Auto Dealer Vision
Every now and then, even car dealers need some help.GM Finally Trying to Go Green
When even Ford is making the transition to helping the environment, it’s great to hear that General Motors is finally making the plunge. The market is ripe for green companies, not just from a consumer perspective, but also from a government perspective. Countries are starting to offer incentives for companies that are taking the initiative and trying to help the world’s environment. Better late than never, GM.
Car Dealers and Search Engine Optimization
Here are 4 tips for dealers trying to optimize their websites (or paying someone to do it) but the comments and debate that follows is even more interesting. The industry is finally starting to see the importance of search engine optimization, so it makes sense to offer automotive industry advice on the topic. For car dealers, the market is challenging, the competition is stout, and the knowledge level is moderate at best. Good auto dealers will read, listen, and perhaps even add to this wonderful discussion.
Starting price of 2008 Toyota Camry is $23,600 in China
Toyota announced in Beijing the price of their newest Camry. This may not seem like important news for this blog, but considering that the Camry is priced so differently in the United States, it makes you wonder if the eastern version is somehow higher quality. It doesn’t fit with economics, and it definitely doesn’t fit with the market. China is on pace to be the number 1 market in the world for automobiles, so why would Toyota start so high when logic would beg for a lower price rather than higher. Then again, I write a blog, Toyota sells millions of cars. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.
Interesting Story about Dealing with Dealer Scams
Found this. I’m not sure if it is completely accurate. Of all the dealers that I have known, I’ve never heard of one that would cave in the way that it was described. Most have very strong egos, especially those who are willing to sell cars the way that the story tells. It may be true, it may be exaggerated. Either way, it’s a very interesting story and one that can be a lesson for car dealers and car buyers alike.
“Newest” Technologies for Car Dealers – YouTube and Blogs
I was recently told by a source at a marketing firm specializing in automotive internet marketing that car dealers are normally 2-3 years behind the internet trends. I didn’t believe her, but here is a breakdown of her points:
1) When other industries were getting into eCommerce, dealers were still putting up single page advertisements as their websites with no inventory, just an address, a phone number, and a bunch of promises.
2) When most companies were switching from direct sales to internet sales, car dealers were starting to get leads. Until a couple of years ago, these leads were normally handed Read the rest of this entry »
Companies Using Certification to Mislead Potential Automotive Clients
If you pay $50 to Yahoo and nothing to Google, get a small online manual, and take a test immediately for Yahoo and after 90 days for Google, you can become a “Google Certified Reseller” and a “Yahoo! Ambassador.” These terms refer to a person or companies status as having completed these “courses” and as being now prepared to help other people with their pay per click campaign. A handful of companies, especially certain automotive website design firms, are using these certifications to make claims to potential clients that they have an inside track to getting their websites ranked higher in the organic search listings. This is absolutely false.
Dealers in the Midwest are Hard to Sell
Here is an article about car dealer websites in the Midwest United States. They are often the hardest to work with from a web provider perspective because of lower percentage budgets allocated for the Internet. This article tells why.
TK Carsites – 2007 Dealers’ Choice Award Winners
It’s one of the most sought after awards in automotive website design. Why? Because it’s voted on by the dealers themselves. TK Carsites has won it 3 years in a row — the Best Website Design company in the United States.
What Car Dealers Know about Content and SEO
In an internet world where the competition is tight, the ultra-competitive automotive arena is not the environment where a dealer can expect to be completely ignorant about the internet and not be effected. I know it sounds like gibberish, but reread it and you’ll see. That is the thinking and the mentality behind many auto dealers’ perceptions of content for their website and search engine optimization of the same. It begs for more.
Kelley Blue Book vs Black Book Online
Car dealers are often faced with the dilemma of putting a trade evaluation tool on their website. It is best and less complicated to do appraisals in person, but if you do not offer one on your website, the consumer will just go somewhere else.
Kelley Blue Book and Black Book Online are the two top choices that car dealers use. They have advantages and disadvantages to consider — there is no clear cut winner. Check out this article that uses insight from someone who has tried both.
