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Thinking about Getting Dealer.com

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#11
ehoopman said:
It’s funny to see everyone dogging the “Opinionators” but offering their own at the same time

Next steps on checklist IMO:
1. Create a wants/needs analysis.
2. Schedule some time for demos – see how they stack up to your list.
3. Call on a few dealers by searching “#Vendor Name# Website #Brand#” out random clients to hear their stories:


We are here to help answer any questions! Along with Joe, Eric, Bill, Neil, Matt, Mitch and Alex :P

All the best - Eric
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Eric, dogging comes into play (if it could be considered that) when the question needs some qualifying, yet people jump in to recommend. Your suggestion for a checklist is perfect and should also have a couple specific things added that no other dealer would have - based on that dealers vision. I agree that this forum is kick ass at exposing people to products and I believe the DR community cares about each other which makes it amazing.

Switching web vendors needs to be carefully considered and weighed heavier then anything at the dealership. (says the web guy)
 
#12
Mitch - Agreed! I think combined Lisa has should have a strong jump off point for interrogating, I mean interviewing web vendors:)! Love the questions drilling down the support team. I always thought that would be a great addition to someone's due diligence list.


On the dogging comment. If you know me, I mean that in the most positively, lighthearted way. Our mission is to be the most “liked” team in Automotive Internet :P


I just was using big words like “dogging” for color…
 
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#13
 
#14
Lrogers said:
Hi everyone,
My company is thinking about switching all of their websites to dealer.com...

...2. I have heard a lot of negative feedback on them, is it a better idea to go with a different provider?

Thanks so much for your feedback.
Click to expand...


Loren,

Food for thought:
Dealer.com out sells most other vendors by 20:1, so, the "frustrated Dealer.com users" should out number the others by 20:1... there by making it Dealer.com look like a P.O.S. Add to that, the very social "misery loves company" effect so the grumbling numbers get even higher!

Is 20:1 right?
The exact number is not the point, I was demonstrating how sales ratios can skew your observations.

HTH
 
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#15
Loren,

Here's an old Uncle Joe Post that may help put a focus on your task, here's a snip from it:
CYA (Cover Your Ass)
You MUST take the time to write down each and every task that you want done, write down each and every problem with your current system that needs to be fixed. You must write down ideas that you want executed (but have no idea how it's done). Next, assign each item you wrote to a class (e.g. Website, vehicle data gathering, inventory exporting, Chat, CRM, etc...)


You NEED to build this list. I'll repeat for emphasis, You NEED to do this!

​
HTH
 
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#16
JoePistell said:
Loren,

Here's an old Uncle Joe Post that may help put a focus on your task, here's a snip from it:
CYA (Cover Your Ass)
You MUST take the time to write down each and every task that you want done, write down each and every problem with your current system that needs to be fixed. You must write down ideas that you want executed (but have no idea how it's done). Next, assign each item you wrote to a class (e.g. Website, vehicle data gathering, inventory exporting, Chat, CRM, etc...)


You NEED to build this list. I'll repeat for emphasis, You NEED to do this!

​
HTH
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more :iagree:

There are some solutions to help you sketch this out. Just plugging things into Excel isn't much fun. Take a look at Mind Mapping software: Hive Five: Five Best Mind Mapping Applications - these vary in pricing, but the free solutions are plenty good to hack something like this out.
 
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#18
This is a great post. Especially when searching for a new vendor. Asking those questions to support are a great feel of what to expect. The next step would be to speak with the customer service. Customer service is one of the largest downfalls that companies lack in. Not just web vendors etc etc.

Do you get personal website reviews each month/ quarterly?
How often are you going to be contacted?
How often is your website reviewed?
If there is an issue that is found, are you notified right away?

When speaking to other dealers that are a customer of vendor you are searching, ask them how they are being treated.

I hope this helps.

Jen Schrader
Ignite XDS
National Sales Director
 
#19
Billfred said:
I've used Dealer.com and eBizAutos for various websites (one group, one store). For pure inventory management (photos, descriptions, stickers, etc.), I have to give the nod to eBiz. I also find their support team among the best of automotive vendors. They just changed up their product levels, so you'll have to decide where you fall, but checking into them is definitely worth your while.
Click to expand...

We also use Ebiz and love them. Support is incredible and they get things done. As far as inventory management tool, we are a vAuto dealer and live it here. It's a culture. You can get a great site with eBiz very reasonable and vAuto, it all depends on the products that you choose.
 
#20
I have a question about Dealer.com sites that my client hasn't been able to figure out. They want to be able to ad code themselves for youtube videos, analytics (want to use their own) etc. but the CMS doesn't seem to allow that. Can they get another level of admin access to add code themselves? Seems like it should be simple enough.
 
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