As I scanned through my local Sunday paper (yes I am one of the few remaining newspaper readers) I decided to hit the automotive section. It sure was thin compared to what it used to be. I remember in 1996 when I first got into the automotive business it would be at least 5-6 sections...some almost 18 pages thick...filled with ads. Today it was 2 sections, maybe 6 pages each. But I didnt bring this topic up to discuss dwindling readership and the decline of the automotive newspaper ad. What I did want to bring up was the ads themselves. Not one ad in the newspaper read "Currently there are no specials available, please check back later."

It really is a shame that too many dealer websites are guilty of this. I think back to that Sunday paper and the hundreds of inserts and coupons that are in there (really its the only reason we even get the newspaper). All those specials...just an incentive to get us the consumer to purchase or at least consider their products. Internet Specials is one of the highest clicked links on any dealership website. I would guess that it is at least the second or third most visited page, probably right behind vehicle inventory but well ahead of service and parts. But it is by far the least utilized and maintained.

I evaluated some dealer websites recently. Of the 50 sites that I visited, less than 15 of the sites even had any specials. A few sites didnt even have a section for internet specials. Basically 70% of the dealership websites had no specials listed. A lot of these dealerships have never had them listed. Even on some third party sites such as AutoTrader.com that have a specials section for dealers the statistic was closer to 90% of all dealers having no specials listed at all.

Some reports have as much as 80% of all car buyers utilizing the internet before and during their purchase window. These buyers have told us they want specials. Sure the "internet consumer" wants to beat you up and haggle over everything. To counter this just make sure you have specials that have something for everyone. Dont just list one car that was $7995 and is now $6995. Does this ever really work???

Here are a few suggestions for specials on your website:

1- Wholesale vehicles- a 1997 Honda Accord with a trillion miles will be bought. Dont send it to the auction. Have a special for a "vehicle under $1000" or even "cars under $5000" sections right on your homepage.

2- Grounded demos- quite a few of our clients now have us photograph grounded demos for them. They get great response on them (especially on Cars.com and AutoTrader.com) because consumers see the value. Most consumers still view demo vehicles as offering big savings. Have them included into your own website.

3- A car of the week- there was a local dealer that used to display one used car at his dealership right upfront...by the road...by itself. The sign next to it would have the current price, and that the price would be lowered every day $100 until the car was sold. I love the idea...especially if you put it right on your website homepage. What a great way to drive more traffic to your website. If you still do some print advertising, this is a great promotion to advertise and drive the traffic to your site to see the vehicle and its current price.

There are quite a few other specials that can be done for your website. Work trucks, specialty vehicles like tuner cars etc., even consignment vehicles. A lot of dealers do not even have the current national rebates and incentives listed. I know it can be a lot of work, but you have to have internet specials! Consumers want them, and it will sell cars!

I’ve done a lot of mystery shopping, emailing and calling hundreds of automobile dealers on a consistent basis just to discover more about their process. In my findings, over 70% of my email leads were answered by an auto-responder. Personally, this drives me crazy. I don’t need an instant response. I need a response with value…not one that tells me how great you are, and where you are, and when you are there. Besides, 8 out of 10 of those auto-responders went right to my junk mail box anyway. If I wouldn’t have specifically hunted for them, I would have never seen them at all. In my opinion, if you’re auto-responder is going to prospects junk mail folders then you are probably better off anyway.
Take the time to write a quick, yet personal email. Add a photo of yourself, add a photo of the car they inquired about (not a stock image), and also put a coupon in there. Be creative…you’ll stand out from the 8 other dealerships that have to email that prospect back as well. Last but not least…answer the questions the prospect has. In most of my test emails I specifically ask questions about the used car I am inquiring about (cd changer? Leather? Etc.) Out of 10 email leads sent with vehicle specific questions, only 1, yes just 1 dealer answered my specific questions. Unfortunately it was about 3 days later…but that’s another story. The other 9 dealerships email responses only cared to set an appointment, have me come in for a test drive, pleaded for me to pick up the phone and call them. A real prospect would have moved on…there were only 78 other used Expedition’s that showed up in this particular search on this used car website. I may have found the vehicle I was looking for; I just didn’t find a sales person.

It didn’t get any better when I started calling the dealerships. I even specifically asked for an Internet Manager or Business Development Center when I called. While they were all particularly strong on the phone (they “gave good phone” as one dealer I know often jokes) they were terrible at listening to me…the customer. Every question I asked was never directly answered, but was followed by them asking what time I wanted to come in. Meanwhile, there I am, on that particular used car website still, and I have already started looking for a different vehicle. It was time to move on. Maybe the Internet Manager thought I turned off my computer screen before I called them and this was the only Expedition out there (remember the 78 that I found earlier?) I asked if it had a third row seat…they didn’t know…I asked if it had a DVD player…they didn’t know that either. Being asked what time can I come by was their best and only response. Apparently being an Internet Manager or working in a Business Development Center doesn’t require a daily inventory walk, which is a shame, It would help out a lot.

Perhaps dealers are just placing too much emphasis to their Internet Managers on setting appointments. I know some dealers paying $25 and up for appointments. JUST FOR APPOINTMENTS! I obviously can’t speak for every consumer out there, but I have a tough time scheduling any time to go ahead and see you when I still have so many questions. Now most of these Internet Managers did write down my questions…and they did get me an answer, but once again it wasn’t in a timely fashion. The average manager took 7 hours just to answer 3 questions. I am still waiting to hear from some and it's been a few months. It was a good thing I really didn't want to purchase that vehicle.