Sounds exciting. No matter what happens keep the thread updated with how you're doing!
I'm going to make a bold statement here, but IMO it's true. No matter who does your website... it's going to end up like the rest of dealers in your area. Structure and design wise anyway. Don't make them a one stop shop. For example, I'm sure all the local dealers in your area all have (or have access to) basic video, "advanced analytics", and live chat.
I don't fully understand why you are paying for any of this:
Website: You could probably create a simple site if you really wanted to for pennies on the dollar. Why pay for for a setup and monthly hosting fees?
- Inventory provider: If you only have 3-4 cars then why get caught up in a hosting tool? You could easily manually upload these to your website daily. If you sign up for anybody like Autotrader or Cars.com then you can just manually put them in their backend or upload with a csv file.
- Live chat - same deal .. cheap if not free options out there.
... Assuming you don't follow this at all and just want the "one-stop shop" for ease of solution. Lets jump to some more stuff:
SEO - I'm not saying you don't need an "SEO Product", but what I am saying is you do need an SEO Solution. What I'm getting at is you have an awesome opportunity so make your dealership shine. If I go to your site I want to know all about your background as a Navy guy and what brought you into the car biz -- especially luxury cars. Make sure your love for this stuff is expressed in not only text, but also video .. and updated often. You can use this stuff to not post on your website, but cross post on facebook, youtube, and other social media platforms.
Customers DIG this stuff.
Video Walkaround - Ah, I'm not against it for a luxury dealer, but I know people tried this like 4-5 years back for chevy,ford, and dodge dealers and lets just say it wasn't exactly lucrative. Not to mention, some weren't professionals and could barely shoot let alone edit the video if needed.
Just make sure the walkaround is a VIDEO ... not a slideshow of pictures :\
PPC - Yes, please hop onto this, but make sure you have a solid understanding of it before you pay for a vendor. You could drop some serious money on this stuff if you go with a company and they don't have the same motives as you. Or you'll just end up getting skewed results
Example: "Look you got 100,000 impressions last month! That's 100,000 opportunities we brought to your dealership!"
Just make sure you have a good understanding of CPC, CTR, and tracking conversions - And how much you are willing to pay to get what you want.
Craigslist - Def do this. A no brainer. You can post all your cars daily with the amount of inventory you have for free. So why not do it.
eBay - Hell, couldn't hurt, if you have the inventory this could be a huge lead provider for you.
All I ask is please don't get caught up in a vendor trap -- In the next year you are going to come across a lot of vendors ... Just try and make the correct decisions.
