Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

A dealer shares a comprehensive guide on Google+Local reviews, highlighting that customers must have actual Google+ accounts (not just Gmail) to leave reviews under their real names. The discussion then pivots to debate the ethics of third-party review solicitation services like SureCritic, with the original poster questioning whether companies paid by dealers can truly serve consumer interests or if such arrangements present a conflict of interest.

Dealers and marketers debate why customers should choose one dealership over another, exposing how vague answers like 'great prices' and 'great customer service' amount to meaningless white noise. The thread draws on Brian Pasch's thinking and references 'The Challenger Sale' to argue that only about 14% of what dealers think differentiates them actually matters to buyers, pushing the conversation toward defining a real, defensible value proposition before investing in any marketing channel.

ML AutoCenter sought SEO and local search optimization advice for their new collision repair website. Responses focused on technical on-page SEO fundamentals including keyword placement in title tags, meta descriptions, H1 headers, and URLs, with specific recommendations to use the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress and vary keyword phrases naturally throughout content. The key insight is that success depends on proper keyword optimization across multiple on-page elements combined with practical tools that automate SEO best practices.

A dealer reports that their website vendor is displaying inventory pricing incorrectly—with identical vehicles shown at vastly different prices or marked "No Price Available"—and claims the vendor's tech support refused to fix it, prompting discussion about vendor accountability. Community members advise publicly naming the vendor and documenting issues to force resolution, while the original poster indicates plans to create educational videos about vendor problems rather than escalate directly. The key insight is that some vendors may use dismissive responses as a tactic, relying on dealers' reluctance to pursue complaints publicly, but escalation and transparency tend to drive actual fixes.

A lead generation company asks automotive dealers how they would price third-party leads sourced from social networks, noting their current customers close 6-10% of delivered leads that include verified contact information and vehicle preferences. The thread explores dealer perspectives on the value proposition of such leads compared to other acquisition channels and whether the conversion rates justify the cost.

Dealership professionals debate whether social media is an overhyped marketing solution or a valuable tool for their industry. The consensus that emerges is that social media works best as a supporting piece of a broader marketing strategy rather than a standalone solution, with success heavily dependent on individual dealership commitment and approach rather than the platform itself.

The thread discusses Chip Perry's departure from AutoTrader.com, with multiple automotive industry professionals sharing personal anecdotes about their positive experiences with him as a leader and gentleman. Respondents consistently praise Perry's approachability, genuine interest in dealership needs, and significant contributions to internet marketing innovation, with several noting that respect for the individual can exist independent of opinions about the company. The thread reflects broad industry regard for Perry as both an innovator and personable executive.

A dealer asks whether photographing vehicles with protective plastic still on the hood and door handles will deter customers, since their owner refuses to remove the hood plastic. Respondents warn that plastic coverings can confuse buyers—one shares an anecdote where a customer mistook hood plastic for two-tone paint and lost interest—and suggest using a watermark caption to explain the protection rather than leaving it on for photos.

A dealer reports experiencing a significant drop in lead quality from Cars.com over recent months despite maintaining strong performance with other lead sources like Autotrader and Craigslist, and suspects Cars.com may have changed their call-to-action metrics. Community members suggest the issue likely stems from changes in inventory mix rather than the platform itself, with evidence that different price points perform better on different platforms—Autotrader for lower-priced vehicles and Cars.com traditionally for higher-priced inventory. The thread concludes that dealers should analyze their own inventory changes and track lead source performance by vehicle price range rather than assuming platform quality has declined.

A dealer seeks to overcome resistance to new sales practices by creating an elite "Seal Team 6" pilot group of salespeople and a manager who will receive intensive training on modern selling techniques—including personalized video messaging, CRM mastery, phone-to-showroom conversion tactics, and digital content sharing—to demonstrate effectiveness before rolling out to the broader sales team. The strategy pivots from top-down mandate to proof-of-concept, using early adopters to build credibility and overcome veteran skepticism toward innovation.

A dealer is struggling to implement video walkarounds for inventory merchandising after losing access to a high-performing example (Erin's channel at Feldmann with 2M+ views) and seeks feedback on whether the effort justified the sales impact. Respondents acknowledge that while video walkarounds have potential, they're time-consuming, difficult to scale, hard to staff effectively, and lack clear ROI tracking—though one commenter suggests a video overlay system could improve their value. The thread reflects broader tension between recognizing video's marketing power and the practical challenge of sustaining consistent, quality video production across dealership inventory.

Dealers debate whether mobile apps are a worthwhile investment, with most participants agreeing that consumers overwhelmingly prefer mobile websites over dealership apps for car shopping research. The consensus conclusion is that dealership apps only make sense for post-sale value (service scheduling, roadside assistance, push notifications) rather than inventory browsing, and that web apps using HTML5 technology are superior to native apps due to lower costs and easier updates. The thread emphasizes that any app must solve a genuine customer problem to survive—otherwise it will be deleted like the majority of free apps within weeks of download.

Aaron Wirtz argues that the traditional WIIFM (What's In It For Me) sales principle is no longer sufficient in modern digital marketing, suggesting dealers need to evolve their customer engagement approach beyond self-interest framing. The thread draws only one reply, a brief compliment directed at Suzuki of Wichita's company culture, leaving Wirtz's core argument largely undiscussed. The original post appears to be cut off, so the full strategic recommendation is not visible in the thread.

SKNOPP seeks recommendations for second chance/subprime lead providers to improve his special finance department's performance, noting that his current Bluesky leads are underperforming (5.1% closing ratio in March vs. 10.44% in February) and exploring diversification across multiple sources like Dealerlink, AutoUsa, and Roadloans. Experienced contributors like Jeff Kershner and Kelly Wilson caution against spreading leads too thin across providers due to duplicate management issues and emphasize that success depends on long-term closing averages, inventory availability, dedicated personnel, and strong management execution rather than simply buying more leads from different sources.

A startup founder presents their new car marketplace platform designed to improve the consumer experience by eliminating paid listings and advertisements, then seeks feedback on pricing strategy ($39-$299/month tiered by inventory size) to attract small and large dealerships. The discussion reveals tension between undercutting competitors with aggressive pricing versus charging premium rates that reflect the value of lead generation, with experienced dealers arguing that the startup risks appearing cheap rather than affordable if they don't properly communicate their ROI metrics.

Mike Haeg of Century Interactive uses a Whole Foods wine tasting analogy to argue that automotive professionals should deliberately build a personal brand or 'persona' — a recognizable area of expertise that differentiates them in the industry. Replies from dealers and vendors share their own experiences with personal branding, with a key tension emerging between authentic persona-building rooted in genuine expertise versus gaming social media metrics like Klout to manufacture a false sense of authority. The thread concludes that a strong persona must be backed by real skills and commitment, not just savvy platform manipulation.

Dealers debate whether CARFAX's pricing ($2,600+) constitutes unfair extortion, particularly after BMW validated AutoCheck as equally reliable. Multiple dealerships report successfully switching to AutoCheck without losing leads or sales, though they note CARFAX's exclusive partnerships with AutoTrader and Cars.com create a marketing disadvantage for competitors—the real "extortion" mechanism. The core insight: AutoCheck performs functionally equivalent to CARFAX for customers, making CARFAX's premium pricing unjustifiable, but switching requires accepting a competitive marketing disadvantage until industry partnerships change.

Dealers and multi-store group operators discuss the strategic value of centralized Business Development Centers (BDCs) for handling internet leads and outbound prospecting across multiple locations. Key perspectives emerge around when BDCs work best: they're most valuable either in high-turnover environments with poorly trained salespeople, or conversely, in luxury dealerships with elite salespeople who should focus on in-person customer relationships rather than administrative phone work. A practical implementation example from a three-store group highlights the importance of BDC staff having pricing authority and access to managers, along with call tracking software like CallRail to measure lead source effectiveness across locations.

Automotive dealers discuss Google's launch of Google Cars, a free inventory listing service that monetizes through lead sales with anonymized customer contact info, raising concerns about Google's market dominance and pricing power. Opinions are mixed—some dealers view it as inevitable competition they'll reluctantly adopt (comparing it to TrueCar), while others warn dealers should collectively resist it, though skeptics note the actual impact may be less dramatic than feared. The thread highlights dealer anxiety about Google leveraging its platform power to reshape the automotive marketplace while profiting from dealer participation.

JessicaRuth introduces Pinterest's newly launched analytics feature and asks the dealership community whether they find Pinterest valuable for their business or primarily maintain a presence to stay current with marketing trends. The thread appears to focus on evaluating Pinterest's practical utility for automotive dealerships and whether the new analytics capabilities justify investment in the platform.

Justin Cook alerts the automotive industry to rumors of an imminent Google algorithm update (potentially March 15-18, 2013) that could affect websites using aggressive link building and duplicate content, recommending dealers monitor their search rankings and consider holding off on major website changes until after the update. The thread quickly devolves into humorous off-topic banter between other users, with the only substantive follow-up being a link to a Search Engine Land article about Google's Penguin and Panda updates.

Walt Kustra seeks recommendations for used car lead sources after discontinuing EveryCarListed, prompting dealers to suggest affordable alternatives like Craigslist, CarsForSale.com, and V12 Software (each generating 4-5 sales monthly at ~$100/month), while others emphasize that complete vehicle information (photos, pricing, descriptions) is critical to lead quality and conversion rates regardless of the source.