Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

Dealers discuss industry benchmarks for website visitor-to-lead conversion rates, with consensus that the national average for dealership websites is slightly under 3-5%, though vendors often dishonestly claim rates above 10%. Key insights include that Canadian dealers typically perform lower (1-3%), inflated traffic from broad marketing campaigns can paradoxically lower conversion rates, and some participants argue that measuring "search-to-visitor" ratios among engaged visitors is more meaningful than overall conversion rates that include high home-page bounce rates.

A dealership marketer raises awareness about Canada's CASL anti-spam law, which applies to US businesses with Canadian contacts and carries severe penalties (including a $1.1M case already filed), noting that enforcement could intensify when private lawsuits are allowed in 2017. Replies from Canadian participants express skepticism about the law's practical enforceability across borders and suggest that while some dealers are over-correcting their practices, basic database cleanup and compliance is prudent protection against future liability.

Automotive dealers discuss common website frustrations, ranging from UX issues like poor navigation, inconsistent fonts, and oversized homepage ads to functional problems like outdated inventory, missing prices, and lack of search filters. Key complaints include overly complex dropdown menus that confuse shoppers, the inability to save vehicle comparisons, and missing autocomplete features—with several participants noting these issues are widespread across franchise dealer sites. A broader frustration emerges around OEM-mandated website templates that limit dealer autonomy and fail to serve local business interests.

Cars.com analyzed dealer reviews to identify common shopper pain points and emerging trends, with seven in ten car shoppers rating dealership reviews as 'very' or 'extremely' important in their research process. The thread republishes a Cars.com DealerAdvantage blog post to surface these insights for dealer professionals. The data underscores how critical reputation management and online reviews have become in influencing automotive purchase decisions.

A dealer asks what traffic and lead increases to expect when switching from a manufacturer website to an independent dealership site, and whether growth is possible without significant SEM spending. The discussion emphasizes the importance of establishing baseline metrics through Google Analytics and post-sale surveys before and after the transition, and pivots to highlight that high-quality inventory photos are a critical but often-overlooked factor in driving online sales.

The thread focuses on optimizing the thumbnail (first frame) of dealership video content to maximize viewer engagement, with the original poster offering five actionable tips for making a strong visual first impression. The core insight is that with video consumption surging on mobile devices, the static preview image is a critical and often overlooked conversion lever that dealers should treat with the same care as the video itself.

A new CRM/Internet Sales manager in California asks about industry benchmarks for closing rates on third-party leads, given his dealership processes around 250 leads monthly across five sales staff. The responding expert cites 7% as the traditional industry standard closing rate for third-party leads.

A dealer considering switching to DealerOn seeks template recommendations from other users with the platform. Multiple experienced users provide strategic advice, emphasizing that template selection should prioritize the Vehicle Details Page (VDP) and Search Results Page (SRP) as the most-viewed pages, followed by homepage inventory accessibility and specials pages. The key insight is that template choices should be driven by the needs of silent shoppers rather than aesthetics alone.

Mitch Gallant shares a newly launched marketing podcast search engine (marketingpodcasts.com) as a resource for DealerRefresh members interested in discovering new podcasts. The post receives brief appreciation from several community members, with mostly positive acknowledgment of the tool's value. The thread serves primarily as a resource announcement rather than a discussion, offering a practical reference for dealers and industry professionals looking to expand their podcast listening.

A new Mazda sales manager seeks a "build your car" tool to boost sales at an underperforming dealership (20/month vs. competitor's 50-65/month), believing low inventory is the primary issue. Responders provide examples of build-and-price tools from other dealers and offer strategic perspective, with one experienced manager cautioning that the real solution involves building dealership reputation and customer experience rather than relying solely on a website tool, while questioning whether the owner is even committed to growing Mazda volume.

The thread argues that dealers must organize custom website content into dedicated directories to properly track SEO and content marketing ROI — otherwise, budget holders will cut those investments. The core insight is that structured content organization also protects those assets during future website platform migrations, making it a dual-purpose best practice for long-term digital marketing accountability.

• Poll

A dealer asks which review platform (Google, Facebook, Yelp, Edmunds, Cars.com, DealerRater) deserves priority when customers will only leave one review. The consensus favors **Google for SEO value and DealerRater for achievability and legitimacy**, though participants debate the trade-offs between third-party platforms (which carry credibility but lack control) versus building proprietary review solutions. Key insight: dealers should focus on platforms where customers naturally congregate—Google and DealerRater—and actively promote them, as passive organic reviews are rare.

A user shares positive impressions from an AutoDealerLive event focused on women in automotive, prompting other forum members to request access to the content. A recording of the event was located and shared, with instructions to skip to the 13-minute mark where the women in automotive segment begins.

Automotive dealers discuss best practices for building in-house photo studios, debating key components like turntables, lighting systems, backdrops, and workflow efficiency. The consensus emphasizes that professional guidance is critical, interior car photography is more challenging than exterior shots, and speed/consistency matter more than complex equipment that slows down the process. A major disagreement emerges between those advocating controlled indoor studios and those arguing that outdoor photography with natural light and the dealership building as backdrop produces superior, more authentic results.

A dealer defends TrueCar as a valuable lead source while acknowledging that most dealers in his network vocally resent the service due to increased costs and thin margins. The original poster argues that since savvy customers will seek competitive offers anyway, TrueCar simply formalizes this process and drives qualified traffic—a perspective that contrasts sharply with the majority complaint that the platform is financially unsustainable (though his supporting data appears to be cut off mid-post).

• Poll

Dealers discuss the costs and logistics of photographing vehicle inventory, with pricing ranging from $14-$20 per car depending on whether it's new or used stock and whether photography is handled in-house or outsourced. Key insights include that taking photos of new inventory significantly improves online engagement metrics, that 25-40 photos per vehicle is standard practice, and that quality matters beyond just cost—including shooting technique, lighting optimization, and avoiding photo editing to maintain customer trust. The thread also touches on the operational challenge that photography typically consumes two-thirds of the time spent on digital inventory preparation compared to data collection.

A dealer group owner asks whether to use a splash page that redirects to individual dealership URLs or consolidate all inventory under one group domain with separate sections for each brand. Respondents strongly favor Option B—consolidating under one group domain (www.jonker.com/honda, www.jonker.com/nissan, etc.)—citing both SEO benefits from domain authority concentration and marketing advantages, since customers can easily browse multiple brands without feeling directed to different dealerships.

Dealership marketing professionals discuss using Facebook's custom audience feature to retarget existing customers and leads, with emphasis on service department marketing as a high-value application. The key insight is that success depends heavily on data quality—specifically having accurate email addresses and phone numbers properly entered into the CRM/DMS—with realistic expectations of 75-85% match rates when uploading customer lists to Facebook. The thread also mentions Google Sponsored Promotions as a complementary tool for email-based targeting.

Bill Simmons discovered a new Google Maps feature displaying a "menu" link on some business listings that, when clicked, opens a box for adding menus or services—a feature typically designed for restaurants that requires a $79/month Constant Contact subscription to claim. He questions whether this paid feature is worth the investment for car dealerships and asks other dealers for their opinions on its utility. The thread explores whether this Google Maps enhancement is relevant or cost-effective for automotive retail businesses.

A dealer asks for guidance on implementing automated service reminder emails (maintenance checkups, tire replacements, oil changes, lease reminders, trade-in offers) and seeks input on delivery methods: in-house CRM, managed services like Naked Lime, or third-party email platforms like Constant Contact. The post appears incomplete but aims to benchmark industry best practices and identify which approach delivers the best results for increasing service revenue.

The thread challenges dealers to think like a service customer — searching for common repairs on a smartphone — and exposes how aftermarket chains like Firestone and Midas dominate those local search results while dealerships are largely absent. The core insight is that dealers are losing service business not because customers prefer the competition, but because they're invisible online when customers are actively looking for help. The author pushes dealers to take immediate, practical steps to improve their local search presence and capture that high-intent service traffic.

• Locked
• Redirect