whether it's branded or not Eric. Brand recognition is going to payoff for those that have a good one. Those that do not have something else to address prior to Micro-Site marketing.

Dead on Alex. I have yet to bring any stats to the table but most shoppers are looking for some sort of reassurance before they send in their personal info. Microsites do not provide that.

Good for you and us.Thanks for saying this in such an eloquent and approachable way

I used to run one of the main branches of eBay Motors (2000-2002) when it was first getting started. I am still very thankful that they gave me that opportunity.

Back then we were focused on proving the viability of the Internet as a whole as a remarketing or retail venue. We didn't have access to template companies that allowed the ease of listing vehicles that is available now. In other words, it was a pain.

We were experimenting a lot and signed pilots with major leasing companies and banks to remarket their vehicles online. We would do so under the premise that we would sell the vehicle quicker and bring the same or more than Black Book Wholesale Average. At that time, most of these companies would sell these vehicles for around 95-97% of BBWA. Our goal was to get more and do it quicker than typical "auction" means.

We did just that! We were selling vehicles that we never seen, started or inspected for just over BBWA, with no information and some pictures taken in the dark. Seriously.

The reason I mention this is because I feel that I can harness the power of eBay about as good as anyone. After I left, I tried it in multiple applications over multiple companies and the results where o.k. in that it generated a lot of traffic but the results as a "retailer" were difficult to substantiate.

eBay is the best online "auction" out there. People go to auctions to find those rare gems and/or to get a deal. Our goal was to get BBWA and I am sure most dealers want closer to retail.

Plus, to add to that, the fees and time invested to do it right can kill you. In addition to this there is arbitration, seller mis-representations, non paying bidders, scams and challenges when people want to use Paypal.

So, I am very happy for eBay and this milestone. eBay will continue to dominate in regards to unique, exotic, hard to find vehicles and to the eBay addicts.

They will also do well with the sub $5k vehicles and the bargains.

Listing all your Tauruses, G6's and Sonatas, unless you are a price leader will result in my opinion in poor ROI.

BTW, Rob Chesney is a great guy and always seems willing to listen to suggestions as to how to get better. Give him your feedback if it isn't working for you or your model.

Two points, first - the number one most hit automotive website is eBay Motors. Is it wise to ignore the one place online where more folks go then anywhere else? If you have eBay Local, make sure you take your monthly reports and graph the results against your AutoTrader, Cars.com, etc - I think you will be surprised. Second - of all my lead sources online, eBay leads are the trickiest to work with, though we have found the closing rate for our eBay Local leads to be one of our top providers. I believe most dealers struggle with eBay, so they write them off as quick as they can. My two cents is that dealers must rise to the challenge and learn how to work eBay well, as their presence online cannot be ignored. Kevin Frye/eCommerce Director Jeff Wyler Auto Family

I was a featured speaker for Ebay Motors at NADA 2004 in Vegas.

My $0.02.
Ebay use to be a selling bonanza (details below). Today, Its viable if you have the right inventory, you're located in the Ebay sales sweet spot and... you're are not in NY.

Ebay Opportunity #1
Ebay retailing sweet spots are found within a 1-2 hour drive from a major city (i.e. NY, Bost, Atlanta, Jax, Dallas..hell any where in TX for that matter!, Chi, Denver, etc..) Not only do you have the zllion buyers in "your" megalopolis to sell to , flights in are easy, cheap and often direct, PLUS, shipping options are far easier to execute.

Ebay Opportunity #2
A Vacation Destination. Fly in, drive home.

Lemon Law.
NY retailers are bound to honor NY's very rigid Lemon Law. If you follow the letter of the law, Reconditioning costs are very high.

Why Ebay lost its luster...
Part1.
As I recall, back in 03-04, Ebays rate increases shook out the millions & millions of hobbiest / part timers that amused themselves with all things on ebay. Take those "players" out of the game and we were left with shoppers that didnt have a clue what a reserve was. We sold 99% of our ebay sales over the phone.

Part2.
All the late bloomers in the auto dealer retail world finally woke up and started agressively marketing on the net. The early adopters lost their advantage.

just my 2 pennies.
Joe

eBay is awesome for squirrels. And no, I don't mean the bushy-tailed customers, I mean the squirrelly cars: inexpensive "wholesale" units and the rarest of the rare stuff. Highline works very well, but only if it is stuff that isn't easily attainable to everyone: ie. 1,3,5,7 Series BMW's and that sort. However, the occasional M cars can do okay....when you honor the eBay price

We've tried eBay but unless you are willing to pay $50 to sell a vehicle on eBay, which will ultimately require a dealer to give up any chance of profit, and throw away all your hold back, and ungodly follow up time - go for it. It's not a marketplace for new cars! I have had more success with Craigslist in the past 3 months, than the last 8 years with eBay. Wholesale cars seem to be the niche for eBay, and with hundreds of millions of them on the road, it's nice to see seller find some success through eBay.

Oh and I would chose craigslist since it is free

Selling $5000.00 and under autos works great on ebay,
however with our dealership we have a very successful buy here pay here program and we have to resort to ebay to buy vehicles in that price range. Auctions have become a breeding ground for exporters and deals on buy here pay here inventory have become non existent.

I'd be interested in hearing the DR dealers' points of view on this topic. I'm frequently asked by clients and prospective clients what my thoughts on eBay are. I have two thoughts on the matter:

First, from personal experience selling probably 5 or 6 cars on eBay over the years, it seems to be a marketplace where final prices end up between wholesale and retail. I know there are dealers out there who don't just dump aged units on eBay, but they list everything on the lot. What seems to work best in these cases? Or do you treat eBay as more of a lead generating service for in-market shoppers? I know eBay seems to bring better prices for the rare stuff like classic cars or exotics, but what about the average $20k car?

Second, from a reach perspective, eBay has done a tremendous job of getting the shoppers on the site. Ask 100 private party sellers where the best place to sell a car would be and I bet half of them say eBay. As a dealer it's tough to beat the kind of targeted exposure that eBay offers. How do you as a dealer handle the high number of shoppers who are looking for cars $5000 below book?

It is wonderful to see a success story like this amongst all the doom and gloom we read and hear about. True to form the affect the Internet has on the industry's sales as well as posting prices and information about the vehicles. So much for dealers who still think it is smart to not show price and inventory on their web sites, “Make em come in” school of sales management”

The amazing thing is that the phenomenon is just beginning. Yahoo’s new format for selling cars on line as well as Google’s new plans will add to this growing number.

Another great piece of news is The Beijing Auto Show http://www.china-autoshow.com/index.asp and China's auto market is making a statement this week. We will be a major factor in the automobile industry as consumers and OEMs.

This show is unbelievable and has only just begun. The excitement is unbelievable as the old feelings about the industry are rekindled with enthusiasm, anticipation and excitement. Not only are there more cars in this show to make it the worlds largest the women are unbelievable gorgeous and there are sooooo many.

If we think ecommerce is big in the US wait until you see what they are doing here. Yahoo, Google, ebay and many others are all looking for the opportunities.

This show runs through 28th. With 900 vehicles on display this event is expected to attract more than 600k visitors, hmmmm, do not want to be here the last two days. Car sales in China are up 21.4 percent over last year, 2.5 million cars sold in the first quarter. Total sales are predicted to reach 10m vehicles in 2008.

Just two years ago, the Beijing auto show took place in a small cramped space in Beijing’s city center. The show alternates with Shanghai’s show, opens this week for six-days. Last years show in Shanghai was impressive and this year is a real WOW, God only knows what they have planned for next year. The Auto Show China 2008 is the first show in the new International Exhibition Centre; it must be the world’s largest certainly the most impressive, tech wise you got to love it here. Ecommerce is alive and well as there are thousands of kids all working the angle to make their first million this year. We “make way” for the men and women who boldly push past us on their way to their fortune.

I would be very interested to hear comments about experiences with third party leads through a manufacturer