Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

A dealer seeks recommendations for a production company to create branded commercials for PrestonAuto.com with a humorous tone similar to CarMax ads. Respondents suggest sourcing locally through freelancers, LinkedIn, Twitter, and college film programs rather than traditional large agencies, with one expert recommending hiring a separate consultant to develop the creative concept before engaging a production house. The consensus emphasizes that quality creative work can be found locally at reasonable cost without needing a major advertising firm.

Dealers discuss optimal pricing strategies for Zag, a multi-dealer quoting platform, with particular focus on whether aggressive below-invoice pricing is sustainable. The consensus that emerges is that competitive (often below-invoice) pricing is necessary to generate sufficient Zag leads and sales volume, with the expectation that dealers will recover profits through back-end gross and finance charges rather than front-end margin. A key cautionary note: some manufacturers like Honda prohibit quoting below-invoice prices on Zag, viewing them as advertised prices that violate dealer agreements.

The thread serves as a reviews and listing page for DealerFire, an Oshkosh, WI-based automotive website and internet marketing provider. Dealers consistently praise the company's responsive support team, SEO performance, customizable web design, and named staff members like Leif, Per, and sales rep Matt Cole. The key takeaway is that DealerFire earns strong loyalty by combining flexible, small-company responsiveness with results that rival larger providers like Cobalt.

The thread announces Google Boost, a new paid advertising feature accessible through Google Places that allows car dealers to run location-based ads (15-20 mile radius) with customer ratings and review stars displayed. Users discuss setup requirements (needing both AdWords and Google Places accounts), mention a potential $100 promotional credit, and note that Boost is distinct from AdWords Ad Extensions, with results varying by industry. The key insight is that Google Boost represents a new hybrid advertising option combining local business listings with paid promotion and social proof elements like star ratings.

A dealer frustrated with cars.com's unresponsiveness after three days of unanswered calls and voicemails posts seeking direct contact information, prompting multiple cars.com representatives to respond directly on DealerRefresh with their contact details. The issue was ultimately resolved when the dealer's rep returned from vacation, but the thread demonstrates how the DealerRefresh community can quickly surface vendor contacts and escalate dealer concerns when normal channels fail. The thread highlights both a service gap at cars.com and the practical value of dealer forums for cutting through corporate bureaucracy.

Dealers discuss benchmarks for cost per internet sale, with consensus around $150-$250 excluding labor costs, though actual costs vary widely depending on ad spend and staffing. The thread reveals that there's no standardized way to calculate this metric—what counts as an "internet sale" and which expenses to include are subjective decisions that significantly impact the numbers. The key insight is that cost per sale comparisons between dealerships are less valuable than tracking individual sources, conversion rates at each stage (leads to appointments to sales), and understanding your own operational definitions.

A dealer inquires about switching to Dealer.com for website and inventory management, prompting recommendations for competing platforms like DealerFire and eBizAutos, though several experienced forum members caution against relying solely on opinions without understanding individual business needs. The thread evolves into a broader discussion about the limitations of vendor recommendations and the importance of conducting a thorough due diligence process, including demos, needs analysis, and direct conversations with existing customers and support teams. The key insight is that vendor selection should be driven by specific business requirements and post-sale support quality rather than forum recommendations alone.

A 2007 question about why dealers avoid social media resurfaces in 2009-2010, prompting debate about whether the real issue has shifted from adoption to proper execution. Commenters largely agree that by late 2009 most dealers had some social presence, but fear of doing it wrong, lack of training, and treating it as a sales channel rather than a relationship tool remained the core obstacles. The thread's clearest takeaway is that a poorly executed social media strategy—or a neglected dealership website—does more harm than doing nothing at all.

Justin Duff announces Google's new +1 feature implementation on dealer websites and asks for community feedback on its potential SEO benefits. Mitch Gallant replies skeptically, arguing that +1 likely won't provide meaningful SEO value in the near term and recommends dealers focus on more established, efficient marketing tactics first rather than rushing to adopt this bleeding-edge feature. The thread's key takeaway is that while +1 may eventually prove valuable, it's premature for dealers to prioritize it over proven optimization strategies.

Stefan promotes AutobookNow, an inventory lead capture system that aggregates dealer inventory to multiple search engines and ad platforms, claiming to use Facebook-trained programmers and offer territorial exclusivity. Two experienced dealers (Chris Cachor and Jake L) immediately dismiss it as a red flag, questioning whether the market needs another inventory aggregator and skeptically challenging the credibility of Stefan's claims about programmer credentials and the site's design quality. The thread highlights professional skepticism toward yet another inventory distribution service in an already-saturated market.

A creative, satirical post imagines a 2035 dealership where empowered smartphone-wielding customers have upended the traditional sales dynamic, sparking discussion about how dealers and sales consultants can adapt. Replies debate whether smartphones are a threat or an opportunity, with contributors suggesting tactics like QR codes in Autotrader listings, leveraging social media for relationship-building, and shifting to transparent, value-based selling. The core insight is that dealers who embrace mobile technology and lead with honesty can turn the information age to their advantage rather than fear it.

Joe Pistell writes an open letter to DealerTrack's CEO Mark O'Neil, arguing that DealerTrack sits on an untapped data marketing opportunity large enough to make Google a partner. The discussion quickly expands into observations about Google increasingly inserting its own commercial products into search results — flights, boutiques, pool tables — at the expense of organic SEO, with participants estimating the automotive advertising market alone at over $12 billion annually. The key takeaway is that Google's encroachment on high-revenue search verticals signals a major shift, and dealers and vendors who adapt their strategies early — favoring site architecture over link-building — will be better positioned.

A dealer named Loun seeks recommendations for magnetic number and letter kits (18-24 inches tall) to display on vehicle sides for lot marketing purposes, as standard Google searches keep returning large square magnetic signs instead of letter kits. He's considering having something custom-made at a local vinyl shop if pre-made options aren't readily available. The thread essentially crowdsources vendor recommendations for this specific product category from the dealer community.

The thread discusses where car dealer websites get their traffic, with stevenc317 sharing analytics data showing Google drives 67% of traffic to small used car dealership sites. A key debate emerges around Craigslist's unexpectedly high referral traffic compared to major platforms like AutoTrader and Cars.com, with tomwhitejr pointing out that while Craigslist sends significant traffic, the quality is poor (high bounce rates and low engagement) compared to other sources.

A DealerRefresh member shares Facebook data showing that implementing social plugins and likes can drive traffic to websites, sparking discussion about best practices among dealerships. Contributors highlight examples like Checkered Flag and Jeff Wyler dealerships as models of effective Facebook integration and suggest that search engines may adopt Facebook's algorithm—which surfaces content based on likes, comments, and shares—to rank web results more relevantly.

• Poll

Dealers are increasingly facing OEM compliance crackdowns that restrict their paid search and SEO campaigns to their assigned Area of Interest (AOI), preventing them from targeting or mentioning locations outside their territory—a rule that doesn't apply to traditional media like TV and radio. The core debate centers on whether these restrictions are justified, with participants concluding that the crackdowns are primarily driven by complaints from underperforming dealers who seek regulatory protection rather than improving their own marketing competitiveness. Key insight: OEM AOI enforcement is fundamentally a political decision made by dealer groups voting for these restrictions, not a consumer-benefiting regulation, and it creates an inequitable system where dealers can't pursue legitimate customers outside their territory based on specific inventory needs.

Ryan Thompson shares how Yelp's customer reviews, coupons, and service specials influenced his decision to choose a repair shop for a muffler replacement, highlighting a gap he noticed where many franchise dealership websites lack these engagement features. Jeff Kershner agrees that Yelp is gaining traction and warrants dealer attention, particularly due to its integration with Google Places, supporting Ryan's observation with traffic data. The key insight is that dealers should prioritize building a presence on review platforms like Yelp, as consumers actively use them in their purchase decisions.

Jesse expresses concern about his Ford dealership's website performance after comparing analytics from WebsiteGrader and Compete.com to a competing Audi dealer, wondering if switching to ClickMotive's platform would help. Respondents caution against over-relying on these comparison tools for local dealership markets and redirect the discussion toward conversion optimization—specifically improving Vehicle Detail Pages (VDPs) and content quality rather than chasing traffic metrics. The consensus is that converting existing visitors into sales through better product storytelling matters far more than incremental traffic increases from a new platform.

A dealership owner asks for blogging advice, and experienced professionals recommend using WordPress as a platform and posting consistently (2-3 times weekly). Key debate emerges around content strategy: while some suggest focusing on inventory, promotions, and OEM information for SEO benefits, others argue that personal stories, employee profiles, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes content actually drive reader engagement—emphasizing that dealership blogs succeed by being interesting and relatable rather than purely promotional.

Dealership marketers discuss best practices for launching monthly newsletters, with suggestions ranging from vehicle features and service articles to customer spotlights and charitable activities. The thread reveals a key tension: while newsletter tactics are easy to find, success requires time to develop an authentic dealership "voice" and should align with broader marketing strategy rather than defaulting to generic sales promotions. Several participants recommend email service providers like IMN to track engagement metrics and professionalize distribution, though cost and resource commitment are significant considerations.

Alex Snyder opens a discussion on how Google's evolving algorithms are increasingly incorporating social signals — reviews, likes, and personal recommendations — into organic search rankings, blurring the line between traditional SEO and real-world reputation. Replies from industry professionals and vendors explore the challenges of gaming social signals versus link farms, the rise of author influence rankings, and the uneven impact of social-driven SEO across different market sizes and industries. The key emerging insight is that authentic social engagement and quality content will matter more as Google integrates personal recommendation data to reduce manipulation and improve relevance.

A dealer seeking to launch an e-commerce parts and accessories business receives a vendor recommendation for New Perspective Web Solutions (NPWS), a company that provides turnkey solutions including shopping carts, payment processing, and catalog management, with proven success across multiple dealer brands since 2007-2008. The thread includes examples of dealer sites built by NPWS and anecdotal evidence of sustained business viability, though specific revenue figures and detailed cost information are not disclosed. The key takeaway is that established vendors exist to handle the technical complexity of launching parts e-commerce, reducing the barrier to entry for dealers considering this business expansion.