Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

A marketing manager seeks strategies for attracting construction and skilled trade customers to a newly acquired dealership. Responses focus on tactical solutions like dedicated work truck landing pages, partnering with local upfitters and sign companies for bundled discounts, and streamlining the online-to-offline customer journey, while a cautionary voice warns that this niche market fundamentally relies on long-term relationship-building rather than quick sales tactics—a potential mismatch with a "flipper" owner's typical business model.

A dealer seeks advice on promoting vehicle accessories to customers, particularly truck buyers, but lacks an efficient way to track accessory purchases at sale. The discussion centers on using automated drip campaigns through CRM systems targeted at post-purchase customers, with the key insight being that truck owners represent a largely untapped accessory revenue opportunity, though implementation requires departmental buy-in and determining which products to prioritize.

Dealers debate whether Instagram is worth their marketing investment, with perspectives varying based on dealership type and business goals. While some participants report good engagement and interaction on the platform, skeptics argue that without proven ROI metrics, time and budget are better spent on higher-performing channels—unless the dealership sells luxury/exotic vehicles, is an OEM, or has already maximized other marketing sources. The emerging consensus suggests Instagram works best for higher-end dealerships targeting younger demographics for brand awareness, but requires consistent effort and strategic posting practices to be effective.

The thread debates whether automotive professionals should invest in new industry-specific domain extensions (.cars, .car, .auto) launching in January 2016 at premium prices ($3,000-$50,000+). While some see creative branding potential (e.g., Rochester.cars, MikeSells.cars), the consensus leans skeptical—participants cite lack of SEO benefits, consumer confusion with non-.com domains, declining direct traffic importance, and the availability of cheaper alternatives (.tech, .life) that offer similar creative possibilities.

Jeff Kershner discusses the importance of developing a dealership's employment brand to attract top talent, citing articles from Hireology about identifying and building this brand. He predicts "Human Capital" and "Human Capital Strategies" will become key industry buzz terms in 2015-2016, and argues that dealerships should strategically promote their employment brand rather than defaulting to hiring competitors' rejects.

The thread explores how dealerships can use a dedicated career website as a core component of their employment brand strategy to attract top talent. The key insight is that a career website should function as a first impression for job candidates, much like a dealership's main site does for customers, and must reflect the dealership's authentic culture and values. Dealers are encouraged to audit their current hiring presence and ensure it meets the expectations of today's job seekers.

Automotive professionals discuss CarMax's website redesign, with mixed reactions to its responsive design and user interface innovations like the "Hold This Car" mobile feature, though several users report significant usability issues including confusing navigation and technical problems with AJAX loading. While one commenter praises the overall execution, others criticize the poor user experience, particularly the unintuitive inventory search process that takes multiple clicks and several minutes to navigate. The consensus suggests that despite some clever UI ideas, the redesign has practical flaws that undermine its effectiveness for users trying to access core features.

Automotive dealers and marketing professionals discuss Google's removal of sidebar ads from search results and its implications for paid search campaigns. The consensus is that while sidebar ads had low value, the change forces more ads above organic results, likely increasing cost-per-click across the board and requiring dealers to shift focus toward cost-per-conversion metrics rather than click volume. Contributors also note that Google Search Partners remain ineffective for automotive lead generation, even with reduced ad placement availability.

A new vendor to the auto dealer market asks about standard billing practices for digital services like landing page creation and monthly maintenance work. Responses indicate that upfront billing before service delivery is the dominant industry practice, with dealers increasingly paying via credit card to streamline the process. The consensus suggests that vendors with reasonable pricing can successfully implement prepayment models rather than invoicing after service completion.

Steve Stauning argues that dealership internet leads and calls should be treated with the same urgency and accountability as a customer physically standing on the lot, drawing on his experience coaching internet teams since 2003. He challenges the lingering perception among traditional sales managers that internet sales are mysterious or unmanageable, contending they are straightforward to master. The core insight is that disciplined, process-driven follow-up on every lead and call — without exception — is what separates high-performing internet teams from mediocre ones.

The thread explores how car dealerships can apply their consumer branding expertise and marketing budgets toward building a compelling employment brand to attract and retain talent. The core insight is that dealers already invest heavily in digital advertising for customer acquisition, and those same strategic principles can be redirected to position the dealership as a desirable workplace. Developing a strong employment brand is presented as a competitive advantage in a tight labor market.

Dealers discuss tools and processes for uploading new car inventory photos to websites, with responses recommending platform-specific solutions like DealerSocket, HomeNet, and CDK's native apps that integrate directly with inventory management systems and feed to major third-party listing sites. The consensus emphasizes that real photos of actual inventory are essential for credibility compared to manufacturer stock photos, and that most modern DMS platforms now offer mobile apps to streamline the photo capture and upload process. A Canadian dealer shares their successful approach of managing 250+ new vehicles monthly with HomeNet, suggesting that with dedicated staff and dealer support, high photo coverage rates (95%+) are achievable even at scale.

Chad Bockius explores why used vehicles that look great on paper and at auction often stall on the lot, pointing to a disconnect between how buyers shop online and how dealers merchandise inventory. The thread argues that the real culprit is poor digital presentation — photos, descriptions, and online visibility — rather than the vehicle itself or the buyer's market appetite.

Brian Marchini questions whether Allied Auto Finance's $12K refinancing program—which promises 70 appointments from 6K contacts—is worth the investment compared to other lead sources, and asks for alternative marketing recommendations for his Honda dealership in SE PA. Respondent ddavis argues that subprime/bad credit customers are generally low-margin and advises against buying leads from services like Dealix, Edmunds, or NewLeadsPlus, noting that the subprime lending landscape has changed significantly since the pre-internet era. The emerging consensus is that the Allied Auto Finance pitch appears to be a poor use of marketing budget with limited long-term ROI potential.

Jeff Kershner breaks down the 2016 Car Buyer Journey research, which maps where dealerships should focus advertising spend to convert shoppers into buyers. His key takeaway is blunt: the data confirms what the industry has already known for years, offering little genuinely new insight despite the fresh packaging.

CarGurus issued a security alert warning users about fraudulent phishing emails impersonating the platform and requesting login confirmations. A forum moderator confirmed that dealers have experienced an uptick in these phishing attempts and advised the community to remain vigilant and avoid clicking links or attachments in suspicious emails. The key takeaway is to verify that legitimate CarGurus communications come only from addresses ending in "cargurus.com."

A Toyota dealer in a smaller market experienced a significant drop in website traffic (23% in-market, 48% out-of-market) after Toyota's new MAAP pricing restrictions prevented them from advertising deep discounts that previously drove sales. The consensus solution from experienced dealers was to display MAAP-compliant sale prices prominently on VDPs, use CTAs like "Request Sale Price" or "E-Quote," and shift focus to lead generation, database marketing, and used car inventory—with one dealer reporting success in recovering volume after implementing these changes.

Ryan Leslie questions whether dealers are investing enough effort into their Vehicle Details Pages (VDPs) compared to their physical lot presentation, arguing that most VDPs are underwhelming despite consumers relying heavily on them during shopping. Respondents identify specific improvements—quality photos, detailed descriptions, transparent pricing, and strategic use of badges—as critical to creating engaging VDPs rather than disappointing experiences. The key insight is that dealers often overlook VDP optimization due to vendor limitations, but there are workarounds (like better photography and detailed descriptions) that can significantly improve the online shopping experience without waiting for platform overhauls.

Katie Barth shares key takeaways from Jeremy Anspach's NADA workshop on mobile-first marketing, highlighting that mobile adoption is complete (not emerging), images are displacing text, messaging represents the next opportunity, and ad success depends on content quality rather than lead generation alone. The thread itself is minimal, consisting mainly of a brief exchange where Chris Leslie questions an apparent edit to the original post, which Bill Simmons confirms occurred.

Greg Schafer asks about paying for inventory listings on KBB.com and their effectiveness, noting his dealership currently lists certified vehicles there for free. The discussion centers on whether KBB paid listings justify their cost compared to other platforms like AutoTrader and Cars.com, with Alexander Lau concluding that ROI varies significantly by market and demographic—making it essential to test different platforms with attribution tools rather than assuming one channel works universally.

The thread discusses best practices for optimizing a dealership's new car specials page, recommending strategies like showcasing individual model offers, listing multiple promotions per model, integrating email campaigns, and refining PPC efforts. A commenter adds that dealerships should support these specials with video content and targeted Facebook ads with pixel tracking to drive conversions, suggesting that many dealers lack the in-house expertise to execute specials effectively.

Jordan Mendez, a new manager at a struggling Mitsubishi dealership selling only 3 cars monthly, seeks advice on turning the operation around in 2-3 months while competing against a nearby dealer moving 34 units. The community identifies critical issues including a blank, impersonal website lacking business information and personality, poorly structured CRM lead handling with generic auto-responses that alienate local customers, and recommends prioritizing website overhaul with actual content and images before investing in paid advertising. The key insight is that foundational digital presence and personalized customer communication strategy must come before scaling acquisition efforts.