Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

DevBasu outlines five cardinal mistakes in automotive PPC/SEM campaigns, with the primary focus on sending visitors to irrelevant landing pages instead of matching ad content to destination pages. The discussion includes practical insights from Jeff Kershner about using personalized phone numbers and staff names in ad copy to increase click-through rates (achieving 4.5% CTR three years ago), and ChristianFerrer suggests complementing SEM with display/retargeting campaigns for enhanced performance. The key takeaway is that dealers can significantly improve conversions, lower cost-per-click, and reduce wasted ad spend by ensuring tight alignment between ad messaging and landing page content, combined with proper campaign structure and testing.

An Internet Sales Manager seeking benchmark data for managing five dealerships asks the community about standard website performance metrics like conversion rates and time-on-site. The community confirms that average website conversion rates hover around 2-3% (excluding phone calls), with time-on-site typically 3-4 minutes, while noting that inventory size, lead quality, and brand reputation significantly impact these metrics—and that even a 1-2% conversion improvement can double lead volume.

A dealer proposes a reciprocal link-building strategy where automotive professionals exchange links to boost SEO rankings, citing his own test showing links remain critical to Google rankings. While supporters acknowledge the potential mutual benefit, skeptics raise concerns about complexity, sustainability, and whether Google would penalize such coordinated link schemes as link farms. The thread concludes without consensus, though participants agree that link building remains relevant to SEO despite Google's evolution.

The thread debates what makes a dealership website successful, with participants arguing it's not a single factor (SEO, design, etc.) but rather a balanced combination of elements including compelling vehicle presentation with quality photos, strong pricing strategy, differentiated brand messaging, and multiple marketing channels that drive traffic to the dealer's owned website. The key insight is that while all these ingredients matter, the ultimate measure of success is converting visitors into car sales at healthy margins, achieved by building customer trust and loyalty so buyers choose you over competitors despite potentially higher prices.

Joe Pistell identifies a common dealer website mistake: neglecting to update the "Specials" page, which shows "0 vehicles found"—a top-landing page that damages credibility when left stale. Over the thread's year-long arc, dealers admit to being guilty of this oversight, while some (like Jeff Kershner) share best practices like daily manual checks and RSS feed monitoring to prevent the problem. The broader insight is that dealers rushing to adopt new marketing channels like social media should first maintain their core website presence, as outdated content undermines all other marketing efforts.

Automotive professionals share examples of dealership websites with poor design, confusing navigation, or unintentionally humorous elements—highlighting common mistakes like burying contact information and awkward layouts. While the thread is largely humorous, MichiganMan's practical observation stands out: prominently displaying phone numbers and addresses is critical, as customers will abandon sites that make basic information difficult to find.

The thread debates whether map/directions page views should count as website conversions, with most participants agreeing they shouldn't be counted as true conversions since they don't capture customer information, though they are valuable engagement indicators. The broader consensus is that automotive dealers shouldn't fixate on traditional conversion metrics (form submissions, calls) since most car shoppers research online but complete purchases offline, making engagement metrics like time on site, VDP views, and visitor loyalty better indicators of website success. The discussion emphasizes that online conversion rates are typically only 1-4%, and dealers should instead focus on inventory quality, pricing, merchandising, and sales team follow-up rather than artificially inflating conversion numbers.

The thread discusses how most dealerships misuse Twitter by relying on spam tactics like auto-messaging and frequent promotional posts, which alienates followers rather than building genuine engagement. Contributors argue that effective Twitter marketing should focus on manually identifying and responding to tweets showing real consumer intent, using tools like Twithawk to surface relevant conversations rather than blasting automated messages. The key insight is that dealerships should prioritize one-on-one relationship-building over volume-based spam to actually gain followers and generate qualified leads.

Dealership professionals debate whether mobile apps are a worthwhile investment, with consensus emerging that standalone sales apps lack value but post-purchase service apps (appointment scheduling, maintenance reminders, service notifications) have genuine utility. The key insight is that dealers should prioritize optimized mobile websites and apps that solve real customer problems—like integrated service management tied to vehicle data—rather than chasing trendy technology for its own sake.

The thread discusses whether Foursquare, a location-based check-in app, is worthwhile for car dealerships, with the original poster advocating for it as a customer loyalty tool while subsequent replies reveal significant practical obstacles—including difficulty getting dealership listings verified and a small Foursquare team struggling with backlog. The consensus that emerges is skeptical: while some see potential in location-based deals and specials, most participants argue that dealerships should prioritize mastering established platforms like Facebook and Yelp before investing in unproven location services, and several question whether Foursquare's gaming mechanics (mayorships, badges) actually drive meaningful automotive sales.

Shawn asks for recommendations on eBay listing templates for automotive inventory, and receives suggestions for both free eBay-native tools (eBay Motors Dealer Center) and third-party services like vFlyer, eBizAuto, and eCarlist that offer automated inventory integration and bid management. The thread establishes that eCarlist and eBizAuto are the industry standards among major eBay Motors dealers, though a more budget-conscious alternative would be hiring a custom template designer through platforms like 99designs or eLance.

A dealer's friend in Ontario is struggling to get a new Hyundai dealership to appear properly on Google Maps after changing the phone number, which caused the listing to disappear from search results despite still showing as a pink dot on the map. An experienced local search specialist (Joe Pistell) provides detailed guidance, explaining that the core issue is likely mismatched business records and recommending a multi-step approach: verify the business name and address match official DBA records, ensure the website displays the address in readable text (not images), and submit the business to multiple local citation sources (Yahoo Local, Bing Local, Yelp, etc.) to establish the new information across the web. The key insight is that Google Maps listings depend on consistent citations across authoritative business directories, and that managing local search for new businesses requires methodical groundwork beyond just submitting to Google itself.

Automotive dealers share strategies for converting service lane customers into sales prospects, with approaches ranging from pre-appointment phone calls and in-person greeter salespeople to post-service email automation campaigns. The debate reveals a key insight: proactive outreach *before* the service appointment (one day prior) is significantly more effective than post-service follow-up, since customers prioritize their vehicles differently once repairs are completed. Best practices discussed include printing daily service logs for manager visibility, using phone scripts to plant sales seeds, scheduling dedicated service lane salespeople, and leveraging service specials (check engine light diagnostics, battery promotions, brake service BOGOs) to drive foot traffic.

Dan Morgan seeks creative, non-desperate ways to incentivize referrals from recent customers, proposing a "$100 coupon" design to capitalize on his fresh name recognition post-sale. Replies emphasize that the best referrals stem from exceptional customer experiences and direct asking rather than payment incentives, with one commenter noting that Maryland has legal restrictions on referral payments ("bird dogs"). The thread reveals tension between Dan's desire for a marketing mechanism to convert customer goodwill into actual referrals versus community consensus that service quality and simple follow-up asking are more effective than gimmicks.

The thread warns automotive professionals against common inefficiencies in social media marketing, starting with the mistake of subscribing to too many industry blogs. The author emphasizes the importance of being selective with content sources and actually dedicating time to read, understand, and engage with material rather than passively collecting feeds, as spreading yourself too thin undermines the entire purpose of social media strategy.

The discussion examines whether dealership blogs should cover controversial topics like politics and religion, sparked by a Nissan dealer's post on the death penalty. While opinions vary on the risk-reward tradeoff, the consensus leans toward avoiding divisive subjects on official dealership blogs, though some argue that talented writers with strong voices can pull off edgier content if they're transparent and maintain control of the narrative.

A vendor named Kurbain is promoting an integrated social media marketing package that includes a Facebook Connect-enabled website and a proprietary Facebook application, seeking beta testers and feedback from dealers in the DealerRefresh community. The post offers limited beta slots and directs interested parties to visit xmpdealer.com or contact the poster directly for more information. There is no indication of dealer responses or conclusions in the original post.

A Subaru dealership owner asks for photo editing software recommendations to resize images and create text-based banners for his new Dealer.com website without purchasing expensive professional software. Community members suggest several free or affordable alternatives including GIMP, Paint.net, and SnagIt ($49), while others recommend investing in older versions of Adobe Photoshop if he plans to do more advanced work. The consensus is that free tools can handle basic resizing and banner creation, but the choice depends on the complexity of designs needed and the user's willingness to learn the software.

Katie initiates a discussion about BDC (Business Development Center) organizational structure, asking whether dealerships keep their BDC and internet department combined or separate, and whether they use dedicated staff or salespeople. Danoneil responds with a concrete case study showing that his Honda dealership doubled monthly sales from 35-45 to 80-120 cars after switching from one internet manager overseeing seven salespeople to two dedicated internet managers, attributing the improvement to faster response times and more salespeople available for floor/phone duties.

A DealerRefresh member questions the legitimacy of Douglas Volkswagen's website after discovering they appear to be using a Jetta TDI review video that was originally created by Checkered Flag, hosted on a third-party server rather than embedded from YouTube. The discussion explores the legal implications of redistributing video content without permission, with stevenc317 providing detailed technical evidence of the unauthorized use, while other members suggest this is likely the result of outsourced web development by vendors unfamiliar with copyright law. The thread concludes that if the original creator (Christine from Checkered Flag) objects, she can pursue legal action, but the larger takeaway is that dealers should use tools like Copyscape to monitor content theft and be cautious about what their web vendors are actually doing.

Automotive dealers discuss website accessibility compliance with ADA requirements, prompted by concerns that the DOJ is enforcing standards for disabled users. The thread reveals significant gaps in current dealer websites—most lack basic accessibility features like text-to-speech, captions on videos, and browser zoom functionality—and debaters disagree on what constitutes true compliance, with DrewAment arguing that simple contact forms or chat options are insufficient compared to comprehensive accessibility features like video subtitles. The key insight is that while accessibility improvements are necessary and commercially viable, many dealers lack clarity on actual DOJ requirements and the financial/technical effort needed to achieve compliance.