Among the many activities I complete in advance of a dealer consulting visit is a thorough analysis of their online reputation, as this can often help define much of the visit’s focus. During one such analysis this week, I discovered the following for an upcoming dealer visit (numbers have been estimated to protect the dealer’s identity):

• Google –…

As I write this article, I am in literally sitting at an Internet Sales 20 Group where my colleagues and I are sharing best practices with over 50 dealers.  It seems that auto dealers are concerned more about their online reputation now than ever before.  While it is great to see dealers place a focus on it there still needs to be a structure in place that will create a strong reputation for the dealership.  Once a structure is in place, managing an online reputation is actually a very…

I recently read an article published by Forbes titled …

Well it never ceases to amaze me on the efforts people will go to create a fake review.  It seems like the stakes of the game have gone even higher. 

Los Angeles Times writers Jessica Guynn and Andrea Chang…

Today, more than ever, online reviews can make or break your month selling vehicles.  We can search for online reputation management companies and we will get hundreds if not thousands of opinions on how to manipulate the system of posting positive reviews.  Many of these companies state that they have a secret to help your dealership look like they are flawless.  This is done utilizing a lot of smoke and mirrors.

Studies by consumer behavior and search experts say that 7 out of 10…

Is yelp business friendly or are they doing what would be called legal "BlackMail"?  I had five of my personal customers go on yelp to give a review, good or bad, I just wanted their input and post.  Yes, I asked them because the service was awesome, but real people, with real ratings sent to archive, Why?????

Hey everyone!

Check out my Digital Dealer webinar being held April 14, 2011 at 11:30am EST!

There are those who may be too busy, don't believe in the use of 'social media' or think it's going away, but just as it is with any business, the automotive industry can only benefit from its use. Social Media can be defined as "media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques"1. There are many…