In recent weeks I have been asked to rank the top factors for optimizing car dealer websites. Google reports to having over 200 factors, while the other search engines show similar, undeclared complexity within their own algorithms.
We posted the Top 10 Automotive SEO Factors on our blog a couple of months ago, an article that also appeared in Auto Dealer Monthly, but it was a cursory look. Here at Driving Sales, we will explore each more thoroughly. Those that we have little or no control over, such as the age of the domain, will not be covered, but we'll take a look at everything you CAN improve.
Let's start with...

Inbound Links: Diversity
In the original article, we discovered that:


"This is the least important aspect of the most important factor in SEO: link-building. Diversity is when you’re getting inbound links from many different websites on different Class-C IP addresses. The more diverse, the better, but no matter what anyone tells you, an inbound “spam” l...

Here's a good rule of thumb for you about new technology: if it limits customer interaction it's probably not a good idea to go with it. That is, if a new technology, no matter how much time it saves you, takes AWAY from your ability to build relationships with your customers, then you're better off without it. Earlier, I was talking with B.A. Nerison, owner of Wheel City Auto in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he had this to say about the lack of relationship building opportunities that debit card and ACH payment options has brought to BHPH, "In days past customers used to pay in person, at the dealership. This gave us the opportunity to build relationships with our customers, one-on-one. With today's automated payment options it has become increasingly more difficult to build personal relationships with our customers. This has had a direct impact on the delinquency and repossession rate at buy-here-pay-here dealerships."
I'm not against these types of payment methods, they do make things...

We're almost ready to push out phase one of the new DrivingSales.com website improvements. Our goal is to provide easier and faster access to the content you have told us is most important to you: Vendor Ratings, Blog Posts and Discussions.  The changes will go live this weekend.  In merging the blog platform and all the databases we will have to take the current blog down for a short time.  (we will do this at night while most of you are sleeping).

You should see some huge improvements on the updated version, they were all recommendations from the community.  Thank you!

We're inviting you to do more than just look things over. Dive in, use the new navigation, browse sections you didn't know about! Your comments and feedback enable DrivingSales.com to continue being the number one car dealer social network in the industry.

Check back often and be among the first to try the new features!...

15 years ago I told Ron Craft (the dealer I got my start in the car business with in 1984) “Customers aren’t shopping for a car they are shopping for a salesperson to buy a car from”. That was the way I approached car sales when I got into it after having been in the shop for a few years. I didn’t know it then but I was using social media.
Each day I would I would take brochures, donuts and coffee to local hair salons, boutique stores, doctor’s offices ect. talk with the employees, customers and patients about just anything… and cars too, I got to know a lot of people and got a lot of referrals. Before I knew it I was selling 20+ cars per month and in 1988 I made over $80K selling cars in Baytown TX.

For a single 20 yr old making $80K and yr runnin around in a free Camero, well those who know me know can certainly imagine the trouble I was able to get into, that’s another post (maybe).

On each sale I got to the point that I would pretend to take the deal to the des...

GUEST POST: Louise Smith and VJ
Of great interest to you is the acquisition of new customers, the engagement of your existing customers, promoting customer loyalty and driving revenues. Social Media works "with" your Owner Marketing email campaigns - to do just this. Relevancy and value are keys to successful email campaigns and social media. Here are some ideas:
In your email campaigns:
Implement links/buttons into your email campaigns to promote and link to your social media sites  as well (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn). VJ's thoughts: May be the customer is not ready right now to jump on your inventory page or visit your dealer URL, but he would like to see what else you are talking about in the future. Capture them!

Integrate (brief) teasers in your email campaigns about your social media postings such as your involvement, following or supporting local groups, charities, teams, events etc. VJ's thoughts: An old PR rule is "Do good things and talk about it" - so do it and brag...

GPS enabled mobile apps are changing the way in which consumers leverage social media and one fast growing application that has been discussed on DrivingSales.com is FourSquare.com.

This week FourSquare.com announced that it will be offering business owners business intelligence tools which would show them who is "checking in" to their business and how to market to their local visitors.  The data set will be very interesting to analyze.

A sample screen shot below is a teaser of what is to come.  Think of it as Google Analytics for location based digital marketing.


I'm Addicted to FourSquare.com
I've been actively using FourSquare and I have to admit I'm becoming an addict.  I don't mind that my trail of places I visit are recorded for my followers to see.  This trail can also be automatically posted to Twitter and Facebook.

Here is an example of how FourSquare.com recorded my path over the past two days:



However, I have been trying to figure out how this can ...

Sunnyvale, Calif – March 10, 2010– ResponseLogix, Inc., the leading provider of automotive digital response management software for internet leads, today announced the general availability of its marketing solution suite for Kia auto dealerships.  With this software as a sevice (SaaS) technology, Kia dealers can engage customers early in the car buying process and then propel them toward purchase.
Kia dealers in geographic markets throughout the country participated in the pilot program.  They used the ResponseLogix suite of software products to dramatically improve the speed and quality of their response to internet leads. From Oregon to New York, these dealers executed multi-vehicle price quotes within 10 minutes in response to their customers’ requests.
“SmartQuote® has increased our sales especially during nights and weekends when we are busy and would not be able to respond to our internet leads in a timely manner.  This saves me labor, without it I’d have t...

When you respond to an Internet lead, do you just send back a quote on the requested vehicle?  If that’s what you do, that’s a mistake. 
Make your quote a multi-vehicle quote!  It fundamentally alters the phone call.  What does the customer talk about when you just send a quote on the requested vehicle?  Price.  It’s all about how your price is higher than the next guy for the same vehicle.   But change your response to a presentation of three alternative new vehicles surrounding the trim-level request, and add three to four used vehicles of like trims, and you will have set up an entirely different phone conversation. 
With a multi-vehicle quote, the conversation turns away from price to features.  Does she want new or used?  Does she like the navigation system or not?  This is the type of conversation that changes how you are perceived.  She is more inclined to reveal her price point requirements as she mulls over the alternatives you have presented.  You are ...

Well, here is part deux as promised. Social Media is moving so fast through our industry that dealerships seem to be trying anything and everything to make sense of it. There are more opinions than facts and even more dark corners that have yet to be explored. As stated in my previous blog post anything that drives someone away from the sales process is potentially dangerous. This includes linking shoppers to social media sites through embedded icons from the homepage. I fully understand the potential brand alignments referred to in some of the comments and I agree that these sites can lend credibility to the dealership. But at what cost?

Now for the drum roll please…

How do we integrate Social Media into our dealership business without disrupting anything? After six months of working on this and countless conversations with industry peers and experts, I am please to show you just (Click Here). This is still in Beta and has not been released to the public yet, but I thought I...

“If you expect above-average results you must learn, implement and perform above-average concepts.”


Pacing, matching or mirroring, whatever it is that you want to call it, has been around a long time. As sales people, we have all at one time or another read a book, listened to a CD or attended training of some type where we were told of the importance of it and of the positive results it can have on our sales.

Briefly, Mirroring is a human behavior characterized by copying someone else while communicating with them. It could mean the copying of postures, tone of voice or gestures; it could also be the mimicking of movement, body language, expressions, eye movement, breathing, tempo, attitude or any other number of things. Think of it as follow the leader or do as I do.

There are a number of reasons why this rapport building concept is so powerful and many reasons why you should be doing it everyday with every customer. If you think of communication as a type of danc...

It's no secret that the core of online marketing is quality content.

Good content increases the time visitors spend on your pages, keeps them returning to your site, and engages your audience with your message.  Good content gets linked to, increasing your authority in the search engines and bringing you more traffic.  Good content gives you the ability to place valuable contextual links on your site, making your property more valuable to those sites you link to.  Consumers are hungry for information and they seek quality content, create quality content and your customers will find you.  Make no mistake; going forward your success online will be directly proportionate to your ability to create good content.

In the world of the social web (which is the world we live in if you haven't noticed) you don't have to work hard to find the best content.  You simply login to your favorite community and it finds you.  In the social web your job is to share the content that you like wi...

This article by John Quinones hits home with what dealers today need to survive from a mental perspective.

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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 more creative and approach situations in a very positive manner always knowing it can always overcome negotiations within its self. Competition is within one’s own mind.

Everyone has heard, "come on Johnny you can do it!" All you have to do is set your mind to it.

Weak minds welcome compromise. Often you will be able to recognize by the response greeting you receive when you meet them. For instance you may ask “How are you?” The responses might be:

"Can’t wait until Friday"
"Can’t wait until 5:00 o’clock"
"Hanging in there."

Weak minds are not happy with themselves so they settle for mediocrity.

Strong minds on the other hand welcome chall...

We are trained as sales people to sell ourselves and the dealership.  Have you ever put any thought into why dealerships train that way?  Because the dealer down the street has cars also.  The deciding factor is you, the sales person.  When presenting the car with your fine tuned walk around you share the features and benefits.  Have you ever put any thought into what is better, features or benefits?  I worked at a dealer that wanted to give a frequent shopping card to everyone who purchased a car.  On this card when activated was a certain amount of points.  Of course they made it big, something like 10,000 points.  Those 10,000 points equaled like $10.  Is that example a feature or a benefit?  It’s a benefit but it truly isn’t much of a benefit to the guy or girl who purchased the car.  I never had someone make a decision to buy a car because of the card.  I have had someone tell me that they would buy this car if it had a sunroof.  But what if you gave a free membe...

[caption id="attachment_158" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Choose me!"][/caption]
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 was short-lived, some of them eaten by wild hogs, picked by some avid mushroom collectors, or just simply freezing to death by the nightly frost.
What in the world does that have to do with our business, you are asking? Well, I see right now things in out dealership environments happening, which reflect exactly to this kind of scenario I have described above. Take the example from the mushrooms, which are shooting out of the soil all over. You will see an explosion of companies and services, who are offering dealerships the kind of work; they should actually handle ...

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 a freight train. Downhill. When you start your move in the digital direction, it must be a complete commitment.

More and more principals and senior management at the dealer level are getting their hands, minds and ambitions set around their online presence, brand reach, consumer interaction and spending real time in understanding what is out there. By educating dealers rather than just taking over the whole ball of wax, change is visible. By involving them rather than avoiding them, cooperation is established. By partnering, accountability becomes easier.

Even with the greatest level of engagement, however, retail is still retail and some habits die hard. Dealers can't ignore their fixed operat...

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 and ultimately convert to either a web form, chat conversation or a phone call. But, I have found an alarming number of dealerships placing their social media links like FaceBook, Twitter, Youtube, dealership blog, Digg and a host of additional social media connection points on their homepage, which is linking shoppers away from their websites. I know some people will say that all this is doing is launching another browser, which preserves the dealership website beneath but is it really? Let’s be honest and call a spade a spade. It drives people away from the website. If the dealership is lucky this will only be temporarily but it may be permanently.

Is thi...

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. This, however, is not the way to do it.

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Read more Offbeat Automotive News on this blog....

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 to drive and each had their distinct personality.

The M6 Convertible had an MSRP over $110,000 and the MSRP of the 2010 BMW 550 GT was around $80,000.  I was a bit nervous driving these cars on the freeways of California.

The M6 Convertible's automatic shifting technology allowed me to adjust the feel of the transmission and the associated engine roar.  The car was as fun to drive as it sounded.  The Grand Turismo is a cross between the 5 Series and  7 Series with 550 horsepower.  It was simply a moon rocket in the disguise of a luxury performance sedan.
First Year Without a BMW
I've owned BMW cars since 1994 but this month will be the first time we passed on having at least one BMW in the hou...

I remember being told that I should seriously consider moving back to Australia if I truly thought I could sell cars on the Internet back in 1995, If you were a Clifford Stoll disciple you no doubt agreed, yet here we are 15 years later and how the world has changed. First I want you to read what Clifford thought in "95"... The Internet? Bah! http://www.newsweek.com/id/106554

Yet, has the attitude really changed in some of our dealerships...how many people do you know that have not embraced the viability of social media and how it should be used.

Social Media Marketing, what it basically comes down to for any size dealership is understanding what is really involved in launching a social strategy.

Success in social media requires some advance planning, as well as some fundamental shifts in marketers' attitudes toward online marketing. Following a few simple steps, a dealership can deliver a social media strategy that will provide a platform for refinement and success as we move...

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 by hypothesized as to the reasoning behind this I’d like to bring forth the idea of Digital Darwinism.

“The idea that the development of Internet based companies is governed by rules similar to Darwin's theory of evolution, and that those that adapt best to their environment will be the most successful”
We are in the midst of a huge economical shift, consumers aren't as trusting as they use to be, we live in a world of digital transparency, but still dealers want to hold onto the old way of doing things, just because it's the way it's always been done. It's that very same thinking that is causing dealerships, all across the country, to close t...

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 your mail noticed and motivate your customers to visit your dealership.

1. Keep your mail visually stimulating – A plain white envelope and an all-text enclosed letter are lackluster to say the least. It’s important not to make your mail piece too crowded. The use of bullet points and appropriately bolded text and images are effective methods of creating a visually appealing and interesting mailing. If you’re direct mail piece is a letter, use short direct sentences and paragraphs.

2. Know valuable information about every customer in order to personalize all marketing pieces – In order to personalize your marketing pieces, it is important to really know and understand your target. W...

While in San Diego at Online Marketing Summit 2010 I heard a simple yet revealing fact. The “Thank You” email you send the customer after they submit a lead or for an appointment with your dealership will have the highest open rate of anything you send that customer.

This shouldn’t come as a revelation to anyone, and it didn’t to me until they said “Make the most of it”. I started visualizing all the thank you emails I have designed, written and received in my head and thought “My god, what a waste of a high value contact and a great opportunity for further engagement”.

Conversion Rate Optimization today is all about engagement, the more engaged the customer the higher the possibility for conversion. For you dealership conversion in this case means the sale. The more you can get the customer to engage with your online property the higher your chances of getting that appointment and closing the sale. Engagement leads to trust and trust lead to the sale, when done p...

One of the biggest challenges in diving into social media is in choosing the best way to spend time, effort, money, and resources. Every dealership has its own personality and addresses challenges differently. Deciding how best to position your dealership for success is the key to achieving it.



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See more Automotive Marketing Webinars at Driving Sales.

President Rafi Hamid to Direct Reselling and Support of eXtéresAUTO Technology to Dealerships Across U.S.

Riverside, CA – February 24, 2010 – eXtéresAUTO, the leading provider of SEO and Search Asset Management (SAM™) solutions for the auto industry, today announced that Chicago-based Dealers Technology Inc. would become an authorized reseller for the company’s award-winning suite of search solutions. eXtéresAUTO’s technology will be the only SEO, Online Reputation Management and Piracy solutions offered by Dealers Technology to its clients.

Earlier this month, eXtéresAUTO was named the highest-rated dealership SEO provider in DrivingSales’ Vendor Ratings Awards, and the only ‘top rated’ vendor to receive an overall 4.9/5-star rating, with a dealer recommendation rate of 98%.

The agreement authorizes Dealers Technology, under the direction of President Rafi Hamid, to resell, deploy and support eXtéresAUTO’s solutions to auto dealerships across the U.S. H...

Nothing matters if a lead isn't properly answered.

No SEO or SEM, no mobile apps, no 360 degree views of the car on your website, no amount of third party lead-buying matters if you can't get back to a customer right away with a quote.  Too often, dealers underestimate this vital "blocking and tackling" step, pursuing all kinds of sexy strategies to gin up lead volume.  They fail to recognize that if a lead isn't properly answered, lead volume is meaningless.

The arrival of an incoming lead represents "the moment of truth".  The point of lead arrival signifies the moment when a customer has decided to put 3 to 4 dealers on trial.  Who has a fair price?  Who has what I want in stock?  Who will give me the best service?  Who can I trust?  How the dealer responds in the minutes or hours after the lead arrives shapes the customer's view of that dealership.

The simple fact is, according to Cobalt, that 25% of all leads don't get answered at all.  And the average response t...

They're there. Every day. New ones. Old ones, Slim ones. Fat ones. Some are red and some are green, many are boring and some obscene. What are they? Well, they're not from Dr. Seuss. Invites, followers, request for follows, join my growing community and more. And most are just plain crap.

As the pandemic of automotive social media, that didn't exist until Q2 or Q3 of last year, bangs on our in boxes and cell phones, it seems that most are happy to take it all in. That is until you actually look at the content, the platforms, the lack of connection and the rampant automation. It's been said before but needs to be said again: There is nothing social about automation, unneeded irrelevant retweets, inventory, prices and more that doesn't promote brand, opportunity, connection, community, events or gosh-I-needed-to-know-that-stuff kind of stuff.

Also, in a world that is supposed to be conscience of terms of use/terms of service, why are dealers still setting up friend pages? Every so-...

It has been said that cars are one of the few personal possessions that arouse extreme consumer passion and fanaticism.  People talk about their cars frequently, whether they are bragging or complaining, to their friends, coworkers and family members.  And in today’s technologically advanced world, they are conveying their opinions, thoughts and feelings (both positive and negative) to an infinite number of strangers online – through blogs, forums, review sites, and social media communities.  While a certain percentage of individuals actively voice their opinions online, an even larger number of individuals use the Internet to research products, services, and companies as part of their buying process. A 2009 study by Razorfish found that 73% of consumers have posted a product review online, while another 97% of consumers search a brand online.

Conversations are taking place...everywhere, 24/7/365!  The conversations that are occurring online, through sites such as Faceb...

 

[caption id="attachment_832" align="alignright" width="282" caption="Top 10 Digital Marketing Strategies"][/caption]

DrivingSales.com members who want to get the inside line to build a strong gameplan for

their digital marketing strategies in 2010 are encouraged to participate in a webinar entitled: 
 Top 10 Digital Marketing Strategies for 2010". 
 

Be one of the first50 people to register for a webinar lead by Brian Pasch, CEO and founder of PCG Digital Marketing and get a chance to grow your skills and knowledge for free.  The webinar is scheduled for March 9th at 1:00 PM EST and will run for three hours.

Normally, a three hour webinar would cost a dealership $500 for the information that will be presented.  In a special limited time offer for DrivingSales.com members, the webinar is being offered without cost for the first 50 automotive professionals that register and attend the webinar.

After the first 50 spots are reserved,  additional attende...

On Tuesday February 9th at 4:30 in the afternoon, a Continental Airlines representative casually told me that all flights from Newark on Wednesday would be cancelled due to the pending storm.  I was in a state of shock because just hours earlier I received an email from Continental indicating that I was upgraded to first class.  In a matter of hours my vision of a relaxing flight to Orlando to get ready for the NADA Convention and the Automotive Marketing Boot Camp the day earlier was shattered.

I called select members of the PCG Digital Marketing team into my office who were heading to Orlando and told them they had two hours to go home, pack and get ready for a road trip through a blizzard.  I informed them that I had called all area airports and that all outbound flights on Tuesday evening were booked solid.  Since I was co-organizing an Automotive Marketing Boot Camp that started on Thursday Night, I told the team that we had no choice but to drive to Florida.  It was their...

Is social marketing for everybody? Should every dealership jump on the social media bandwagon? I'm sure most social media consultants would say yes, without even thinking about it, but I would have to disagree with them and say no. Yes, you heard me correctly, I said no.
No because not every dealership is ready for the prime time. By prime time I mean the public eye. While its true that we live in an age of transparency, there are some dealerships that would do well by trying to stay out of social media all together. I've consulted at a lot of different dealerships, all across the country, and without naming them, I can think of two or three that would cut themselves with the double edged sword of social media.
One dealership in particular, which was run by and for the sales people (you know the type of store I'm talking about), was in no position to engage their market using social media. Of course, to better understand my point of view, you have to understand that I don't see socia...

You can’t spell social media without “me” or “I”. The entire medium has become, through its own nature, a very me-centric platform. People only post as it relates to themselves, their business, or their beliefs, blasting forth their very own personal news channel that they deem worthy enough to share.

Foursquare is one of the newest social networks, specifically designed to cater to those through a mobile application. Simply put, in its most common, understood form, Foursquare gives users the ability to:

1) “Check-in” to different places or add new ones worth visiting
2) Let their presence be known to their contacts and the online community
3) Lay claim of ownership after multiple visits to the same location
4) Earn “badges” for usage levels
5) Leave tips and shouts for future visitors of the establishments

This can all be accomplished through the typical geo-locating (geo-targeting) found on mobile devices. Early adopters of this platform will be at the ...

eXtéresAUTO would like to extend its deepest thanks to DrivingSales' Vendor Ratings Awards program - and ALL our dealers - for honoring us with the highest award achievable among all SEO providers.

The DrivingSales awards program represents a real breakthrough in the industry because it objectively measures the REAL experiences and satisfaction of the thousands of dealers that belong to this online community--and across all the major vendor categories.

Here's eXteresAUTO CEO, Richard Winch, with his executive team - accepting their trophy for #1 SEO Provider at the NADA Convention in Orlando this past week.

Pictured right to left: Russell Grant, Kim Orr, Richard Winch, Dawn Varga, Peter Winch, Rafi Hamid, Roberto Rivas, James Tagalu (not pictured: Merla Turner)

To read details on eXtéresAUTO's award and DrivingSales' awards and methodology, click here....

If you know who Robert Hollenshead is, it’s only because you’re a hard core used car manager. If you don’t know who he is, you will very soon. Hollenshead is the largest customer of the Manheim auction in Pennsylvania. He is an extraordinary wholesaler that prides himself on being a buyer for any car, anywhere, at any moment. In short, he is a wholesaler’s wholesaler.

Hollenshead recently started a company called Buy Book Technologies. If you know the old saying that “the book doesn’t buy a car”, this one actually does. Buy Book Technologies is the engine behind AutoTrader’s new Trade In Market Place. The Trade In Market Place is a program that AutoTrader is rolling out across the country where both consumers and dealers can get a firm buy figure for any vehicle. Although this product is not currently available in all markets, it will be soon. It is definitely a paradigm changing product, and one to watch closely....

Sean Wolfington has agreed to serve as Chairman of the Board of VinSolutions, the industry leading automotive "Dealership Marketing System" that helps retailers attract, sell and retain more customers profitably

February 14, 2010 -- Sean Wolfington has agreed to serve as Chairman of the Board of VinSolutions, the industry leading automotive "Dealership Marketing System" that helps retailers attract, sell and retain more customers profitably.

"We asked Sean to join our board because of his vision and his unique experience leading some of the most successful marketing and consulting companies in the industry," said Doug Kinney, CEO of VinSolutions.

Wolfington co-founded and led Cyber Car and Automark (sold to Reynolds and Reynolds in 2001) and BZ Results (sold to ADP in 2006). Wolfington currently owns Tier 10 and Level 5 Marketing and serves on the board of the Lumen Institute.

"After I saw the power of their all-in-one system to do everything a dealer needs I had to get in...

The Automotive Marketing Boot Camp, held in Orlando on February 12th, one day prior to the official start of NADA, brought together top professionals from the industry that supported and sponsored the educational event.

The Boot Camp is a hands-on skills based training program which covers the most important elements of automotive digital marketing strategies: social media, blogging, video, link building, content creation, SEO and pay-per-click marketing.  The classes offered attendees hands-on classes which will deliver the abilities dealers need to understand, manage and catapult their online marketing strategy to the next level. 

The five industry sponsors included:

Thursday Dinner Sponsor - http://www.bzresults.com
Friday Breakfast Sponsor - http://www.dominiondealersolutions.com
Friday Lunch Sponsor - http://www.dealer.com
Friday Dinner Sponsor - http://www.tkcarsites.com   
Saturday Breakfast Sponsor  - http://www.dealertrend.com

Brian Pasch is the CEO o...

Award Winners Received Highest Dealer Satisfaction Ratings in 9 Categories, including Websites, CRM, SEO, 3rd Party Leads, Vehicle Classifieds/Listings

Orlando, Florida - February 12th, 2010 -- DrivingSales (www.drivingsales.com), the auto industry's leading social media platform and largest online community, today announced award winners in the first annual DrivingSales Vendor Ratings Awards.  The Awards measure dealer satisfaction with vendors by allowing dealers to publically rate and review their vendors in a real-time, anonymous - yet verified - setting.  Vendors who achieve the highest rankings in dealer satisfaction, as determined by the thousands of dealers who are part of the DrivingSales community, are eligible to receive "Highest Rated" and "Top Rated" Awards.

"We would like to congratulate the winners of the first annual DrivingSales Vendor Ratings Awards, all of whom have achieved a standard of excellence in satisfaction that is resonating with the nation's deale...

VISIT DEALERUPS AT NADA BOOTH: 3235
For additional information contact:
Sara Callahan                                                                Stanley Parayil Thomas
Carter-West Public Relations                                 Chief Executive Officer
Phone: 949-742-0477                                             PMDS
scallahan@carterwestpr.com                               Phone: 888-866-6999
stan.thomas@dealerups.com
PMDS Announces DealerUps Mobile CRM, Enables Auto Dealers to Manage Sales Force and Customer Follow up Anytime, Anywhere
Fully Functional Mobile CRM Allows Auto Dealers to Synchronize Updates
on Mobile Devices with Central CRM System

LEVITTOWN, New York – (Feb 12, 2009) - Parayil & Mann Dealer Services Inc. (PMDS), a leading retail automotive consulting and technology provider, t...

For additional information Contact:

Mike Esposito, President & CEO
Auto/Mate Dealership Systems
Phone: 800-371-3970
Email: mesposito@automate.com
Auto/Mate in Pilot Program with Toyota Motor Sales USA to Integrate DMS

Clifton Park, NY (February 12, 2010) – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems,
(www.automate.com) the highest ranked DMS in the 2009 NADA Annual Survey of Dealership
Satisfaction, announced today that it and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc (TMS) have successfully completed the first phase of a pilot program that’s purpose is to prove the feasibility of a new TMS portal to be used for integrating Dealer Management Systems with TMS systems through the web based portal.

During this first phase, the parties successfully integrated six pilot Interfaces between Auto/Mate’s Automotive Management Productivity Suite (AMPS) and TMS through this new web-based portal. This integration electronically transmits items such as warranty claims, parts orders/parts returns an...

PCG Digital Marketing (formerly Pasch Consulting Group) introduces an advanced automotive digital advertising strategy for car dealers looking to go viral with their live inventory feeds.  Car Port AppTM connects any blog, social media site, or website to a dealer's inventory of cars for sale. 

PCG Digital Marketing will unveil the details on their new Automotive Advertising NetworkTM (AAN) and Car Port AppTM publishing tools, for the first time at the NADA conference in Orlando.  The CarPort AppTM will allow car dealers to publish a live listing of their cars for sale on popular sites like Facebook, Wordpress, Blogger, NING, TypePad and other digital websites. 

The dealer's cars that are for sale will be advertised on a large network of websites included in PCG's Automotive Advertising Network (AAN) as well as any blogs or social media websites owned by car dealers.  A click on any advertised car listing will take interested consumers to customized inventory pages on CarDea...

PCG Digital Marketing (formerly Pasch Consulting Group) is set to unveil a new automotive digital advertising platform at the 2010 NADA convention in Orlando. The Automotive Advertising Network (AAN) will allow car dealers to increase the visibility of the cars they have for sale on the Internet.

The AAN combines PCG Digital Marketing’s proven strategies in Search Engine Optimization, content marketing, social media and blogging to provide dealers with an industry leading solution for lead generation and direct sales.

The new technology will lead to many industry firsts, giving dealers the unique ability to advertise their inventory of cars for sale using popular blogging and social media websites helping car sales to go viral.

The Automotive Advertising Network created by PCG Digital Marketing will first be introduced at NADA in Orlando, where Brian Pasch, CEO of PCG Digital Marketing is co-hosting an Automotive Marketing Boot Camp seminar on February 12th, one day prior to...

If education, reinforcement, results and transparency are the benchmarks of success why are we all not more successful than we are right now? More often than not, in our beloved industry, what has been around for a long time is considered as accepted or the norm and what is new is rejected with rare exception. At the end of the day we're branders and communicators entirely and inextricably linked to the success or failure of process. Well, we need a wake up call.

Recently there has been a barrage of articles on everything from social media must do's for car dealers to self-indulgent bantering among dealership consultants, from incessantly republishing authoritative sources to fill pages and drive traffic to kicking dead horses and old ghosts. And who are we kidding? The whole industry has to wake up to new ways of doing business, engaging consumers that control content, delivering more value than flash to dealerships, learning more than preaching and finally...wait for it...stop tal...

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoSuccess Magazine recently released the 2010 Special Edition recognizing the "Top 10 Companies to Watch in 2010" (click to view Special Edition).

"The Top 10 Companies are high-growth organizations who have helped dealers dramatically improve their profitability during a difficult time in the automotive industry," said Susan Givens, the publisher of AutoSuccess Magazine. Each of the companies chosen by AutoSuccess, provide unique areas of expertise that together generated measurable profits and outstanding achievements in an otherwise difficult year for the automotive industry.

AutoSuccess is pleased to shine a spotlight on the companies who, through their vision and vigor, have created enterprises that blaze trails for others to follow. Dealers from the top 1000 Automotive Retailers have been invited to attend the prestigious AutoSuccess Reception on NADA's opening day, Saturday, February 13th, honoring the Dealer of the Year, Brian Be...

Mobile management of inbound leads and integration of DealerTrackTM lease rates and residuals into DealerSocket's Desking application save time, money and increase profitability

San Clemente, CA - February 10, 2010 - Leading automotive CRM provider DealerSocket announced today two significant upgrades to their core CRM solution. Beginning immediately, DealerSocket customers can now respond to inbound leads via a mobile device and "stop the clock." This important enhancement allows users to respond via mobile email or phone call and have the action automatically recorded into the DealerSocket customer record. In addition, DealerSocket has announced that it has completed integration of its CRM Desking tool with DealerTrack lease rates and residuals. Still in pilot with two DealerSocket key customers, this vital enhancement will be available to all DealerSocket Desking customers by the end of March 2010.

"These two key improvements are things our customers told us they must have, a...

The Pasch Consulting Group (PCG) announces a change in their corporate identity and branding strategy.  The company will be known as PCG Digital Marketing with their new logo and marketing strategy to be unveiled in Orlando at the 2010 NADA Conference. All of their forthcoming marketing elements will also be branded with their new tagline, 'Strategic Digital Marketing'.

According to CEO Brian Pasch, the rebranding of his formerly self-titled company reflects their rapid growth in the marketplace as well as their ability to provide a comprehensive team approach to digital marketing solutions for a very diverse range of clients.

"When we reviewed our business growth over the past four years, Search Engine Optimization and Website Design were just two of the services we've been providing. The term 'digital marketing' better reflects the scope of services and strategies we can implement for our clients which includes social media, paid advertising, branding and marketing strategies,...

eXtéresAUTO is proud to note that it has been named a "Top 10 Company to Watch in 2010" by AutoSucccess Magazine, a list that also includes DrivingSales.com.  According to AutoSuccess, the list encompasses 10 high-growth organizations that have helped dealers dramatically improve profitability during these tough economic times and created enterprises that blaze a trail for others to follow.

Come see what the buzz is all about at AutoSuccess's VIP Dealer Cafe cocktail reception on opening day at NADA, 2:30-4:30 PM, in Booth 2307.  Several eXtéresAUTO executives, including CEO Richard Winch, will be on hand to answer questions and talk about your specific dealership.  Click here to RSVP.

Thanks to AutoSuccess for their recognition, and see you at NADA!

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AutoSuccess Magazine Releases 'Top 10 Companies to Watch in 2010'

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoSuccess Magazine recently released the 2010 Special Edition recogn...

Orlando, Florida, February 10, 2010- ActivEngage, the automotive industry's premium live chat with business intelligence for dealer websites, today announced the release of ActivProspect, a proprietary technology that targets website visitors who are most likely to respond to chat invitations and ultimately end in sales.  Based on click paths and behavioral targeting, ActivProspect pre-qualifies site visitors as prospective chats.  This allows busy dealerships to more effectively manage their resources, and to spend the most time with site visitors who are most likely to chat, schedule appointments and make purchases.  The new tool is yet another ActivEngage advancement to help dealers with proactive chat, sending just the right message, at just the right time.

ActivProspect resulted from analyzing automotive website shopper outcomes over three years on dealership sites across the nation.  ActivEngage created the new feature to assess all website visitors and identify the dealer...

(FRANKFORT, Ill.) – February 10, 2010 –Live View technology gives dealers the ability to watch traffic on their websites as it’s happening, in real time.

Every dealership with a Dealer HD website can watch the traffic on their website 24/7 with Live View technology. Live View separates individual site sessions by IP Address and traces a visitor’s path on the dealership website. This information provides valuable insight for dealers, they know where visitors are going on their sites and can follow them each step of the way.

“Knowing where a visitor is going is essential to Internet success for dealers” said Justin Duff, Dealer HD’s National Sales Director. “It allows dealerships to target their customers more directly, giving them exactly what they’re looking for.”

Dealer HD prides itself on providing cutting edge technology to its clients, giving them a leg up in an ever-competitive market. Live View was an addition made during Dealer HD’s free quarterly ...

Be honest, where is your dealership at with social media? Don't worry, this isn't a test and the only person that's going to know your answer is you. It's time, before you get too far down the road, to analyze what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. Keep in mind that what's right or wrong for your market isn't necessarily what's right or wrong with another market. That being said I see a lot of dealers duplicating what they saw another dealer do in their dealer 20 group, with the hopes of duplicating some of the success the other dealer had.
I'm not saying this is a bad idea, but it may not be the BEST idea for you and your dealership. A lot of dealers start a fan page on Facebook or grab a Twitter account with the thought, "Let's see what happens." They are, in effect, putting the cart before the horse. They are choosing a platform before they design a strategy or even choose what their objectives are. What they aren't realizing is that they are limiting the scope of t...

Planned Integration Will Help Connect Dealers with Online Shoppers, Build Consumer Confidence

ATLANTA, Ga. and CENTREVILLE, Va. – February 10, 2010 – Contact At Once!, LLC, the leading provider of car dealership chat software and other internet marketing tools that move online lookers into live conversations with car dealerships, and Carfax have partnered to help dealers sell cars faster.

Contact At Once! and Carfax will integrate their products, giving consumers free access to dealer-purchased Carfax Reports during chat sessions. In addition, online shoppers viewing Carfax Reports will have an easy way to initiate contact with the selling dealer.

“We provide car dealership chat software that helps sell more cars,” said Marc Hayes, Executive Vice President and founder of Contact At Once!, “Sales people using our car dealership chat software are particularly effective when the right information is at their fingertips, including valuable vehicle history information fr...

As was posted on one of the official NADA Blogs, the convention will be a social media "tipping point" for many. Dealers are ready to make the jump into Web 2.0 and what better venue to learn and choose a social media partner than in a place where EVERYONE is selling social media services?

While it's a good idea to take advantage of what the NADA Convention presents as a place where everyone who has services will be pitching them, be warned: there are good ways and bad ways of engaging in social media, and both sides will be represented at NADA.

Believe it or not, it isn't easy. As simple and straight-forward as social media as an entity is, there are pitfalls that dealers must avoid. Here are a few of them:

Mass Account Creation without Management - There are benefits to creating dozens, even hundreds of social media profiles to help cross-link and generate strong search engine reputation management potential, but there are also times when this can be a detriment. Stagnant a...