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• From the Blog

  • Where should car dealers host a blog?
  • What Affect Will Google Caffeine Have on Automotive SEO?
  • 10 Questions to Ask Your Automotive SEO Firm
  • Developing a Social Media Plan for Car Dealers
  • Stop Getting Flagged
  • Dynamic SEO = Wasted Money
  • Meet Us Las Vegas
  • Dealer.com and Chrysler Deal – Conflict of Interest
  • Is your listing right?
  • Why Buy Print Over Online Advertising?
  • What are your customers saying about you and why it is important
  • Are you taking advantage of bookmarking?
  • Does your web site work for you? Do you only have one?
  • Automotive Social Networking – Time to Catch Up
  • Transparency – Buzz Word or Way of Life – Part II

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• You may also be interested in...

  • About Us
  • Stop Getting Flagged
  • Dynamic SEO = Wasted Money
  • Meet Us Las Vegas
  • Blogs for Car Dealers
  • Why Buy Print Over Online Advertising?
  • What are your customers saying about you and why it is important

• Recent Articles About Car Dealer Marketing

  - from the Blogosphere

  Your biggest Social Media opportunity is in Fixed Ops.
  9 Mar 2010 at 5:56am
  Dealership social media has a huge opportunity to help customers get fixed ops info.
  Strong minds versus weak minds?
  8 Mar 2010 at 8:21pm
  

  This article by John Quinones hits home with what dealers today need to survive from a mental perspective. * * * Str... (show more)

  This article by John Quinones hits home with what dealers today need to survive from a mental perspective. * * * Strong minds understand that the mind must be exercised like a muscle and as the mind gains in strength it increases in value. As the mind increases in value it becomes stronger and sharper to be [...]
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  Features Versus Benefits
  8 Mar 2010 at 6:06pm
  

  If you sold a car and offered a benefit to have them excited about their purchase they will share the benefit with th... (show more)

  If you sold a car and offered a benefit to have them excited about their purchase they will share the benefit with their friends. I learned this late in my career selling cars and my sales people lived off my repeat and referral business after I was promoted to management. Remember the guy up the street has cars with features also.
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  No Risk - No Rewards! Why you as the dealer need to manage your Social Media ...
  4 Mar 2010 at 4:42pm
  

  Walking these past weeks through our Georgia Mountains, finding a path through the thick and steadily grown woods, he... (show more)

  Walking these past weeks through our Georgia Mountains, finding a path through the thick and steadily grown woods, here and there you?ll notice that wild mushrooms are freeing themselves through the heavy soil. Gasping for air and sunlight they are determined to make their way out of the darkness only to experience that their life [...]
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  Start With The End In Mind, But Mind What You Start
  4 Mar 2010 at 2:34pm
  

  One of the beauties of working with those businesses that want to move forward is just that: the move forward. One of... (show more)

  One of the beauties of working with those businesses that want to move forward is just that: the move forward. One of the drawbacks is the distractions that can stop clients in their tracks. Even the most excited dealer, on any given day, may end up with a list of fire drills that can stop [...]
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  Are You Driving People Away From Your Website?
  3 Mar 2010 at 1:15pm
  

  After spending all of February visiting and analyzing dealership websites, one thing stuck with me that has raised a ... (show more)

  After spending all of February visiting and analyzing dealership websites, one thing stuck with me that has raised a large concern. In my understanding of being successful online driving traffic to the website is just the first step. The next and probably the most important step is making sure people drive deep into the website [...]
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  How Not to Make a Toyota+Honda Hybrid
  3 Mar 2010 at 6:30am
  

  Here’s a quick chuckle for Wednesday: There are right ways for two companies to work together and combine their asset... (show more)

  Here’s a quick chuckle for Wednesday: There are right ways for two companies to work together and combine their assets and form something wonderful. Honda and Toyota, despite recent woes, have long been two of the best manufacturers when it comes to hybrids. If they ever combined their technologies, they could truly build something amazing. [...]
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  Can BMW Connect With Young Car Buyers?
  2 Mar 2010 at 11:35pm
  

  I was out in Southern California last week and had the pleasure of visiting a premier BMW dealer on the West Coast; I... (show more)

  I was out in Southern California last week and had the pleasure of visiting a premier BMW dealer on the West Coast; Irvine BMW. I was given the opportunity to drive a 2008 BMW M6 Convertible as well as a 2010 BMW 550 GT, also known as a Grand Turismo.   Both cars were a dream [...]
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  The Extinction of the Old School Car Dealer
  2 Mar 2010 at 1:55am
  

  It?s not a theory, it?s not even the future, it?s happening now and time is getting short. Auto dealerships are notor... (show more)

  It?s not a theory, it?s not even the future, it?s happening now and time is getting short. Auto dealerships are notoriously late adopters of any new technology but in our current state of rapid technological advancement more and more dealerships are falling by the way side and closing their doors. While many different theories can [...]
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  Top 5 Ways to Get Your Direct Mail Noticed
  2 Mar 2010 at 12:08am
  

  In a world of clutter, junk mail and non-stop advertisements, how do you get your direct mail noticed? There are many... (show more)

  In a world of clutter, junk mail and non-stop advertisements, how do you get your direct mail noticed? There are many ways to have your direct mail piece stand out so it won?t get mixed in with the junk that fills your customers? every day mailboxes! Read our quick tips below on how to get [...]
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  Automotive SEO by DealerBytes

  
  
  Who is having an affair with your customer?
  9 Mar 2010 at 8:44pm
  

  ---

  Just some information that we all know but just don't think about as much as we need to.

  Here it is. Any person that... (show more)

  ---

  Just some information that we all know but just don't think about as much as we need to.

  Here it is. Any person that has responded to a media message that you put out and came in to buy, is your customer. At least for the moment. Now how long he remains your customer is entirely up to you. 

   

  Now if you dont take anything else from this article remember this, it cost you 6 times as much to bring in a new customer as it does to get a past customer to buy from you again. So why would you ever let another dealer flirt with one of your customers?

   

  How do you stop this possible fling from happening? NEWSLETTER! Now if you have try this and  didn't see the return, fixing one or a combination of these will help.

   

  1. No consistensy - You need to make sure they get a newsletter every month. Peoples needs change from day to day. this makes sure you are ever present.

   

  2. Value - You have to provide them with something that shows you are in their corner. Not just price, selection and service. Until you provide value you haven't earned the right to get their business again.

   

  3. Fun! - When you can provide them something to look forward to brighten their day, they look forward to recieving it. A banana nut muffin recipe wouldn't hurt either!     

   

  Provide them with content that proves that you are the industry expert, and a "Trusted Advisor" and you will earn customers for life. 

   

  Remember we should not get customers to sell a car, we should be selling cars to get a customer. Thats where your long term success lies.

   

  Well thats a start to slow down that CUSTOMIZER down the street!

   

  Want more infomation on how to provide compelling newsletters every month visit us at

   

  www.richdealers.com

   

  Eric Tigner

  Rich Dealers Advisor

  407-275-8667  

  
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  Help! Looking for independent sales agents. Any suggestions on how to find qu...
  9 Mar 2010 at 6:06pm
  

  Any recommendations on how to locate independent sales reps?
  
  

  Sensible Driver is interested in teaming up with highly... (show more)

  Any recommendations on how to locate independent sales reps?
  
  

  Sensible Driver is interested in teaming up with highly motivated independent sales reps who specialize in selling to automobile dealers and regional repair groups.  Our programs target sales and service through our Sensible Driver e-programs: service reminder (e-mail and post card),
  newsletter and sales/service promotions using Google/Yahoo PPC. Any suggestions or recommendations are welcomed.

   
  

  Terry Alling

  
  

  terry@sensibledriver.com

  
  
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  How to Add Your Inventory or Website to your Facebook Fan Page for Free
  9 Mar 2010 at 3:54pm
  

  Hey everyone,
  
  I thought my new blog post might be of interest to some of you. Enjoy!
  
  b/c: How To Add Inventory or Web S... (show more)

  Hey everyone,
  
  I thought my new blog post might be of interest to some of you. Enjoy!
  
  b/c: How To Add Inventory or Web Sites to Your Facebook Fan Page
  
  (show less)

  Dealership Websites: Selling the Product or the Dealership
  9 Mar 2010 at 3:09am
  

  I wrote this as a blog post, but wanted feedback so I figured I would post it in the discussion forum as well...

  
  
  

  I r... (show more)

  I wrote this as a blog post, but wanted feedback so I figured I would post it in the discussion forum as well...

  
  
  

  I received a call today from one of S.M.A.'s participating dealerships regarding their website. The owner had upgraded from basic html to a flash website and was eager to get my opinion and show off his investment in updating his site. S.M.A. Alliance generates website traffic for the dealership and will always encourage dealership's investing on website upgrades and re-design, although that is not our specialty. While on the phone, I typed his dealership URL in a new browser, as he is excitedly telling me his favorite features and new menu options.

  
  
  

  
  

  The page pulls up and then I saw and heard it...the horror...the horror.

  
  
  

  I was hearing the owner of the dealership talking to me in two places...one on the phone and the other on his website. He had made a video popout that jumped out at you on the main page. It was loud. He was selling to the customer as if the customer was on the dealership lot, and I pondered in my mind whether the simplicity of html code prohibitted what I would consider a marketing catastrophe. But I am interested to what the community thinks regarding this issue, that is only growing as Internet marketing technology increases.
  
  

  
  

  In my humble opinion, a dealership's website should reflect its product and have as little to do with its sales team as possible. Potential customers are searching for a car over the Internet to research before they drive on the lot. If they wanted to be sold or talked to, chances are they would have driven to the dealership lot. When a video pops out and immediantly begins selling, it breaches a line between Internet Lot and Dealership Lot and I am not an advocate of combining the the world wide web with the physical world of interaction.

  
  

  Get the customer in your dealership door. Show the product. Rather than have a video pop out of a man in a suit selling, have your sharpest car drive over the screen. Customers are viewing the website to see the dealership's inventory and I do believe there are great and flashy ways to do this to impress the customer and show hints of the dealership's personality and artistic spirits.

  
  

  
  

  I suppose I just find these video salesmens as an unnecessary risk. What if your video rubs a customer the wrong way for WHATEVER reason? Why would you risk the possibility and increase a margin for error that you can neither explain or control. I am a firm believer that facts speak so much louder than words: stick with your product and overwhelm the customer and entice them to take a test drive. Then if they don't like the personality of a salesmen or a particular whatever, YOU HAVE THEM IN THE DOOR and can swip and swap with the necessary adjustments to make a sale!

  
  

  The owner of the store had a business call and never got to hear my reply, which is why I am eager to see all angles of this (I know I will be getting a phone call tomorrow). Like I had mentioned, this is not my speciality and I have no knowledge on it or its success rates. I just know that when I see a dealership's website with the video popout, I always shudder and attempt to make it stop and when it doesn't, I just click that red X on the top right of the screen and enjoy the silence. It is easier to exit then it is to find a pause button on this video popouts and that is one of the risks that comes with these video pop-outs.

  
  The unwritten do's and don't's of the Internet are always developing and it is good to stay focused and learn as much as you can. If a customer searches for a car and sees your website and clicks on your link, you have done a great job getting that customer there before any other dealership website. But as quick as you can click in, you can click out and unlike driving from lot to lot in search of a vehicle, going to the next store in Internet land is simply just another click away...
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  SEM Strategy for Small Dealers...Would it WORK?
  8 Mar 2010 at 10:22pm
  

  I have a friend who sells a lot of used BMWs.  He buys them from BMW offl-lease auctions and charges a fee for the tr... (show more)

  I have a friend who sells a lot of used BMWs.  He buys them from BMW offl-lease auctions and charges a fee for the transaction.  Customers save money and get the exact car they want.  He offers great customers ervice too.
  
  Of course the BMW dealership down the road sells 15x the used BMWs he does.  They are rough on customers and charge higher prices.
  
  I was thinking he could buy the Adwords terms:
  
  "Memphis BMW Dealer"
  "Memphis BMW"
  "Memphis BMW Dealership"
  
  And place an ad like:
  
  Used BMWs 4 Less
  Buy from Official BMW
  Auctions.  Save 15%.
  http://xxxx.com
  
  It would point to a landing page where he explains his buy-from-auction process.
  
  Think it would work?  Be worth the investment?
  
  
  
  
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  Next Generation of Dealer Services Scams ? Social Media Training
  

  Social media is a very hot topic and now it appears that every wannabe trainer and even a few well respected ones are... (show more)

  Social media is a very hot topic and now it appears that every wannabe trainer and even a few well respected ones are jumping on the band wagon to teach dealers social networking and social ...
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  Website Providers Social Media Fail
  

  Who put that there? Using social media to promote your business and products you sell is the craze today.  Everybody ... (show more)

  Who put that there? Using social media to promote your business and products you sell is the craze today.  Everybody is talking about it and a few are doing really well with it in the auto ...
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  SEO and SEM Potential Vendor Checklist
  

  This year I have encountered a significant increase in the amount of companies fighting for the “new” advertising exp... (show more)

  This year I have encountered a significant increase in the amount of companies fighting for the “new” advertising expense dollars of search engine optimization (seo) and search engine marketing (sem). Two years ago, even a year ...
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  Not Another Automotive Social Network?!?!?
  

  The automotive social networking space has a new entry.  Jeff Kershner over at DealerRefresh is adding a forum to his... (show more)

  The automotive social networking space has a new entry.  Jeff Kershner over at DealerRefresh is adding a forum to his already popular blog.  This is a welcome addition to the already fragmented automotive social networking ...
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  Automotive SEO ? Conference Wrap Up
  

  The “Automotive SEO Exposition” held this year in Washington DC was a huge success.  Top level automotive seo practit... (show more)

  The “Automotive SEO Exposition” held this year in Washington DC was a huge success.  Top level automotive seo practitioners from all over the country came together for two days of powerful round table style discussions. The ...
  (show less)