Car-Mercial has developed a way to squeeze others off of the first page of search results. The results made my chin drop! They do this by producing a large amount of custom professional videos for each of their clients. These videos are matched with an extensive key word list (unique to each brand/vehicle/location) and uploaded to numerous video search engines. From there the videos get picked up by thousands of additional sites and displayed all over…

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All around the country people are making plans for their holiday celebration. Seems at times that our sales people are distracted, many think they can not compete with the man in the red suit. Not True! In over thirty years in the automobile business, I was once one of those who relaxed in the holiday season. In 1994 while trying to work this new tool called "the internet" I discovered there was business out there. I just had to place my…

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As this months topic fits right in with what I do... I am delivering a paragraph or two.

If you really want your internet to provide you with outstanding opportunities to do business, lets think a little bit about our approach. Do you have a BDC or are you still using an internet department? If your using a BDC you are certainly headed in the right direction. A seperate internet department, not so much.

An internet…

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With the seemingly hundreds of lead generating tools or leads to buy out there who do you choose. Well I have found that buying "scrubbed" leads from a provider is almost a total waste of resources. How did the provider get the lead to begin with? Well I've come understand that they buy them from someone who bought them from someone else and so on and so forth well that's not appealing to me not to mention in the right now frame of mind of I-net customers those leads are often 1-2 days old…

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You have all the tools. A good web site, a contact management system, lots of inventory new and used. You have invested in people of all stripes. Lot attendants, sales people and managers. Everyone seems ready to go. But you are not selling like the old days. Your cost per up is through the roof, perhaps you wonder how long you can hold on.

The truth is, you may be ready to answer yes to the title question. If your team is in place, why not tweek your process just a…

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I’m often asked “what makes an Internet department successful”? To be honest, I’ve never been able to directly answer that question with a simple answer because so much must be considered when it comes to defining the steps that lead to success. One thing is for certain in my mind: there are two basic doctrines involved when it comes to starting an internet department. The first one allows technology to do the steps needed to make more sales. The second embraces technology to assist in a… Continue

As a veteran of the Automobile business I understand the pressure on Managers to deliver on every up that visits the property. Some Dealers say each up or opportunity has a cost of about $350 in marketing expense. I certainly remember some of those opportunities, desking the loss leader first thing Saturday morning.

I also understand, from 10 + years of Internet marketing, dealers I have worked for are spending as much as 15K monthly to pay for leads. Those leads are also…

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Creating and managing your internet presence is a massive undertaking with equally large opportunities and will require more than building a website…

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When someone is given the task of starting up an e-commerce business for an automobile dealership they are bombarded with what to do and what not to do. It can be so discombobulating that your head will literally start spinning. Let's start with wondering which vendors to use when it comes to things like your website, data feed management, and the where to and which places to effectively market your inventory. Now throw a wrench into it with the all the different companies…

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Dealership website traffic is very important and there are many articles and blog posts about driving more people to your site whether it is SEO, SEM, Social Media or any other online marketing techniques, but today I want to talk about something else that is just as important. In fact I think it is more important. Focusing on your dealership conversion and how to optimize it is the real half of the equation that you need to… Continue

Using the rule of three for your marketing is a powerful way to increase sales. With a little research you will see that this rule of marketing has surrounded you for your entire life. Think back to your childhood and storytelling and you will see the rule of three in action. Remember the stories when you were a child: the three little pigs, Goldilocks and the three bears, three blind mice, the… Continue

In the digital age, your writing skills are more important than ever. It is easy to convey emotion and intention when you are speaking to someone in person or on the phone. While these phone skills are certainly essential to being a good salesperson, it is equally essential to develop your writing skills. These few sentences you type are often the first point of contact with a client and the primary source of follow-up. The impression they leave is… Continue

In today’s tough automotive environment every website shopper is an opportunity to turn a browser into a buyer. Your website alone won’t do it. You need a way to put yourself between your website and your shoppers. It is sales 101 to put a product professional in place to explain your vehicles and the services you offer. You do it in your showroom now so you… Continue

This week I was thinking about what I would do if times were tough and I was still on the retail side of the business? What changes would I make in my Internet sales department? So, I decided to put together a list of seven easy to do things at your dealership that will absolutely have an impact on your Internet sales and productivity. This list is compiled to get you thinking… Continue

Dealer chat is moving from the early adopter stage into the mainstream as more and more dealerships look for ways to increase internet sales and reduce costs to acquire new dealership customers. The dealership's website has the highest potential for increased results and should be the focus of your dealership if you are looking to boost your online internet sales. Here are five areas of concern and some good questions you might… Continue

I have been using video as a vital business tool for our online guests here at Kelly Nissan for a while now. I would like to share some of the things that have worked for us.



TOOLS: iPhone, YouTube account, Internet



When a customer inquires about a vehicle online, we like to shoot a quick walk-around video of the vehicle for them to view. This is not an uncommon practice these days with dealerships who are Internet savvy. However, what I think sets us apart is how quickly… Continue