Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

Kyle Green seeks feedback from dealers about their experience using Dataium's analytics and tracking tools, expressing frustration with limited success using their VKC tool and wanting strategic guidance. Jeff Kershner provides valuable context that most dealers aren't actually using Dataium despite having it installed (often mandated by OEMs/agencies), and notes the platform is transitioning to a new web-based dashboard with better actionable insights. The key differentiator identified is Dataium's unique ability to track customer activity across multiple automotive websites and alert dealers when old leads resurface in market on competitor sites or portals like Cars.com.

Rick Buffkin seeks recommendations for an affordable social media dashboard to manage multiple franchises' accounts, expressing dissatisfaction with HootSuite despite its current use. The thread surfaces three primary solutions: HootSuite Pro (budget-friendly), SproutSocial (praised for rich features and mobile app), and DealerSocial (industry-specific for automotive dealers), with SproutSocial emerging as the clear favorite among respondents. The key insight is that while generic options exist, automotive dealers discussing the thread lean toward SproutSocial for its user experience or industry-specific alternatives like DealerSocial.

Automotive dealers debate the effectiveness and user experience of proactive live chat tools on dealership websites, with participants disagreeing sharply on whether such features are helpful or intrusive. Key concerns raised include aggressive pop-up behavior (flashing, blinking, following users), the need for trained chat agents to generate ROI, and the difficulty of collecting customer information when visitors are uncooperative. The thread reveals a practical tension: while live chat can be valuable when properly implemented, poorly designed proactive chat invitations are commonly closed by visitors and risk annoying potential customers rather than engaging them.

Stephen Hill seeks recommendations between Digital Dealer and GM's E-Summit conferences due to time constraints, and receives suggestions to consider alternative events like Autocon or Driving Sales instead. A fellow member references a previous discussion thread that may contain additional comparative information. The thread offers limited direct comparison between the two primary options, with one respondent advocating for competing conference alternatives.

Mitch Gallant solicits feedback on his framework of 12 high-level digital marketing buckets for conducting a semi-annual audit, and the community validates his list while suggesting additions like website conversion tools ("Website Parasites") and a system for categorizing buckets by sales funnel position and execution difficulty. The key insight is that organizing marketing efforts by strategic buckets—rather than individual tools—enables better resource allocation decisions and allows dealerships to outsource complex initiatives (rated as high-difficulty) while focusing internally on simpler, high-impact activities.

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Shereef proposes adding a third pricing/service option for 24/7 automotive live chat support to complement two existing offerings, seeking dealer feedback on viability. The limited responses show interest from at least one dealer (Bruce) who wants to evaluate the options, while another poster (markzu) affirms the general value of live chat for customer loyalty and sales without addressing the specific proposal. The thread lacks sufficient engagement to reveal consensus on whether the new option would actually appeal to dealers.

Dealers struggling to generate online reviews discuss multiple strategies, with consensus emerging around **automated email requests** as the most effective approach, combined with incentivizing sales staff participation rather than customers. Key tactics include sending review requests during the F&I wait (when customers are receptive), making the process easy with direct links, creating friendly competition among staff through individual review pages, and using positive survey responses to identify satisfied customers—though paying customers directly for reviews is discouraged as it undermines credibility.

A dealer (kcar) posted a warning about serious email delivery problems with ADP CRM, reporting that emails frequently go to spam or aren't sent at all, and criticizing ADP's poor email infrastructure and unresponsive support across multiple escalations. The dealer explained that the automotive industry is particularly vulnerable to spam complaints due to the nature of dealer outreach, and noted that other dealers have reported similar issues. ADP responded by requesting direct contact to address the concerns, but no resolution was documented in the thread.

The thread discusses strategies for promoting a dealership's mobile app in an increasingly crowded marketplace, noting that the App Store has grown from 10,000 apps in 2008 to over 500,000, making visibility far harder to achieve. Participants agree that the service drive is the highest-value touchpoint for app promotion, using drop-off moments, waiting room POS materials, and receipts to reach existing customers most likely to use the app for vehicle maintenance. The key insight is that targeting existing customers through in-store touchpoints drives retention, while broader digital promotion on websites and social media can also attract new customers.

A Dealer.com user discovered a URL manipulation vulnerability where removing segments from vehicle detail page URLs could display unrelated inventory (like Mercedes vehicles with European plates) on Toyota/Honda dealer websites, raising concerns about brand confusion and SEO integrity. Dealer.com representative Alex Snyder acknowledged the issue as a simple coding error that was quickly fixed, though there was some confusion about whether the engineering team had known about it for some time. The thread concludes that while the glitch was real and problematic, it was ultimately resolved without major consequences.

A dealer named Sam (Sharko) shares his frustration that GS Marketing/Clickmotive failed to fix a mailer image rotation issue for a week, then suddenly resolved it immediately after he told them he was switching to a competitor (Dealer.com), leading him to question whether the delayed response was intentional. The thread discusses vendor responsiveness and best practices for switching providers, with community members offering advice to escalate issues aggressively and keep vendor changes confidential until execution. A Clickmotive representative ultimately responds professionally, though the damage to trust appears done based on the suspicious timing of the fix.

Dealers United, a group-buying service for automotive dealers, launched its first vendor offering in March 2012: SEO services from KPA (which beat out 30+ competing vendors). Community members expressed mixed reactions, with some skepticism about SEO as a first offering, while others saw value for smaller dealers lacking digital expertise, and supporters argued success would depend on vendor execution and proper expectation management. The thread reveals the strategy behind Dealers United's vendor selection process—surveying members on desired products rather than dictating needs—positioning the service as a low-risk entry point for dealers to test digital solutions at negotiated group rates.

Dealership managers today are largely disconnected from marketing decisions—particularly digital marketing—either because they lack knowledge and fear admitting ignorance, or because marketing responsibilities are fragmented across multiple vendors (ad agencies, website providers, etc.) with poor coordination. The thread argues that managers need to be more hands-on with digital marketing strategy, ad copy, and inventory presentation to ensure consistency and maximum effectiveness, much like they were with print advertising in the pre-internet era. The core insight is that dealerships paying for sophisticated marketing programs often fail to maximize their ROI due to management disengagement and siloed departments, ultimately benefiting competitors who do integrate their marketing efforts strategically.

A dealer shares a humorous image critiquing inadequate SEO practices, likely poking fun at common failures in dealer website optimization or misleading SEO claims in the industry. The post invites other automotive professionals to relate to the joke, suggesting widespread frustration with subpar SEO results or vendor overselling. The thread appears to be a lighthearted venting moment rather than a detailed technical discussion, resonating with dealers who've experienced disappointing SEO outcomes.

A startup claimed that 80% of their Facebook ad clicks were fraudulent bot traffic, citing verification rates of only 15-20% of clicks actually reaching their website. The thread's consensus among automotive marketing professionals is skeptical—most contributors dismiss the claim as either startup marketing hype or the result of competitor sabotage rather than Facebook's own fraud, with several noting they've experienced no such issues in their own campaigns.

Automotive professionals debate Google's new "Google Advisor" (also called "Google Comparison Ads"), a beta lead generation product that allows customers to contact multiple dealers anonymously through Google search results. While some see potential for generating leads, most participants are skeptical, arguing that the anonymous contact model dilutes lead quality, reduces tracking capabilities, and mirrors flawed business models like AutoTrader and TrueCar—essentially allowing Google to monetize dealer inventory and organic search rankings while positioning itself as a middleman competitor.

A Cars.com representative introduces a new reporting approach for tracking new-car online advertising performance, asking franchise dealers to locate their latest Cars.com email report as a starting point for the discussion. The thread centers on distinguishing new-car versus used-car shopping metrics and signals an ongoing evolution of Cars.com's dealer reporting tools heading into 2013. The post is primarily a setup for dealer feedback and engagement with the updated analytics framework.

A dealer questions whether pricing used cars at or above KBB/NADA values is hurting their sales, prompting community debate about the best pricing strategy. The consensus strongly recommends using vAuto (market-based pricing tool) instead of traditional book values, as internet shoppers sort by price on AutoTrader and Cars.com rather than relying on KBB/NADA benchmarks. A key insight emerges around organizational conflict: pricing decisions should not fall to Internet Directors when Used Car Managers are compensated on gross profit, as this creates misaligned incentives that harm sales volume.

The thread discusses Facebook's launch of "Facebook Exchange," a real-time bidding system that enables more aggressive retargeting ads based on user browsing history—for example, showing Ford ads to users who visited Ford's website. While one participant defends this as effective targeted marketing, another raises concerns about privacy implications and notes that browser privacy features like private browsing modes and Apple's cookie restrictions could limit the system's effectiveness.

Dealership professionals discuss which mobile website vendors they use and share screenshots of their implementations, with DealerOn and VinSolutions being the primary providers mentioned. Key concerns raised include handling multiple screen sizes/device types, managing inventory across dealership groups, and understanding whether tablet traffic should be classified as "mobile" or counted separately. The thread reveals that mobile and tablet traffic is growing significantly—in some cases exceeding desktop traffic—though the data reveals confusion about how analytics platforms categorize different device types.

Orin seeks a free solution to add popup coupons to his Dealertrend-powered WordPress dealership site, as the platform lacks native popup functionality. Respondents suggest several WordPress popup plugins, with Orin ultimately identifying XYZScripts' combination of Contact Form Manager and Lightbox Pop as his preferred free solution, which allows him to embed forms into popups via shortcodes. The thread demonstrates that dealership sites can overcome platform limitations by leveraging third-party WordPress plugins, though opinions vary on which solutions work best.

Dealers discuss their experiences with Edmunds' Premium Territory third-party lead program, with overwhelming consensus that it underperforms on both volume and ROI. Common complaints include poor lead quality (customers building unrealistic vehicle configurations), high costs per lead, leads being shopped to multiple competitors simultaneously, and the platform functioning better as a mid-funnel research tool rather than a bottom-funnel sales driver. The prevailing recommendation is to avoid Edmunds in favor of investing in proprietary dealer branding and advertising.