Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

Dealers and industry insiders debate whether online yellow page services like YellowPages.com and SuperPages.com deliver enough relevant traffic to justify their contracts, with most leaning toward skepticism. A former Verizon Yellow Pages rep advises trimming spend to bare-minimum listings while redirecting budget toward WordPress blogs and SEO, arguing Google has effectively replaced phonebook-style search behavior. The consensus is that print yellow pages may still offer modest ROI, but online phonebook directories are largely outclassed by search engines for automotive shoppers.

The thread profiles AutoJini, an Iowa-based dealer website vendor founded in 2002 that focuses on sales-driven, lead-converting dealership websites at competitive price points. The only substantive reply comes from a dealer who had been using AutoJini for four months and reported satisfaction, saying the service delivered on its promises after comparing multiple providers.

Dealers and marketers debate whether direct mail still delivers ROI in an era of email, spam filters, and overflowing mailboxes. The thread reaches a nuanced consensus: snail mail isn't dead, but its effectiveness depends heavily on targeting, message quality, and use case — with past customers, high-gas-price MPG campaigns, and simple thank-you cards cited as strong examples where it still outperforms digital alternatives.

The thread starts with a video share from Matt Cutts on web spam and the risks of trying to manipulate Google. Dealers and vendors discuss practical anti-spam measures for dealership websites, with CAPTCHA tools emerging as the top recommendation, along with a warning that displaying raw email addresses on dealer sites invites additional spam.

A guest poster asks car industry professionals to step outside their sales mindset and honestly examine what consumers actually want from the car buying experience, arguing that the process generates primarily negative emotions. Responses from both industry insiders and self-identified consumers reveal a consistent tension: buyers want transparency, verified pricing, and respect, while some dealers still default to traditional negotiation tactics and personalization gimmicks that savvy shoppers find insulting. The key insight is that consumers increasingly arrive informed and simply want dealers to honor straightforward deals without games, with tools like spreadsheets and invoice data already in shoppers' hands.

Jeff Kershner shared an SEO-themed rap video covering web design best practices like clear navigation, calls to action, avoiding heavy animation, and contact info visibility. The thread is mostly lighthearted reactions from community members quoting favorite lines and sharing a related PPC rap. The key takeaway is that the rap, while humorous, actually delivers solid foundational SEO and UX advice in a memorable format.

Jeff Kershner announced a new DealerRefresh section dedicated to profiling major automotive dealer website providers, including SEO metrics like Page Rank and title tags to help dealers evaluate vendors. Readers quickly chimed in asking for community feedback on specific providers like Dealer Impact and Smart Web Concepts. The thread highlights the ongoing dealer need for a reliable, peer-vetted resource when choosing a website platform.

The thread reacts skeptically to an AutoUSA study claiming that lead accuracy and contact completeness are the top priorities for dealers evaluating third-party lead providers. Jeff Kershner and other commenters dismiss the findings as obvious, while raising more substantive concerns about duplicate leads, auditing practices, and the lack of dealer-side software to catch low-quality providers. The key takeaway is that while lead quality is universally acknowledged as critical, the real problem is accountability — few dealers have the tools or processes to effectively police their lead vendors.

The thread profiles DealerOn, a Bethesda-based automotive dealer website and digital marketing company founded in 2003. A dealer user praises their SEO, lead conversion, and responsive support while noting inventory display as a weak point. An anonymous post raises an ethics concern alleging DealerOn reverse-engineered competitors' platforms, sparking a philosophical debate about copying versus innovation in business.

Dealers and industry insiders debate whether SEM vendors are truly acting in their clients' best interests, sparked by Jeff Kershner's observation of a suspicious out-of-state PPC campaign appearing in local searches. The thread explores geo-targeting inaccuracies in Google AdWords, inflated vendor management fees eating into campaign budgets, and the strategic advice to reserve PPC for conquest keywords while relying on organic content for branded terms. The key takeaway is that dealers must actively audit their SEM campaigns and vendor relationships, as both technical platform issues and misaligned vendor incentives can silently drain budgets.

Dealers debate the quality and true origins of third-party leads, with one contributor walking through a method of self-shopping lead providers to expose non-exclusive or low-quality sourcing. A key insight is that some dealers have abandoned third-party leads entirely, redirecting budgets elsewhere without losing sales while improving gross per unit — suggesting the cost-per-lead model may not justify the total investment for all stores.

Jeff Kershner highlights a major frustration with third-party lead providers: dealers are receiving duplicate leads resold from multiple sources, as shown by screenshots from his lead manager. The thread draws mixed responses, including AutoUSA employees defending their brand and a dealer advocating for shifting budget from third-party leads to Google AdWords and custom landing pages as a more cost-effective alternative. The key takeaway is that third-party lead quality and reselling practices are under scrutiny, with some dealers finding better ROI in owning their own traffic.

Dealers discuss the frustrating lack of transparency from third-party lead providers about where leads actually originate, whether from Edmunds, KBB, or lower-quality sources. Knowing the lead source would help salespeople tailor their approach and allow dealers to selectively buy or reject leads by origin. The consensus leans toward reducing third-party dependency by investing in direct advertising and branded web presence to generate owned, higher-quality leads instead.

Jeff Kershner follows up on a previous investigation where AutoUSA resold him his own test leads twice, and a VP from AutoUSA traced the duplicates back to Yahoo Autos, claiming each lead was uniquely entered by users. The thread raises broader concerns about accountability and shady practices among third-party lead providers, with commenters noting the difficulty of identifying bad actors within otherwise reputable companies. The key takeaway is that lead fraud or duplication in third-party services may be hard to pin down definitively, leaving dealers with little recourse.

A dealer discovered that AutoUSA sold him the same mystery-shop lead three times over several months, raising questions about lead reselling practices. An AutoUSA executive responded publicly, attributing the duplicates to separate Yahoo Autos form submissions, but the dealer firmly denied submitting the lead more than once, leaving the discrepancy unresolved. The thread highlights the value of public accountability through blogging, while also surfacing broader concerns about duplicate lead charges, customer data privacy, and the relative quality of third-party versus OEM leads.

This thread is a vendor profile for MJMI (MJM Internet, LLC), a New Jersey-based dealership website provider active since 1998. Multiple dealership representatives — including Harte Auto Group, Wiggins Automotive Group, and Circle Auto Group — chime in with glowing testimonials praising MJMI's responsive customer support, quick turnaround, and user-friendly website designs. The dominant theme is that MJMI differentiates itself from larger competitors through attentive, personalized service rather than ignoring clients post-launch.

Dealers debate whether competitors buying rival dealership names as paid search keywords is unethical or simply smart marketing. While one dealer sought manufacturer intervention and another pursued trademark protection, most respondents concluded the practice is legally permissible under Google and Yahoo policies — with the Geico v. Google case cited as precedent — and argued that dealers ignoring natural search fundamentals have only themselves to blame. The thread's sharpest insight is that trademark registration can limit ad copy usage but won't stop competitors from bidding on a dealer's name as a keyword.

AutoTrader's Chip Perry announced the platform's 2007 product lineup, emphasizing richer media experiences and better vehicle search tools for consumers. A dealer shared a firsthand success story, crediting AutoTrader and its reps with helping him grow an internet department from 3 to 15 monthly sales in his first month. Site founder Jeff Kershner acknowledged AutoTrader's forward momentum while noting the tension of reps also helping local competing dealers.

Jeff Kershner breaks down commonly confused digital marketing acronyms — SEO, SEM, PPC, and CPC — to help automotive professionals use the right terminology. Replies from industry vendors confirm the confusion is widespread, with even experienced practitioners often using the terms interchangeably. The key takeaway is that clear definitions matter when dealers evaluate or discuss digital marketing services.

Dealers and an AutoTrader insider debate whether AutoTrader's 2006 price hikes of $800–$1,500 are justified by new features like 'Find Your Dealer.' Most dealers express frustration with rising costs, poor cost-per-sale ratios, and aggressive sales tactics that bypass internet managers, while one AutoTrader employee candidly admits the company is becoming 'unbelievably greedy.' The key takeaway is that dealers are being pushed to either commit to expensive premium packages or risk being buried by competitors, with some finding better ROI through alternatives like eBay.

The thread examines declining TV advertising effectiveness for car dealerships, anchored by 2006 McKinsey data showing broadcast viewership dropped nearly 50% while ad spending rose 40%. Contributors largely agree traditional TV is losing ground, with one advocating a full pivot to geo-targeted digital advertising for measurable ROI, while a dissenting guest argues dealers should instead diversify across multiple touchpoints—TV, radio, and online—emphasizing frequency and brand consistency rather than abandoning legacy channels entirely. The key tension is between cutting unmeasurable traditional spend versus using it as part of a broader, integrated media strategy.

AutoTrader.com announced a strategic partnership with NADAguides.com, integrating NADAguides pricing into AutoTrader listings and powering vehicle search on NADAguides. Dealers and industry commenters largely questioned the move, arguing that NADA pricing is better suited to banking and lending than retail markets, and that partnerships with KBB or Manheim would have been a more natural and credible fit for AutoTrader's dealer audience.