Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

Marc Lavoie shares a free temporary landing page template he created in under 30 minutes, specifically designed for dealerships to promote timely offers like the newly released 2020 Silverado HD, and offers to make it available to forum members. The resource ties into a guide he wrote about landing page best practices for car dealerships, with a video demonstration included. The key insight is that well-designed, quick-to-deploy landing pages are an effective marketing tool for capitalizing on new model releases and limited-time promotions.

Automotive professionals discuss essential landing page features for capturing leads, with consensus that success depends on understanding your specific goal (lead capture vs. warm-up), the traffic source (email vs. social), and desired action (CTA click vs. form submission). Key recommendations include clear calls-to-action, engaging video content, mobile-responsive design, relevant/quality content matching search intent, and proper technical SEO structure. The thread emphasizes that effective landing pages require matching content and messaging to visitor expectations based on where they came from, while maintaining strong design and readability for optimal conversions.

TabFlythe presents a strategy for maximizing Instagram's potential in automotive dealerships by setting up multiple linking options in Instagram profiles to drive website traffic and engagement, arguing that the platform's 3.5 million daily auto enthusiasts justify the effort despite uncertainty about ROI. The thread emphasizes that Instagram success in the industry requires proper strategy and setup, with TabFlythe sharing resources from a RefreshFriday presentation and providing data showing automotive content engagement on the platform. The key takeaway is that while Instagram remains underutilized and confusing for many dealers, the setup process is straightforward and offers measurable benefits through trackable traffic analytics.

Dealers share recommendations for low-cost live chat software solutions, with BoldChat, Volusion, and automotive-focused vendors like ContactAtOnce and Northwind Software being discussed as alternatives to Dealer.com's built-in chat tool. The conversation reveals that dealers prioritize features like queue visibility, chat history, CRM integration, co-browsing, and round-robin distribution over flashy graphics, and emphasizes that chat success depends more on proper staffing and features than the platform itself.

Ryan Everson alerts the community to Google's official announcement that mobile page speed will become a ranking factor in July 2018, prompting discussion about preparation strategies. The conversation reveals that savvy SEOs had already anticipated this change, with debate centering on whether responsive or adaptive design approaches better optimize mobile performance, and skepticism about Google's underlying motives regarding AMP and content ownership. Participants share their site speed test results, with DealerOn scoring well but participants noting that achieving very high scores appears to be an industry-wide challenge.

Dealership professionals discuss whether quality copywriting receives adequate attention in automotive marketing, with participants attributing poor copy standards to past disillusionment with low-quality "content farms" and a broader lack of education on copywriting fundamentals across the industry. Contributors agree that strong copywriting is a competitive differentiator—particularly for BDCs and internet sales teams—and that dealers who invest in professional writing support see measurable improvements in organic search performance and customer engagement. The consensus suggests copywriting skill gaps exist at multiple organizational levels, from junior agency staff to marketing managers, but represent an opportunity for dealers willing to prioritize content quality.

Carol_Photogal advocates for high-quality automotive photography as essential to online showrooms and proposes that smaller dealerships could share the cost of professional photo booth systems by partnering with neighboring dealers. The discussion highlights a working example from a Troy, Michigan dealership that recovered its investment by offering photography services to nearby dealers in the same motor mall, proving the concept is both operationally feasible and financially viable.

A dealer manager seeks GM Turn-Key approved vendors for SEO website overhauls, and the thread reveals only three to four options exist (CDK, Naked Lime, Search Optics, and possibly Dealer.com), though participants caution these vendors deliver limited results. Multiple respondents suggest better value comes from hiring independent SEO contractors or agencies outside the GM approval system, even without matching funds. The key takeaway is that GM Turn-Key SEO packages are generally considered underwhelming, making a case for exploring non-approved alternatives if owner constraints allow.

Tony Howard seeks peer feedback on autojobs.com's paid recruitment service before committing budget to hire variable and fixed operations staff. The post essentially asks the DealerRefresh community whether the platform delivers qualified candidates and represents a worthwhile investment for dealership hiring needs.

Christopher Reggie initiates a discussion about widespread duplicate content problems on dealership websites, with contributors identifying major culprits including Dealer.com and OEM-mandated assets (particularly FCA) that force all franchised dealerships to use identical website sliders and content. The thread consensus emphasizes that dealers must invest in custom, dealership-specific content to differentiate themselves digitally, with suggested solutions including hiring freelancers strategically, working with ad agencies willing to customize, and modifying manufacturer-provided assets to stand out—though one contrarian voice argues that SEO concerns are overblown compared to the effectiveness of paid search campaigns.

The thread presents three core truths about vehicle merchandising: technology is evolving and enabling automation, shopper behavior has shifted dramatically online, and engaging digital content is now critical for dealers. The standout insight is that shoppers visit only one dealership on average, making compelling online merchandising the primary — and possibly only — opportunity to win a customer before they commit. Replies affirm the importance of tracking performance and creating strong digital content to capture interest before an in-person visit ever happens.

A dealer asks about using Craigslist to market pre-owned inventory, prompting mixed responses. One dealer reports that Craigslist listings perform poorly when posted as "for sale by dealer" but yield better results when posted as "for sale by owner," while another notes the platform has largely shut down due to sex trafficking concerns. The thread includes references to related discussions and Craigslist posting software tools, but no clear consensus emerges on Craigslist's current viability as a dealership marketing channel.

John.H discusses the importance of SMS campaigns as a follow-up strategy to convert leads into sales appointments, criticizing lead providers who generate leads without a concrete plan to drive actual sales. The key insight is that an effective lead generation strategy is incomplete without a structured approach to nurturing those leads through SMS—ultimately, a provider's commitment to converting leads into sales appointments reflects whether they truly have the dealership's best interests in mind.

A dealer asks for the fastest way to rank on Google's first page, and receives mixed advice: John.H recommends using SEO analysis tools like Ahrefs to audit backlinks and pursue quality, industry-relevant links, while warning against outdated tactics like Fiverr PBN link networks that risk Google penalties. The thread ultimately concludes that sustainable rankings require a combined approach of quality backlinks and paid traffic campaigns (AdWords/Facebook), rather than quick-fix link-blasting shortcuts.

This thread discusses foundational SEO best practices for dealer websites, covering domain selection, site structure, URL optimization, and on-page elements like titles, meta tags, and sitemaps. The advice is basic but solid, though notably dated—a commenter points out the thread is 9 years old, suggesting these recommendations reflect older SEO standards that may not align with current search engine algorithms and ranking factors.

A dealer discovers that three of his stores are showing significant year-over-year traffic increases (12-50%) while form submissions are simultaneously declining sharply, leading him to investigate whether bot traffic is artificially inflating analytics. After gaining access to Google Analytics, he confirms that his ad agency was indeed passing off substantial bot traffic as legitimate, and after removal the real traffic dropped 10% YoY—revealing that the vendor was knowingly (or negligently) delivering fake traffic while resisting transparency.

A small independent dealership owner asks whether to prioritize Facebook or Google ads with a limited budget, and whether to focus on general dealership or specific vehicle marketing. The consensus from experienced contributors is to use a combination approach—approximately 75% Google Ads (which captures active in-market car buyers through search) and 25% Facebook (which offers cheaper impressions and better demographic targeting)—while starting with general dealership ads rather than complex inventory-based dynamic campaigns.

Ben B, completing his e-marketing degree, seeks salary guidance for his role at a 350-unit dealership where he handles social media, video/photography, website updates, and all marketing creative—while earning only slightly above minimum wage. Industry veterans provide concrete benchmarks: photography-focused roles historically earned $25k+ plus per-car fees (2005), while a social media manager for a 13-location group earned $50k in 2011, suggesting Ben is significantly underpaid for his comprehensive responsibilities. The consensus is that dealerships frequently exploit students and entry-level workers by undervaluing their labor under the guise of "experience," and Ben should research standard rates and negotiate accordingly.

A dealer inquires about CDK's website pricing structure, specifically whether rates differ between GM and other OEM franchises or if subsidy programs like IMR affect costs. The post also questions which vendors GM selected when opening advertising to nine options and whether GM disclosed dealer adoption patterns and pricing across different vendor choices.

CDK Global announced it was divesting its Digital Marketing Business (websites, advertising services) to focus on core DMS software, prompting industry speculation about whether the move signals an imminent economic downturn, CDK's inability to compete effectively, or GM's push to open dealer choice to competing providers. Dealers and vendors expressed a mix of relief (viewing CDK's digital services as underperforming) and uncertainty about service continuity and pricing under a new owner, with GM issuing a statement that the sale shouldn't disrupt current website support or vendor contract negotiations. The thread also surfaced operational concerns, including CDK's poor internal communication about the divestment and a billing error example, reinforcing perceptions that CDK struggled in the digital marketing space.

TabFlythe started a discussion about vehicle color trends for 2019, asking dealers to share which colors are selling well at their lots and which they prefer or dislike, and highlighted Toyota's new "Voodoo Blue" Tacoma as an example. Brittany responded by praising Ford's "Rich Copper Metallic" color option on the Explorer. The thread invites dealers to debate and share photos of trending vehicle colors, suggesting that while color preference is subjective, certain hues have clear market advantages.

The discussion centers on whether dealerships are effectively reaching all demographic groups in their markets through targeted advertising, particularly by running ads in languages beyond English. While participants agree that demographic targeting is underutilized because it requires extra effort, they emphasize that translating ads and landing pages into secondary languages spoken by local populations—and personalizing messaging with local details—delivers strong ROI and captures otherwise missed leads. The key insight is that dealerships leaving money on the table by only advertising in English should invest in multi-language campaigns tailored to their specific market demographics.