Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

• Poll

A small used car dealer with 25-30 vehicles asks for recommendations on website vendors, triggering debate between templated solutions (Dealer.com, eBizAutos) versus custom agency builds. The consensus favors templated platforms for smaller dealerships due to cost-effectiveness and proven conversion rates, though some vendors emphasize the importance of integration with inventory management systems and SEO compliance over design aesthetics.

A dealer asks about "hypercasting" vendors and squeeze pages for lead generation, prompting discussion of their effectiveness and costs. Participants share mixed results: while squeeze pages and contests can work, dealers report that online contests generate fewer leads than simpler incentives like discounted gift cards, and that success depends heavily on combining digital landing pages with traditional media like radio, print, and direct mail. The thread's most concrete example is Mitch Gallant's HolyTruck.ca campaign, a low-budget squeeze page using humor and weekly prize drawings integrated across multiple marketing channels, which he reports is generating modest but steady results after one week.

An SEO vendor (tracourt) who built and retained ownership of a domain like "houstonforddealer.com" for a dealer client was terminated and sought advice on how to value the domain for renting rather than selling it. The thread reveals that valuation should be based on traffic metrics, lead generation, and the cost of equivalent paid advertising (like Google Ads), with the vendor holding strong legal ground since domain ownership was clearly stated on every invoice and the domain uses a generic brand name rather than the dealer's proprietary name.

• Poll

Dealers debate whether Facebook is a worthwhile sales and marketing channel, with opinions sharply divided: some report modest success using it for brand awareness and personal relationship-building, while skeptics argue the ROI doesn't justify the time investment compared to optimizing their website and converting existing traffic. The key insight is that Facebook's value depends heavily on how it's deployed—personal, authentic engagement from individual salespeople shows promise, while corporate broadcast-style marketing delivers minimal results and poor visitor quality metrics.

Frank, a 14-year veteran and high-performing internet sales manager (ISM) at a Lexus dealership, seeks advice on compensation structures after his dealership finally acknowledges the need to formalize his role with a pay plan while he continues selling cars. Respondents suggest that finding the right person for this multifaceted role depends more on hiring someone with proven dedication and work ethic than designing the perfect pay plan, with one suggesting a $30-40k salary plus commission as reasonable compensation for the administrative and sales responsibilities involved. The thread concludes with Frank acknowledging that compensation is just one factor—cultural fit and dealership investment in the internet department are equally important considerations.

Toyota dealers discuss how to handle a stop-sale order affecting eight vehicle models, including confusion about website inventory management, recall procedures, and parts availability timelines. The consensus is that vehicles can be sold once the recall is performed, parts should be available within 10-14 days, and dealers should not remove listings from websites since the issue will be resolved quickly. A key insight is that this disruption can be leveraged as a sales opportunity if handled correctly, while dealers must be cautious about test driving vehicles before recalls are completed to avoid liability issues.

A dealer sought clarification on what the letter "Q" represented in a CWI field from an Autosoft service file export. A community member correctly identified it as QuickLane, which the original poster confirmed after contacting the vendor.

Dealers and marketing professionals discuss email marketing platforms suitable for automotive dealerships, with Constant Contact receiving the most endorsement for its ease of use, strong customer service, high deliverability rates, and reasonable pricing—though users note the tedious process of importing large contact lists. Alternative platforms mentioned include Sales Genius, MailChimp, and IMN, with participants recommending a free trial approach to evaluate which solution works best for their needs. The consensus suggests Constant Contact is a solid, user-friendly option for dealerships without existing CRM systems looking to conduct promotional email campaigns.

Mitchell Brenner asks how to create a Facebook Network after noticing some dealers and vendors using them. Jerry Thibeau provides official Facebook instructions, clarifying that Facebook only supports networks for high schools, colleges, and workplaces—requiring email requests from official institutional addresses with specific information. The thread essentially reveals that Facebook Networks are institution-specific features, not available for general business or dealer communities.

A dealer asks whether KBB's advertising program is worth using as an alternative to struggling platforms like ATC and Cars.com. Responses are mixed: while one dealer reports strong results after implementing proper tracking across multiple systems (CRM, website analytics, phone tracking, and sales force data), another spent $1,200 with minimal returns despite working directly with KBB on tracking. The key insight is that success with KBB advertising heavily depends on having robust, integrated tracking infrastructure rather than relying solely on the vendor's reporting tools.

A dealer questions whether banner advertising is worth budgeting for, noting that while retargeting campaigns outperform geographic and behavioral targeting, he lacks evidence of direct sales lift. Responses suggest banner ads function more as brand-awareness and top-of-funnel tools (similar to TV advertising) rather than direct-response channels, with one dealer recommending Edmunds Premier as a cost-effective territorial lock-down option that drove incremental search traffic.

The thread asks automotive dealers to share specific products or services that measurably impacted their bottom line over the years. Responses highlight website/inventory platforms (Dealer.com, iMagicLab) and reputation management through customer reviews (DealerRater) as game-changers, with one contributor emphasizing that adopting review processes creates competitive differentiation since most dealers neglect this practice. The key insight is that sustainable sales improvements come from both digital infrastructure and customer-facing processes that require leadership commitment to implement effectively.

Automotive dealers debate whether asking customers about their purchase timeframe on lead capture forms is counterproductive, with the consensus being that it creates an excuse for salespeople to deprioritize leads and delays urgent follow-up. The thread identifies major lead sources like Edmunds and dealer websites as culprits for including this question, with participants arguing that any customer submitting an inquiry is already purchase-ready and should be treated with equal urgency regardless of their stated timeline.

A Honda dealer initiates discussion about new vehicles unveiled at the Detroit auto show, expressing enthusiasm for upcoming models like the CR-Z hybrid and Crosstour while noting general optimism about the industry's direction. Despite the automotive sales focus of the forum, the original poster expresses frustration that few members engage substantively about their dealership's products. The limited responses indicate modest interest in the topic, with one respondent sharing selective reactions to concept vehicles from various brands.

A dealer named Ryan announces he's purchased green screen equipment and professional video production gear to develop his skills as video content becomes increasingly important in automotive marketing. Community members share their own green screen experiences, including Mitch's DIY approach using construction paper and halogen lights with Adobe AfterEffects, while others emphasize the importance of practice and using chromakey effectively to enhance storytelling rather than as a gimmick. The key takeaway is that successful video production for dealers requires both technical setup and thoughtful creative execution, with one member highlighting data showing subtitles can dramatically improve video performance.

A dealer marketer seeks solutions to track completed appraisal submissions when their appraisal tool provider won't allow analytics tracking code on the confirmation page. While initial suggestions involve Google Analytics event tracking, the most practical solution presented is hosting a server-side image on the thank you page that logs when it's served—a workaround the tool provider is unlikely to refuse since it requires no code modifications on their end.

Chip Grueter complains that many dealer website providers redirect mobile users to the homepage rather than the mobile version of the specific page requested, forcing users to navigate through the site hierarchy to find what they originally clicked. While acknowledging mobile detection is standard practice, he argues that properly redirecting users to the corresponding mobile page requires only modest additional development effort but significantly improves user experience. Replies confirm the frustration and offer technical solutions, such as using CSS-based styling to serve mobile-optimized content without creating entirely separate page versions.

The thread discusses foundational SEO challenges for car dealerships, with participants identifying two major obstacles: dealers prioritizing aesthetics over SEO strategy due to lack of internet marketing expertise, and website providers failing to offer SEO customization tools or training. The discussion reveals widespread underutilization of Google Local Business features (photos, tracking numbers, accurate listings) and highlights the technical frustrations of managing multiple locations and phone numbers within Google's imperfect local search system.

Dealers debate the effectiveness of Twitter for car sales, with consensus that it functions as a branding and reputation-monitoring tool rather than a direct sales driver. Multiple respondents emphasize that Twitter's value lies in building relationships, engaging in conversations, and complementing broader marketing efforts, but caution that success requires full commitment and realistic expectations about ROI.

Brian Pasch solicited responses to an 11-question automotive digital marketing survey, requesting dealership employees (not vendors) to participate and share results with peers. The thread shows strong participation with multiple confirmations, but reveals a minor flaw: respondents noted the survey's job title options (like CMO) didn't align well with typical dealership organizational structures, forcing some to select "other" or IT-related fields.

This thread discusses link building strategies for dealer websites, establishing that quality content alone isn't enough for Google ranking—relevant inbound links are essential. Contributors debate practical link-building tactics including leveraging free platforms (YouTube, LinkedIn, this forum), managing multiple blog properties efficiently, and the importance of anchor text optimization, while also suggesting that automated tools could help dealers distribute content across multiple channels simultaneously. The key insight is that dealers need to balance content creation with active link acquisition, though the challenge lies in managing numerous platforms effectively without spreading resources too thin.

When acquiring other dealerships, dealers struggle with removing outdated location and branding information from search results and online directories. The consensus advice is to focus on aggressively promoting new dealership names and information across the internet rather than trying to erase old listings, since outdated data rarely disappears completely; key tactics include deleting (not modifying) old Google Maps listings to avoid inheriting negative reviews, setting up phone number forwarding, and locking down brand name registrations across multiple platforms.