High traffic with low conversions? Is this a franchise-related problem?

[Former Dealer]

I am aware of that. I wouldn't have put in an email address if I wanted to keep that hidden. I also didn't put down cars.com or any other online classified site.

What I do offer is experience from both sides of the fence. Everything I posted is true. My point was, it is more likely that the the customer who walks on your lot is probably from the internet. Imagine if your dealer who spends let's say $40,000 in print, allocated that money to sem, seo, online classifieds, etc. Your floor traffic would be much greater than it already is.

The car business has and always will be a people business. I disagree with the previous post stating that this is not what customers want. All I'm saying is, your calls and emails will continue to diminsh. Customers use the internet to research and find specific inventory.

Yes, I work for Autotrader.com. They are the company that recruited me when they heard I was looking for a change. I'm not experiencing any of the things people have been complaining about (including yourself). I've chosen not to get in a debate regarding ATC or cars.com.

So Alex, obviously you are an e-commerce manager.... I just hope you have the dealer's best interest in mind and trying to drive "floor traffic". I hope you're not chasing the worst possible lead a dealer can have. Especially with a 5% national closing rate on email leads. This is why ATC and Cars.com have come out with enhancements to brand your dealership. We realize customers need to get in your door rather than your in-box.

 

[Ali]

Richard Valenta,

I am glad you have so much time to post since you will not return my calls. I have numerous problems with my website that has been live for 9 months now. I have had customer complaints that they could not find what they want in the inventory (your sort by price feature did not work), my traffic to the site is almost all derived from SEM because you are way behind the curve in SEO even after 9 months and numerous calls with Jim Rucker, and most recently, I had a customer blow up in the box about their 0% financing that is shown on my incentives page that you created and framed in and I have no access to change. We haven't had this offer in months. The list goes on, but I'll keep it short.

You think you would get it right after it took you 6 months to create my website to begin with. I want you to give me a call because I am a very dissatisfied customer. And to handle me, you put me off to your dedicated "Customer Retention Officer" who had been there for less than a month. Why do you need someone dedicated to "retention"? You have my number or you can get it from Chelsea.

Here is a snapshot of our webstats and SEM efforts:
www.southfloridadodge.com/webstatsUD.pdf
www.southfloridadodge.com/DominatorUD.pdf

Ali Ahmed
Vice President
University Dodge

 

[Richard Valenta (blog)]

Ali,

I certainly apologize if you feel I have ignored you. This is not my intention as I do not hide from anyone.

I sincerely appreciate every customer's business as if it were our only customer and will always pick up the phone whether you have 1 location or 30 locations.

I have no idea how this has happened. I just tried to contact you at the store but you but you were gone. I left my cell phone number with Osiris and you can call me any time this weekend.

Richard