Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

• Poll

The discussion debates whether dealerships should prioritize generating internet leads or driving foot traffic (floor ups), with overwhelming consensus favoring floor ups based on research showing most car buyers visit only 1-2 dealerships before purchasing. A key insight emerges: current internet manager compensation structures incentivize lead generation rather than floor traffic, creating misalignment with dealership profitability goals, and participants argue that marketing roles should be restructured to drive qualified showroom visits across all channels rather than maximize lead form submissions.

Drew Ament shares Google's new third-party policy update requiring vendors to disclose management fees and surrender AdWords customer IDs to account owners, noting this will significantly impact vendor practices—particularly those charging percentage-based fees or controlling client accounts. He expresses support for the transparency requirements and mentions successfully reclaiming AdWords accounts for clients previously locked by vendors, then asks whether dealers plan to hold their vendors accountable to these new standards.

Automotive professionals debate what makes a dealership website effective, with responses ranging from specific features (high-quality photos, clear pricing, responsive design, testimonials) to broader strategic principles. The thread reaches consensus that while individual features matter, the ultimate measure of a better dealership website is whether it generates revenue—making the platform's core purpose not aesthetic appeal or feature-richness, but measurable business results across all profit centers.

Automotive industry professionals debate whether dealership websites have meaningfully improved over the past decade, with one participant using the Internet Archive to compare sites from 2004 to present day. The consensus leans toward genuine progress, with observed trends including responsive design, cleaner layouts, and integrated consumer tools like price alerts and vehicle comparisons, though participants acknowledge ongoing tension between aesthetic design and conversion-focused functionality.

A dealer with a $2,000 budget asks whether to invest in Conversica (automated lead nurturing via email) or Hooklogic (gift card-based engagement), with their GM preferring to spend remaining funds on additional leads instead. Industry experts argue that optimizing existing leads through either tool would likely be more cost-effective than buying more leads unless the dealership is already closing 15-20%+ of current opportunities, and suggest contacting vendors directly for pricing negotiations. The original poster ultimately moves toward signing up for Conversica after receiving a demo and quote.

Dealers express frustration with Autotrader's new UI and advertising strategy, particularly the proliferation of third-party ads (like RoadLoans financing and service referrals) appearing on vehicle detail pages that dealers are paying to feature. The core complaint is that Autotrader is cluttering paid VDPs with competitor ads and off-site links, diluting the dealer's message and call-to-action when customers should be focused solely on that specific vehicle and dealership.

Dan Sayer proposes tracking "Lead to Show Rate" (total leads converting to attended appointments) as a better BDC performance metric than close rates, arguing it measures what the department can actually control. He shares his dealership's benchmarks of 58% for phone leads and 28% for web leads among top performers, and notes that compensating BDCs on sales outcomes counterproductively distracts them from their core job of filling the appointment pipeline.

A user asks for WordPress plugin and template recommendations for a large car dealership, and the thread evolves into community members sharing their favorite general-purpose WordPress plugins (Contact Form 7, All In One SEO, Google Analytics, etc.) rather than automotive-specific solutions. The discussion reveals that there's no consensus "best" plugin because the answer depends entirely on the dealership's specific needs, and one vendor (DealerX) promotes their proprietary automotive platform as a specialized alternative to generic WordPress solutions. The thread's key insight is that dealers should first define what problems they're trying to solve before selecting tools, rather than looking for an all-in-one solution.

Steve asks for recommendations on monitoring review sites like Yelp and Google, receiving suggestions ranging from paid tools like Dominion's Prime Response to free alternatives including Yelp's native email notifications, Google Alerts, and DealerRater's Certified 360 Dashboard. Bill Simmons provides the most comprehensive answer, demonstrating that dealers can effectively monitor reviews across multiple platforms without expensive software by leveraging built-in features and free social media tools. The key takeaway is that basic review monitoring doesn't necessarily require a paid service, though specialized automotive tools may offer additional convenience.

The thread examines the push by major automotive software providers—CDK Global, Cox Automotive, Dealertrack, Dominion, and Reynolds & Reynolds—to lock dealers into enterprise bundle agreements covering DMS, CRM, websites, and more. The central argument is that while these bundles promise cost savings through standardization, they may be missing a critical ingredient that dealers should scrutinize before committing. The discussion invites industry professionals to weigh the trade-offs between consolidated vendor relationships and the flexibility of best-of-breed solutions.

The thread challenges the automotive industry's reliance on Google's Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) study, arguing that while it effectively identifies what car shoppers do during their research journey, it falls short of explaining why they behave that way. The author pushes dealers and vendors to look beyond ZMOT's surface-level findings and dig into the psychological and behavioral motivations driving consumer decisions. The discussion invites industry professionals to reconsider how they apply ZMOT insights and whether the study has been over-relied upon as a strategic framework.

Jeff Kershner examines a LeadiD infographic on consumer trust in automotive websites and finds the data disappointing and confusing. The thread digs into whether the study's methodology and conclusions hold up, raising questions about how trust metrics are being measured and presented in automotive marketing research. The discussion offers a skeptical but informative look at how vendor-produced studies can mislead dealers if taken at face value.

A dealership owner claims significant sales growth (30-35 to 50-60 cars monthly) after hiring VL Automotive Marketing, but community members challenge the attribution, pointing out confounding variables like his own arrival at the dealership, a new website launch, and weak SEO rankings that don't support the vendor's effectiveness. The thread evolves into a broader discussion about data analysis and the importance of isolating causation from correlation before crediting marketing vendors with business improvements.

A dealer reported that Google reviews previously filtered or lost from their Google+ page around 2012 have mysteriously reappeared, sparking discussion about whether this signals a change in Google's review policies. The thread evolved into a broader debate about how Google, dealers, and consumers view online reviews differently as the market has matured, with experts clarifying that lost reviews were likely system migration issues rather than policy reversals, and cautioning against drawing conclusions from small sample sizes when measuring review impact on purchasing decisions.

HLK seeks advice on launching a classified ads section for used cars on his lead aggregation website, given his substantial traffic but poor monetization through existing partners. Respondents emphasize the significant barriers to entry—including the need for inventory feed integration, differentiated products, substantial capital investment, and a compelling reason for dealers to choose his platform over established competitors. The consensus is that success requires much more than traffic; it demands a well-researched business model with clear competitive advantages and significant resources.

A Toyota dealership discovered that competitor inventory with the competitor's branding and contact information was appearing on their website, and sought help troubleshooting the issue with their vendor DealerCom. The discussion identified the likely cause as a data feed configuration problem—either through DMS integration, lot management software feeds, or shared vendor systems—rather than a simple website error. One user noted a similar past experience traced to a Vinsolutions camera update that wasn't installed, suggesting multiple potential technical culprits requiring investigation with the vendor and lot management provider.

A Minnesota Chevrolet/Buick/used dealer reports a significant drop in Cars.com traffic, with SRPs declining from 450,000+ in July to 283,000 in the current month, despite overall strong sales. A responder suggests the decline may be seasonal rather than problematic, recommending the dealer compare year-over-year data and audit listing quality (photos, descriptions) to identify any actual issues. The key insight is to distinguish between normal seasonal fluctuations and genuine platform or listing problems before taking action.

A GM dealer seeks recommendations on switching from Cobalt to a new website platform, with commenters suggesting VinSolutions, Dealer.com, DealerLab, DealerFire, and others, each with varying endorsements based on personal experience. Key features mentioned as important include SEO authority preservation, mobile optimization, social login capabilities, and vendor-specific tools like VinSolutions' VINLens feature. The overarching consensus is that the quality of the dealer-vendor relationship and communication matters as much as the platform itself, with multiple posters emphasizing that the best choice depends on finding a partner whose style and support align with the dealership's needs.

Automotive professionals debate the effectiveness of YouTube pre-roll advertising, with supporters citing strong conversion rates when targeting remarked audiences and emphasizing that engaging creative in the first 5 seconds is critical to success. Skeptics argue that pre-roll is intrusive and annoying to viewers, though defenders counter that audience annoyance is inevitable with any advertising medium and shouldn't deter investment if the message is relevant. The consensus leans toward pre-roll being worthwhile, particularly as a top-of-funnel awareness tool, provided dealers have quality video content and smart targeting strategies in place.

• Locked

Joe Pistell initiates a survey to establish industry benchmarks for website visitor-to-sales conversion rates, frustrated by the disconnect between high web traffic and low dealership sales. After collecting data from multiple dealers, the survey reveals an average conversion rate of 0.79% (approximately 7.9 sales per 1,000 visitors), with a tight range between 4-15 sales per 1,000 visitors, allowing dealers to better value and project ROI from both paid and SEO traffic. The thread also surfaces insights from an analytics vendor showing that conversion rates vary by channel (forms at 0.5-7%, phone calls at 1-4.5%, and chats at 1.5-4.7%), with factors like traffic source quality and keyword specificity affecting performance.

A Toyota dealership in Oklahoma shares strong early results from a Facebook ad campaign: 276 website clicks and 4 qualified leads for under $100 (approximately $0.36 per click), prompting discussion about ad creative, targeting strategy, and broader Facebook advertising effectiveness in automotive. Respondents share mixed experiences, noting that Facebook ads work well for interest-based targeting but struggle with automotive due to poor audience intent, though retargeting shows promise. The thread highlights that successful Facebook campaigns for dealerships depend heavily on ad creative and audience mindset rather than targeting capabilities alone.

A dealer questions whether the industry-average VDP (Vehicle Detail Page) viewing time of 1 minute 8 seconds is meaningful, prompting discussion about what actually influences shopper behavior on VDPs. Respondents emphasize that external benchmarks matter less than tracking individual dealership metrics month-over-month and year-over-year, and that numerous variables—including franchise type, inventory complexity, site design, photo quality, and local competition—significantly impact VDP engagement times. One contributor provides concrete data from Canadian dealerships showing VDP times typically ranging from 55 seconds to 1:58, depending on brand and vehicle type.