Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

The thread explores how automotive dealers could create highly personalized websites that dynamically change based on customer behavior (location, search terms, VDP views, etc.), with Sean Woodruff asking technical questions about triggers and implementation. Responses reveal skepticism about the concept's effectiveness: while behavioral personalization is technically feasible using JavaScript and cookies, multiple participants question whether dealers can actually predict customer preferences better than customers themselves, and note that auto-buying decisions are too complex and variable to reliably influence through dynamic content. The consensus leans toward treating personalization cautiously rather than as a silver bullet, with one participant suggesting starting with a niche approach instead.

DealerRater and J.D. Power announced a partnership that will allow customers completing J.D. Power surveys to post reviews directly to DealerRater, consolidating customer feedback from both sources into a single analytics platform for dealers. While some community members raised concerns about consumer fatigue from duplicate review submissions and intellectual property questions, DealerRater representatives argued that the integration won't require additional consumer effort and that reviews and surveys serve different purposes in understanding customer behavior.

Drew Ament presents data from three large metro dealers showing significant increases in Vehicle Detail Page (VDP) views per new car shopper after implementing professional photography of their entire new car inventory, with one dealer seeing VDP/NCS ratios jump from 0.83 to 1.04 by November. Community members validate these findings with their own observations that photographed vehicles generate higher-quality leads focused on scheduling test drives rather than requesting additional photos. The consensus conclusion is that investing in professional new car photography is worthwhile for improving engagement metrics and floor traffic, though phone call volume remained relatively flat.

A new salesman asks for help understanding basic lead performance metrics and benchmarks after discussions with his Internet Director. Respondents provide varying perspectives: while some share specific benchmarks (35% lead-to-show, 18% closing rates), the consensus is that dealerships should develop their own metrics based on lead sources, inventory mix, and dealership-specific variables rather than relying solely on industry standards. The thread also touches on tracking inconsistencies across dealerships and briefly questions whether separate internet departments are necessary or counterproductive.

The thread announces a partnership between DealerRater and J.D. Power, which will combine DealerRater's online dealership reviews with J.D. Power's survey-based customer satisfaction data in a single platform. The key insight is that dealers will gain a unified view of their online reputation and customer feedback side by side, giving them a more comprehensive picture of customer sentiment. The original poster frames this as a significant milestone for DealerRater and the broader automotive industry.

Sharko identifies the five terms that appear in the "People talk about..." section of Google+ business pages and Google Maps listings, seeking to understand their origin and how to control them. CarlAutofusion reveals that these terms are algorithmically generated by Google based on frequently occurring words in customer reviews, meaning dealerships cannot directly edit them but can influence them indirectly through review content.

Blake Arbogast seeks a window sticker application for his Buick GMC dealership website, and the discussion reveals that GM no longer provides window stickers online (unlike Ford and Chrysler), making the feature unavailable unless dealers use a third-party solution like Cobalt's platform. Rick Buffkin indicates he's developing a custom GM window sticker application and notes that most website providers cannot pull official stickers from GM, though Cobalt users can access them—but this creates challenges with inventory synchronization and pricing consistency across multiple sites.

A dealer reports that Yahoo Local deleted their 109+ reviews and replaced them with only 5 Yelp reviews following Yahoo's partnership announcement with Yelp, and they discovered other dealerships with 100+ reviews experienced the same issue. The post suggests a systematic migration or consolidation of review data from Yahoo Local to Yelp, resulting in significant review loss for affected dealers. The key insight is that dealers who built substantial review portfolios on Yahoo Local may have lost that equity without warning due to the backend platform migration.

The thread covers Carfax's launch of a used car listings site at carfax.com/cars-for-sale, where consumers can search inventory filtered by vehicle history attributes like accident records, service history, and one-owner status — with free Carfax reports included on all listings. The key tension for dealers is whether Carfax, long positioned as a vendor partner, is now becoming a direct competitor in the third-party listings space alongside players like AutoTrader and Cars.com.

Josh Knutson outlines a 4-step strategy for dealerships to capitalize on snow days by shifting focus to online engagement while customers are homebound, with an emphasis on digital marketing and customer outreach. A key insight from replies is that dealerships should use snow days as an opportunity to proactively contact trade-in candidates (existing customers with 1-3 year old vehicles) through CRM data mining and social media outreach, filling the sales funnel rather than letting the day go to waste.

Matthew Danskin asks for recommendations on automating weekly customized vehicle lists with specs and photo links to send to wholesale clients. Daniel J. Mondello offers to help via private message but no other solutions or discussion are provided in the thread. The thread lacks substantive conclusions or detailed recommendations from the community.

A forum post shares WSJ reporting that Cars.com is seeking a $3 billion sale, prompting discussion about whether the company is raising dealer rates to increase revenues ahead of the sale. One dealer reports receiving notice of a 15% rate increase, while another makes a humorous speculation about the potential buyer's identity, suggesting the rate hike may be linked to the company's attempt to boost its valuation.

A used car manager struggles with overpriced inventory caused by high shop reconditioning costs ($1,200-$1,400 per unit) and a $2,800 dealer pack, resulting in poor online visibility on major listing sites. While acknowledging that pricing power is limited by dealership constraints, experienced contributors recommend compensating through superior presentation: professional photography, detailed walkaround videos, custom vehicle comments highlighting specific reconditioning work performed, and comprehensive option listings. The underlying consensus is that competitive pricing is ideal but uncontrollable in this situation, so the focus should shift to making each listing stand out and justifying premium pricing through transparency about the work invested in each vehicle.

The thread uses a dating site analogy to argue that stock photos and placeholder avatars on vehicle listings undermine buyer interest, much like a faceless profile kills attraction on a dating app. The core insight is that real, high-quality photos of actual inventory are critical to engaging car shoppers online. Dealers relying on generic stock imagery risk losing leads to competitors who show authentic vehicle photos.

A salesman asks whether to create a personal Facebook page to maintain customer relationships and drive repeat business, and receives practical advice from experienced dealers and vendors. The consensus recommends creating a separate work-focused personal account (not a fan page) with professional photos, connecting with all customers met, sharing car-related content from manufacturers, and leveraging tagging to reach friends of friends organically. The key insight is that success on Facebook for salespeople depends on staying genuinely social rather than sales-focused while being mindful of dealership policies and using the platform to build authentic relationships that naturally generate referrals.

This thread discusses the critical importance of Vehicle Details Pages (VDPs) in automotive digital marketing, with contributors debating which metrics matter most—traffic volume versus lead conversion rates—and exploring design tactics like countdown timers to drive customer action. Key contributors argue that while traffic metrics indicate marketing effectiveness, the VDP's real value lies in its ability to convert visitors into leads, requiring clear calls-to-action and uncluttered design. The thread reveals tension between adding urgency mechanisms (countdown timers, aggressive discounts) and maintaining simplicity, with experienced practitioners ultimately recommending streamlined CTAs over gimmicks.

The thread discusses Facebook's recommendation to tag popular pages in posts to increase visibility, with the original poster reporting positive early results from testing this tactic. Responses highlight alternative strategies like leveraging employee engagement and content quality, while also raising concerns about potential spam abuse of the tagging feature. The key insight is that while tagging may offer short-term visibility gains, sustainable Facebook reach for dealerships depends more on employee advocacy and quality content than on gaming the algorithm.

A dealer seeks a standalone video auto-responder service for leads without requiring a CRM purchase, and community members suggest several alternatives: CitNow.com as a dedicated solution, Authntk for customer-generated videos, reaching out to industry experts like Elise Kephart, or building in-house email templates with embedded videos. The key insight is that dealerships don't necessarily need a vendor platform—they can create and deploy intro videos independently through email templates, though some recommend specialized tools like CitNow if they want a dedicated service.

A dealer inquires about Lead Bid Inc, a lead management vendor that has been aggressively pursuing their business, and expresses frustration with persistent cold calling and an unimpressive sales demo. Another user mentions being contacted by a similar company (Jangl), while the original poster notes Lead Bid may be joining a list of ineffective vendors. A sales professional responds with constructive criticism about cold-calling strategy, emphasizing that effective outreach requires quality messaging and proper timing rather than volume.

SeanWoodruff inquires about DealerFire as a potential alternative to Dealer.com, prompting mixed feedback from forum members about the vendor's website quality, performance, and suitability for different purposes. While some praise DealerFire's mobile capabilities, design, and customer service, others cite concerns about slow page load times and the hassle of migrating from established platforms, with one user recommending a hybrid approach using DealerFire for mobile and Dealer.com (DDC) for desktop. The thread reveals no clear consensus, though it highlights an emerging industry trend toward specialized solutions rather than all-in-one platforms.

A new Internet Director asks where dealerships should source their leads, mentioning current providers like Ford Direct, Cars.com, and AutoTrader while questioning the legitimacy of third-party lead providers. The key insight that emerges is that a dealership's own website should be the primary lead generation source, with one experienced dealer suggesting that if it isn't, there's a fundamental problem to fix. However, other participants reveal they're struggling to drive traffic to their dealership websites despite recent upgrades, indicating this is a common pain point without a simple solution offered in the thread.

Jerry Petrotto challenges dealers to reconsider whether standard ROI metrics are the right framework for evaluating SEO investment, arguing that SEO's long-term, compounding nature makes it difficult to measure like traditional ad spend. The thread explores how dealers should think about SEO strategy and budget allocation differently from paid channels, with community members weighing in on how they define and track SEO value at their stores.