Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

Joe Pistell announces a beta launch of an automated vehicle comment generator tool designed to eliminate the time-consuming task of manually writing inventory descriptions for dealer listings. The tool generates comments automatically without requiring templates or user input, and has already been implemented successfully with several dealers according to feedback. The key insight is that dealers view this as a significant time-saver for inventory management, particularly for smaller operations, though some users express interest in additional customization features like template copying.

The discussion centers on whether dealerships should implement live chat functionality on their websites to engage internet visitors within the critical first two minutes, comparing it to how salespeople greet walk-in customers on the lot. While there's agreement that proactive engagement is valuable, the thread reveals significant debate over implementation: managed offsite chat often frustrates customers seeking immediate answers, dealer-operated chat requires substantial staff training and commitment to be effective, and the key insight is that poor chat execution is worse than no chat at all—training and consistency are essential for success.

A group of automotive digital marketing professionals publicly recognize and commend each other's outstanding SEO and internet marketing achievements, highlighting specific examples like Eric Miltsch's AuctionDirectUSA ranking on page 2 for "used cars" and Tim Martell's success with Marlboro Nissan's organic search visibility. The thread emphasizes that strategic partnerships, continuous learning, and proper SEO implementation can dramatically improve dealer visibility and sales performance. The key insight is that exceptional results in automotive digital marketing are achievable through dedicated effort and knowledge-sharing within the DealerRefresh community, with several dealers already demonstrating significant competitive advantages through these strategies.

Automotive professionals discuss whether Twitter is a worthwhile marketing tool for car dealerships, with most concluding it lacks viable ROI for traditional dealers due to difficulty targeting local markets and minimal engagement. While some maintain Twitter accounts by auto-feeding blog content and using it for industry networking, participants agree that Facebook's superior regional targeting capabilities and niche applications (like Porsche clubs) make it a better investment than Twitter for automotive sales. The consensus is that Twitter may benefit automotive service providers more than dealerships, though it remains a free channel worth maintaining passively.

Automotive dealers discuss practical tools and strategies for monitoring their online reputation, with Google Alerts and DealerRater emerging as the most widely recommended solutions across different dealership sizes. Responses range from simple free options like Twitter search to custom-built aggregation systems, with one dealer highlighting the competitive advantage gained from becoming a certified DealerRater dealer. The key insight is that reputation management requires consistent, non-defensive engagement with customer reviews rather than just passive monitoring—one top-performing dealer attributes their award-winning status to responding positively to all feedback, regardless of whether criticism is justified.

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Dealership blog owners debate whether their primary motivation is SEO traffic or customer engagement/transparency, with most admitting SEO drives their efforts despite aspirations toward genuine customer connection. Participants share mixed results on blog effectiveness, noting that while traffic metrics are often underwhelming (low time-on-site and page views), blogs provide secondary benefits like branding, link building, and credibility that may drive long-term customer confidence and dealership culture improvement.

Dealers discuss a "cookie dropping" retargeting service pitched by Cobalt ($1,400/month) that follows website visitors across the internet with targeted ads for 60 days, with participants clarifying this is standard behavioral retargeting (not proprietary) already offered by Fortune 500 companies and available through cheaper alternatives like FetchBack ($500/month). The key insight is that while retargeting is legitimate and effective marketing when properly geo-targeted, dealers should shop around rather than pay premium prices to a single website provider, and should carefully calculate ROI before committing to these services.

Mitchell Brenner praises Dealer.Com's SEO team for rapidly improving his dealership's search rankings from position 40 to position 3 in a specific Pennsylvania market within 2-3 weeks. The thread quickly shifts to light-hearted banter about Brenner's reputation for giving honest, direct feedback to vendors—praising good ones generously while being vocal about poor performers. The key takeaway is that Dealer.Com delivered measurable, impressive SEO results that directly impacted Brenner's business.

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Google released detailed search performance data in Webmaster Tools, allowing dealers to see impressions, click-through rates, and ranking positions for their search queries—with the critical insight that rankings beyond position 3 see dramatically lower CTR. Forum members debate the implications, with one expert arguing that Google is signaling CTR as a ranking factor (similar to PPC Quality Score) alongside site speed and relevancy, encouraging webmasters to optimize for user experience rather than keyword stuffing.

A vendor seeking to launch a new online marketing platform asks dealers about their experiences with services like AutoTrader and Cars.com, requesting feedback on pricing, ROI tracking, and desired features like inventory management and lead attribution. The discussion reveals limited substantive dealer input, with community members noting that the vendor's questions are generic and that similar topics are already well-covered elsewhere on the forum. The key insight is that dealers value ROI reporting tools integrated into CRMs to measure lead provider effectiveness, though the vendor struggles to gather concrete feedback on what specific features would drive dealer adoption.

Mitch Gallant asks about TK Carsites' strengths and weaknesses as a website provider, prompting mixed feedback from dealers with experience using the platform. While users consistently praise TK's SEO capabilities and lead generation, concerns emerge around site layout/usability, inventory navigation, and customization limitations. The thread's key insight—articulated by joe.pistell—is that usability and conversion rates should outweigh SEO rankings, and dealers should test platforms directly with real users before committing.

The thread discusses "Pacing and Leading," a sales technique that builds rapport through empathetic statements before making requests, with participants debating its effectiveness and proper application in automotive sales. While some contributors praise the technique for establishing advisor credibility and maintaining customer comfort, others view it as a repackaged version of outdated sales methods like "Feel, Felt, Found," though most agree it remains underutilized. The key insight is that the technique works best when applied naturally and sparingly (1-2 paces before leading) rather than mechanically, with variations in language adapted to different communication styles.

Dan Sayer seeks website solution recommendations for a five-store dealer group across multiple franchises that must integrate with DealerSocket, sparking suggestions for both established platforms (Dealer.com, BZ, Dealerfire, DealerPeak, eCarList) and alternatives like Jazel, Real Dealer Solutions, eBizAutos, Dealer HD, Captive Lead, and DealerOn. Marc McGurren and Oscar Vanderkooij provide detailed endorsements of eCarList and DealerOn respectively, citing strong performance metrics and responsive customer service. The thread reveals that dealers prioritize DealerSocket integration, customization capabilities, conversion rates, and quick turnaround on updates when evaluating website platforms.

Dealers debate the optimal timing and approach for introducing F&I services to internet leads, with most agreeing that mentioning financing too early in initial contact discourages showroom visits. The consensus centers on a tension between profitability (getting F&I involved early) and customer experience (focusing first on vehicle interest to secure appointments), with some dealers advocating for dedicated F&I personnel to handle online customers while others argue financing discussions should only occur after the customer is engaged or requests information.

Dealers using Dealer.com report experiencing slow page load times, with users identifying oversized homepages (2.6MB+) and heavy graphics as the primary culprits rather than platform-wide infrastructure issues. Technical experts provide diagnostic advice using tools like Firebug and Pingdom, while participants emphasize that slow load times negatively impact both user experience and SEO rankings—particularly relevant as Google's algorithm updates began factoring in site speed as a ranking factor.

This thread discusses how to systematically identify and overcome common sales objections from internet shoppers, with Craig sharing his dealership's approach of condensing real objections into 16 core categories (price, inventory, reputation, and stalls) and developing 4-6 response techniques for each. The key insight is that many stated objections are actually process failures that can be prevented through proper pre-qualification and setting customer expectations upfront, rather than waiting to react to objections after they arise.

Automotive professionals discuss free social media toolbars that can be embedded on dealer websites, with Wibiya highlighted as a customizable option and ActivEngage's competing toolbar noted for integrating chat and DealerRater reviews. While acknowledging multiple solutions exist in this space, participants express mixed views on their utility, with some finding them valuable for engagement while others consider them potentially intrusive.

A dealer asks whether subdomains or standalone domains are better for auto dealership websites, and the community discusses tradeoffs between the two approaches. The consensus is that both can work effectively for SEO if properly optimized, but subdomains offer faster indexing by inheriting authority from the parent domain and can be hosted separately, while standalone domains are simpler to manage and remember, making the choice dependent on specific business needs rather than technical superiority.

Dealers discuss strategies for preventing manufacturer-mandated Cobalt sites from ranking higher than their own dealer websites in search results, since the OEM sites offer poor user experience compared to their branded sites. Key tactics mentioned include using poor URLs, disabling search indexing, removing dealer names from titles/meta tags, and using canonical tags or nofollow attributes to deprioritize the Cobalt sites. The consensus is that while these workarounds are possible, dealers should consult with SEO specialists to implement them without violating manufacturer agreements or cannibalizing organic traffic.

A dealer seeking to understand the third-party lead aggregator market asks about typical lead volumes and pricing, prompting industry professionals to share that average cost-per-lead hovers around $20 (ranging $17-24) with significant regional variation. The discussion identifies major players like AutoUSA, Dealix, and ZAG as generally more reliable than providers like Autobytel and CarsDirect, though quality varies dramatically by region and vehicle make. A key insight emerges that lead quality issues—bad contact info, unqualified buyers, lead reselling, and out-of-service prospects—are common industry problems that make vendor selection highly dependent on individual dealer circumstances.