Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

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.

The thread debates the true purpose of dealer websites and whether social media delivers real value, sparked by a challenge to rethink online sales as a fun, easy, and transparent experience. A vocal contingent argues SM is overhyped and profitable mainly for consultants, while the real opportunity lies in on-page optimization, e-commerce functionality, and mobile. Concrete conversion data shared by dealers — including a 9.18% visitor-to-lead rate achieved through SEO and a popup coupon tool — grounds the discussion in measurable outcomes.

Joe Pistell highlights the emergence of a specialized "Community Manager" role as social media marketing matures in the automotive industry, noting that forward-thinking markets are already seeing measurable ROI from this position. He references an external article detailing community manager responsibilities, suggesting this represents a new job function dealers should consider adding to their marketing teams. The thread identifies community management as a distinct discipline separate from traditional marketing, driven by data showing social media's growing business impact.

The thread explores the potential value of Facebook fans for car dealers, sparked by news of Facebook's upcoming conversion tracking tool that would let dealers measure ROI on their Facebook advertising. Replies debate how to realistically quantify social media ROI, with the emerging consensus that while tracking tools are valuable, Facebook's true worth for dealers lies in brand loyalty and genuine customer engagement rather than direct sales conversions.

A dealer shares that Google is testing a new $25/month local listing highlighting feature in San Jose and Houston before rolling it out nationally. The discussion evolves into dealers venting about persistent Google Local/Maps issues—including difficulty removing old listings, managing reviews from multiple sources, and unexplained disappearances from maps—with limited recourse from Google support. The key insight is that while Google offers new paid features, dealers still lack meaningful control over listing accuracy and review management on the platform.

A dealer discusses the strategy of "page saturation" — filling the first Google search results page with positive content about your dealership when customers search your company name — as a cost-effective way to bury negative reviews and control your online reputation. The post emphasizes using microsites and leveraging Google Local's new $25/month review highlighting feature to dominate search real estate and prevent bad feedback from appearing prominently. The key insight is that controlling the first page of results for your dealership name is more achievable and valuable than many dealers realize.

MattScalcione asks the DealerRefresh community about innovative applications of Facebook Connect on dealer websites and inventory pages, sharing examples of successful implementations from other industries. The single reply suggests using Facebook Connect buttons strategically in shareable inventory items, blog posts, press releases, and dealership history pages to encourage social sharing of interesting content.