It is so frustrating when trying to send a legitimate, valuable email to a customer (future or current), and have it be blocked by a spam filter.  While there are some auto dealers that do send emails that might be properly classified as spam, most dealers who have spam issues are sending real emails to real customers.  Their email campaigns are being inappropriately blocked by various spam filters.

Here are some tips to avoid the dreaded spam filter in your customer's email inbox:

Avoid Sending Spam-Like Emails (Obviously):  Using words like "Free" multiple times, having large images or tons of links are more likely to make your email be stopped by a spam filter.  Also, watch the ratio of text to images.  For example, try linking to your inventory instead of pasting images in the actual email.

Ask Customers to Add You to Address Book: When customers add you to their address book, your emails will get delivered to their inbox.  Add a line to your email signature or above your opt-out message that asks people to help ensure they get your emails by adding your email address to their address book.  This little step will go a long way.

Follow CAN-SPAM Guidelines: Following CAN-SPAM (which by law you should be doing anyway) will greatly reduce the chances your email gets flagged as spam.  This includes having an opt-out (that is honored), listing your physical location, and using an accurate subject line.  You can find more information on the FTC website.

The verdict on Google+ for personal use still seems to be out for many (myself included).  But according to Christian Oestlien, group product manager for social advertising at Google has said that they are “close to unveiling Google+ business profiles”.

Only Ford and GM have official profiles right now (interesting that they are both automotive brands).  Some businesses have created profiles, even though most sit blank; just so you know, there isn’t a limit to how many times a name can be used, so no need to claim your dealership’s name ahead of time.  I see this being a problem in the future.  Google+ will need a way to verify business accounts, much like Twitter and Google Places have, or I think they will lose out on some trust.

Will your dealership take another look at using Google+ once businesses are allowed?  What if Google+ ends up integrating with Google Places?

The verdict on Google+ for personal use still seems to be out for many (myself included).  But according to Christian Oestlien, group product manager for social advertising at Google has said that they are “close to unveiling Google+ business profiles”.

Only Ford and GM have official profiles right now (interesting that they are both automotive brands).  Some businesses have created profiles, even though most sit blank; just so you know, there isn’t a limit to how many times a name can be used, so no need to claim your dealership’s name ahead of time.  I see this being a problem in the future.  Google+ will need a way to verify business accounts, much like Twitter and Google Places have, or I think they will lose out on some trust.

Will your dealership take another look at using Google+ once businesses are allowed?  What if Google+ ends up integrating with Google Places?

For those that use Google AdWords for your auto dealer website, this is big news.  After some testing in foreign markets, Google has announced that they are changing the algorithm used to determine the Quality Score of PPC ads to give landing page quality more weight.

According to Jonathan Alferness, director of product management on Google’s ad quality team, Google wants their advertisers to focus on relevance and “choose a landing page…that is both relevant to the keywords that you’re targeting and also a good experience for end users.”

This algorithm change will “result in better quality experience for the users” and those ads with a high quality, relevant landing page will get a “strong boost” upward in the auction.

Now more than ever, your dealership can’t afford to ignore where you’re sending your PPC traffic.  Having a webpage that uses relevant keywords and gives users the content and experience that they are expecting from clicking on your ad will reduce the cost per click your dealership is paying.

Do you know where you’re sending your PPC traffic?

For those that use Google AdWords for your auto dealer website, this is big news.  After some testing in foreign markets, Google has announced that they are changing the algorithm used to determine the Quality Score of PPC ads to give landing page quality more weight.

According to Jonathan Alferness, director of product management on Google’s ad quality team, Google wants their advertisers to focus on relevance and “choose a landing page…that is both relevant to the keywords that you’re targeting and also a good experience for end users.”

This algorithm change will “result in better quality experience for the users” and those ads with a high quality, relevant landing page will get a “strong boost” upward in the auction.

Now more than ever, your dealership can’t afford to ignore where you’re sending your PPC traffic.  Having a webpage that uses relevant keywords and gives users the content and experience that they are expecting from clicking on your ad will reduce the cost per click your dealership is paying.

Do you know where you’re sending your PPC traffic?

Most people tend to focus a lot of their local search engine marketing for their auto dealer website on Google Places.  While it's true that a lot, if not most, of your search traffic comes from Google, it's still important to make sure your dealership is properly optimized for the other major players as well.

Here are directions to set up a free local business presence on both Yahoo and Bing:

Yahoo

Create a Yahoo account for your auto dealership.  While signed in, go to Yahoo Search Marketing and click "sign up".  Make sure you enter all of your business information including name, address, phone number, and hours.  The preview page lets you edit or submit; click submit once all the information is accurate.

Bing

Click "get started now" in the Bing Business Portal.  You'll have to check to make sure your business isn't already listed, so enter your dealership's information when asked.  If not already there, enter all business information, then verify your dealership.  Bing also allows you to add photos and deals (coupons) for free.

Make sure the details you enter into these and any other local search directory (Yellowpages, Yelp, etc) match those you have listed in Google Places.  The first rule of local directory consistency is to focus on NPA:

-Name – Your business name needs to EXACTLY match across all of these properties

-Phone – Your phone # (hopefully local phone number) should EXACTLY match across all of
these properties.

-Address – Your business address should EXACTLY match across all of these properties.

Having consistent dealership data across the Internet will help each rank higher than those dealerships that don't.  Also, use related keywords as much as possible (as long as they are relevant).

Most people tend to focus a lot of their local search engine marketing for their auto dealer website on Google Places.  While it's true that a lot, if not most, of your search traffic comes from Google, it's still important to make sure your dealership is properly optimized for the other major players as well.

Here are directions to set up a free local business presence on both Yahoo and Bing:

Yahoo

Create a Yahoo account for your auto dealership.  While signed in, go to Yahoo Search Marketing and click "sign up".  Make sure you enter all of your business information including name, address, phone number, and hours.  The preview page lets you edit or submit; click submit once all the information is accurate.

Bing

Click "get started now" in the Bing Business Portal.  You'll have to check to make sure your business isn't already listed, so enter your dealership's information when asked.  If not already there, enter all business information, then verify your dealership.  Bing also allows you to add photos and deals (coupons) for free.

Make sure the details you enter into these and any other local search directory (Yellowpages, Yelp, etc) match those you have listed in Google Places.  The first rule of local directory consistency is to focus on NPA:

-Name – Your business name needs to EXACTLY match across all of these properties

-Phone – Your phone # (hopefully local phone number) should EXACTLY match across all of
these properties.

-Address – Your business address should EXACTLY match across all of these properties.

Having consistent dealership data across the Internet will help each rank higher than those dealerships that don't.  Also, use related keywords as much as possible (as long as they are relevant).

After writing my post on QR Codes Best Practices, I wanted to make sure those dealerships interested in starting a QR code marketing campaign knew to create QR codes in a way that will allow your dealership to track them through the Google Analytics on your car dealership website.

Here's how to create a QR code that is trackable by Google Analytics:

First, make sure you are signed into Google (in the account that houses your dealership’s analytics).

Next, go to the Google URL Builder.  Enter the URL that you would like the QR Code to link to.  Choose "QR Code" for campaign source, and then choose your campaign medium and name.  For example, if you're going to put the QR Code on window stickers for a Chevy Cruze, your Campaign Medium could be “Window Stickers” and the Campaign Name could be “2011 Chevy Cruze”.  Once you’ve entered these fields, click Generate URL.

Copy the URL you've just created and go to goo.gl.  Here, you'll shorten your newly created QR Code tracking URL, and click "Details" to generate the QR Code. By shortening the URL before generating the QR Code, you will make the QR code less dense, and therefore easier for your customers to scan. 

Now that you’ve created the QR Code, you can use the link that Google provides to put your QR Code graphic onto your site, or you can right click on the generated QR Code and click “Save Image As” to save it to your machine or servers.  You are now ready to start tracking your QR code campaigns!  Let me know if you’ve found other ways to effectively track your QR campaigns.

After writing my post on QR Codes Best Practices, I wanted to make sure those dealerships interested in starting a QR code marketing campaign knew to create QR codes in a way that will allow your dealership to track them through the Google Analytics on your car dealership website.

Here's how to create a QR code that is trackable by Google Analytics:

First, make sure you are signed into Google (in the account that houses your dealership’s analytics).

Next, go to the Google URL Builder.  Enter the URL that you would like the QR Code to link to.  Choose "QR Code" for campaign source, and then choose your campaign medium and name.  For example, if you're going to put the QR Code on window stickers for a Chevy Cruze, your Campaign Medium could be “Window Stickers” and the Campaign Name could be “2011 Chevy Cruze”.  Once you’ve entered these fields, click Generate URL.

Copy the URL you've just created and go to goo.gl.  Here, you'll shorten your newly created QR Code tracking URL, and click "Details" to generate the QR Code. By shortening the URL before generating the QR Code, you will make the QR code less dense, and therefore easier for your customers to scan. 

Now that you’ve created the QR Code, you can use the link that Google provides to put your QR Code graphic onto your site, or you can right click on the generated QR Code and click “Save Image As” to save it to your machine or servers.  You are now ready to start tracking your QR code campaigns!  Let me know if you’ve found other ways to effectively track your QR campaigns.

Some of DealerOn's car dealer website customers are incorporating QR codes on their sites, though it remains a technology that’s still maturing.  While others in the industry have debated the benefits of using QR codes as a part of your dealership’s marketing strategy, I wanted to share some tips for running a QR Code campaign if your dealership is going to test this technology.

Before you start any marketing campaign, including one using QR codes, it is essential that your dealership lays out your goals.  What are the business or marketing objectives you hope to accomplish with the QR code campaign?  For example, are you looking to increase your email list or increase traffic on your mobile website?  If you don't determine what you're hoping to accomplish, you won't be able to tell whether or not the campaign is successful.

Make sure you test your QR code extensively.  If someone tries to use your code and it doesn't work, it's similar to someone trying to click a broken link on your website.  That user isn't likely to seek out that information elsewhere on your site...they will just move on to the next dealership.  Make sure your codes are big enough, and have enough "clean" space around them.  Test them where they will appear (on a window sticker, for example) to help ensure they can be read in the environment that your customers will be scanning them.

Link the QR codes to a mobile landing page.  I've written about the importance of having mobile dealership websites before, but when you know people have to use their mobile phones to scan QR codes, it doesn't make any sense to send them to a traditional website page.  These are just some basic best practices for QR codes.  Have you used any other standard processes that you’d recommend for QR Code Marketing campaigns?