Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

A dealer inquires about performance metrics for Facebook Marketplace as a potential sales channel, seeking click-through rates and lead data. The only response suggests marketplace presence is relatively unknown in the automotive industry and recommends against investing time in it unless the process can be automated. The thread provides minimal insight, with no actual performance data or statistics shared.

Joe Pistell seeks feedback on his "My Garage" feature—a cookie-based vehicle-saving tool that offers paid upgrades for price drop alerts, sold notifications, and similar vehicle recommendations—because he suspects it's not effectively communicating its value to users. After Jerry Thibeau struggles with the user interface in initial testing, Joe provides detailed instructions for the correct workflow and asks specific questions about whether the upgrade offer is clear and compelling. The thread reveals that similar features exist in the market (like HomeNet's Virtual Garage), and Joe's core challenge is making the feature discoverable and the upgrade value proposition obvious to shoppers.

Dealers discuss SendOutCards, a direct mail service that automates sending personalized physical cards with photos and custom handwriting fonts, debating whether it's worth the setup cost despite its MLM business model. Multiple users confirm the service works well for sales campaigns and customer touchpoints, with one respondent revealing they're a company representative, raising questions about the legitimacy of endorsements in the thread. The consensus is that the product itself is solid for automotive professionals, though the upfront investment and network marketing structure warrant careful consideration before signing up.

Ford reissued a policy restricting dealers from using trademarked or geographic domain names (like "bostonford.com") to protect brand image and control online content. Dealers debated the policy's enforceability, with some arguing Ford's lead partners are pushing the restriction to prevent competition, while others proposed workarounds like owning non-trademarked domains or building content platforms that don't directly violate franchise agreements. The consensus suggested this policy would be difficult for Ford to enforce consistently and could ultimately benefit third-party lead generators at the expense of dealer marketing autonomy.

An Internet Director for a multi-store dealership group seeks recommendations on website providers to replace Cobalt, listing several options (Dealer.com, Dealerskins, Dealeron, Dealerfire, TK Carsites, BZ). The thread emphasizes the importance of establishing baseline performance metrics (traffic, leads, conversion rates) before switching providers, with one respondent noting that inventory size directly correlates to visitor engagement time. Dealeron emerges as a recommended alternative with strong SEO features and documented traffic/lead improvements, though the thread stresses that provider choice should be data-driven rather than assumption-based.

A dealer observes inefficiencies in competitors' PPC campaigns—namely using proxy sites, poor ad copy, homepage landing pages, and repetitive ads across different keywords—and argues that targeted landing pages (e.g., inventory filtered by price or make) deliver better ROI. While replies debate whether dealers or their vendors bear responsibility for these mistakes, the consensus is that dealers should actively manage their PPC providers by requesting specific landing page URLs, testing multiple ad variations, and leveraging vendor expertise rather than accepting generic campaign setups.

The thread discusses Google's incorporation of site speed as a ranking factor in search results, with ryanlucia outlining practical optimization strategies including minimizing video and analytics code, using CSS, reducing image count, avoiding Flash, and considering server quality. Community members share helpful resources like Google Webmaster Tools' load time feature and Google's Page Speed tool to monitor and improve performance. The key insight is that user experience directly impacts search rankings, making site speed optimization a critical component of SEO strategy for dealer websites.

A dealer asks what defines a well-designed website specifically for pure internet car sales (true eCommerce), and the discussion reveals a fundamental disagreement about whether such sites actually exist. Tordiway argues that 99% of dealer websites are merely "interactive adverts" rather than true eCommerce platforms because they cannot complete vehicle sales entirely online, while Joe Pistell counters that internet-enabled car sales should theoretically work like other disrupted industries, and challenges this premise by pointing to outlier dealers who appear to operate genuine eCommerce models.

Ryan Lucia argues that dealers should rename their homepage from the generic "Home" to something keyword-relevant (like the dealership name or brand) to improve SEO performance, since anchor text plays an important role in search rankings. He also recommends replacing industry terms like "Inventory" with consumer-focused searches like "New Honda's" or "Used Cars." While Jeff Kershner initially focuses on title tags as the more critical SEO element, he ultimately acknowledges Ryan's point about anchor text naming conventions.

Dealership professionals discuss whether netbooks are a viable mobile solution to replace expensive cell phone plans and enable staff to access web-based CRM and inventory systems on the sales floor. While netbooks offer cost savings and internet connectivity advantages over smartphones, the consensus leans toward tablets as the superior future solution, with participants noting practical limitations like processing power constraints and connectivity issues in weak signal areas. The thread ultimately reflects 2009-era mobile technology debates before smartphones became ubiquitous in dealerships.

A dealer marketer shares a free local keyword generator tool for identifying search terms in specific geographic markets, prompting discussion about optimizing organic search dominance in dealership service areas. The thread evolves into a broader resource-sharing discussion where Joe Pistell contributes multiple free SEO and local search tools (address extractor, broken link checker, plagiarism detector, and educational content), establishing best practices around technical optimization and content strategy. The key insight is that dealers can systematically dominate local search by combining keyword research with proper technical execution and quality content development across their primary market area and surrounding regions.

Ryan shares Google's new Social Search feature that indexes social media posts alongside traditional search results, making social media content and keywords strategically important for driving traffic. The thread includes practical guidance on accessing Google's experimental search platform and confirmation that the feature pulls data from multiple social channels including Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. The key takeaway is that dealers need to optimize their Google and social media profiles with quality content, as social signals are now becoming a direct ranking factor in search results.

A Ford dealer expresses frustration with Ford's restriction on Google Analytics implementation for Premium Dealerconnection sites managed by Clickmotive, which limits visibility into detailed website metrics like unique visitors, bounce rates, and referral sources. The dealer seeks advice on whether other Ford dealers have successfully negotiated with Ford/Clickmotive to allow Google Analytics, or alternative solutions for obtaining comprehensive website performance data. The core issue is the inadequacy of Ford's native reporting tools compared to industry-standard analytics platforms.

JulianW asks fellow automotive professionals to share creative or emerging marketing tactics for driving both virtual and physical dealership traffic, noting that local competitors won't collaborate due to competitive concerns. He explains his dealership currently uses standard channels (website, cars.com, SEO, SEM, third-party leads, local automotive sites) and is seeking new or underutilized strategies to maximize ROI on a limited marketing budget. The post invites discussion on unconventional or innovative approaches that could help smaller dealerships compete more effectively.

A newcomer seeking to build a vehicle marketplace asks how dealers broadcast inventory to third-party sites and whether he can pull feeds directly from inventory management providers or must negotiate individually with dealers. Responses reveal that dealers typically use Dealer Management Systems (DMS) connected to intermediary inventory platforms like iMagicLab or Dealer.com, which then distribute to multiple sites like AutoTrader and Cars.com, meaning a new marketplace would need to work with these established intermediaries rather than dealers directly—though some smaller dealers can export inventory via CSV files.

Car dealers discuss vendors and methods for listing inventory on Facebook Marketplace, with suggestions ranging from DealerRater's premium tool to free services like Oodle and Vast that automatically distribute inventory feeds across multiple platforms including Facebook. While several technical solutions are presented, a key counterpoint emerges: one contributor argues that blanketing Facebook with inventory listings prioritizes sales volume over relationship-building and may actually harm customer loyalty and long-term service retention. The thread ultimately reflects a tension between maximizing inventory visibility through automated tools versus using social media strategically for genuine customer engagement.

A user posts content about follow-up strategies for unsold dealership prospects, citing a NADA survey showing 90% of prospects purchase within a week but rarely receive follow-up contact. Richard Libin calls out the post as plagiarized verbatim from a 2001 Wards Dealer Business article featuring his company, demanding its removal. The original poster apologizes and commits to adding proper attribution.

Mitch Gallant requests industry benchmarks and whitepapers on key internet sales metrics like lead-to-sales conversion rates, lead-to-appointment rates, and website conversion rates to update his business plan. NickCybela cautions that standardized benchmarks are difficult to find due to inconsistent dealer processes, but provides practical conversion rate guidance: 2% indicates a basic site, 4-5% represents average dealers, 10-12%+ signals a good site, and 15%+ places a dealer among the industry's top performers.

A new digital manager asks how to use three newly purchased domains to drive traffic and increase conversions for her Ford dealership, particularly in competition with a nearby sister location. Respondents suggest either building separate microsites for sales/service/parts or using the domains as tracking mechanisms for advertising campaigns, while emphasizing that goals and strategy should guide decisions rather than simply acquiring domains. The key consensus is that success depends on having a clear strategy, avoiding duplicate content penalties, and focusing on analytics and SEO fundamentals rather than expecting quick results from multiple domain names alone.

A newly hired Internet Manager seeks advice on measuring departmental success through website and sales metrics. Responses recommend tracking unique/returning visitors, lead generation, conversion rates, and sales outcomes using tools like Google Analytics and dashboards, with comparisons to traditional advertising ROI to justify the position's value. The key insight is that raw traffic numbers are meaningless without strategic analysis of conversion sources and budget efficiency to inform marketing decisions.

Joe Pistell conducted low-cost usability testing ($69 for three 15-minute video reviews) on UsedCarKing.com using UserTesting.com, creating realistic shopping scenarios to evaluate how users navigate the site and accomplish purchase tasks. The three user reviews revealed mixed results, with testers generally able to find information but identifying specific friction points like unclear trade-in processes, mouseover issues, and lack of optional equipment details. Pistell concluded the testing confirmed his suspicions about needed improvements and identified significant optimization opportunities for the dealer site.

Dealers discuss key website differentiators that drive leads and conversions, with incentives integration, high-quality video content, and real photos of actual inventory emerging as the most impactful features. Secondary recommendations include appealing visual design, interactive vehicle selectors, and warranty information tools, though participants note that major third-party sites like AutoTrader and Cars.com have already optimized many of these elements through extensive testing. The consensus suggests that while no single feature guarantees competitive advantage, combining video, accurate inventory photography, and transparent pricing/incentives information measurably increases engagement and conversion rates.