So, we've got some new things brewing for the DrivingSales community. This week, I'll be providing previews of the new features coming within our redesign of the DrivingSales website, what they mean to you and how you can benefit from the great stuff we're making for you.

Everyone in the car business seems to have a opinion about TrueCar's CEO Scott Painter. Everyone seems to have the right answer or solution to the problems associated with TrueCar's business model. And of course, everyone has a question about what's going on with their current activities. 

Well, Jared Hamilton is giving you the ability to ask questions about TrueCar's views on the industry, their new business model and anything else you want to address. DrivingSales has always been a conduit of premier access to the best events, people and resources. We encourage your involvement to help make this year's DrivingSales Executive Summit the best ever. 

And, in typical DrivingSales style, here's our full disclosure and transparency on a hot issue: Topics and sponsors at DSES are requested by the dealer community. The topic of TrueCar and their business model was also requested. So, we did what we do best and Scott Painter agreed to an Q&A session with Jared. And no, this isn't a "gotcha" session to corner him; he's willing to accept questions from the community and address them in a professional setting. And yes, they're a sponsor. No, not a "major" sponsor - a mid-level sponsor at best. One's sponsorship level doesn't create any special treatment with regards to speaking and stage presence. However, the level of demand from the dealer board does.

DSES is the hottest automotive conference ticket this fall. (Only five tickets remaining for DSES as I write this) Send us your questions, get involved and be heard - send them to Lindsey Auguste.

Still need a ticket to DSES? Better hurry up, they're almost all gone! Register here.

Everyone in the car business seems to have a opinion about TrueCar's CEO Scott Painter. Everyone seems to have the right answer or solution to the problems associated with TrueCar's business model. And of course, everyone has a question about what's going on with their current activities. 

Well, Jared Hamilton is giving you the ability to ask questions about TrueCar's views on the industry, their new business model and anything else you want to address. DrivingSales has always been a conduit of premier access to the best events, people and resources. We encourage your involvement to help make this year's DrivingSales Executive Summit the best ever. 

And, in typical DrivingSales style, here's our full disclosure and transparency on a hot issue: Topics and sponsors at DSES are requested by the dealer community. The topic of TrueCar and their business model was also requested. So, we did what we do best and Scott Painter agreed to an Q&A session with Jared. And no, this isn't a "gotcha" session to corner him; he's willing to accept questions from the community and address them in a professional setting. And yes, they're a sponsor. No, not a "major" sponsor - a mid-level sponsor at best. One's sponsorship level doesn't create any special treatment with regards to speaking and stage presence. However, the level of demand from the dealer board does.

DSES is the hottest automotive conference ticket this fall. (Only five tickets remaining for DSES as I write this) Send us your questions, get involved and be heard - send them to Lindsey Auguste.

Still need a ticket to DSES? Better hurry up, they're almost all gone! Register here.

Joe Webb is at it again with another comedic, yet real, take on what's happening inside dealerships every single day.

Are you giving your customers the information they're seeking? Or are you still trying to "get them in?"

Joe Webb is at it again with another comedic, yet real, take on what's happening inside dealerships every single day.

Are you giving your customers the information they're seeking? Or are you still trying to "get them in?"

How on Earth is facebook going to succeed within the mobile space? 

There are nearly 500 million facebook users on their mobile devices currently. The question everyone keeps raising, including those who bought facebook stock anytime after the IPO, how is facebook going to monetize these users.

I have a hunch: Doing something nobody else can even come close to doing within the mobile advertising space. Now that facebook has all of our personal data, they have a huge opportunity now to leverage that data, but it also poses an incredible opportunity for digial marketers because of the fact click through rates are higher on mobile devices. (14% higher actually) 

As users access facebook via their mobile devices, they're also accessing the site via different methods. They're not using their data networks, they're using WiFi. Initial estimates place WiFi traffic being over 50% of all web traffic by the end of 2016.

Why is that so important? Advertisers can't target consumers via WiFi. And if everyone is spending more of their time on their phone, on facebook and on a WiFi network, advertisers need a way to reach them.

Wireless carriers, like AT&T, Cricket & Verizon make it very easy for marketers to target users and provide more specific ads based on their user demographics - not so on WiFi. (and this is the reason why the wireless carriers want you on their data plan - besides making money off of your plan, they also make money knowing your demographics.) 

So, how is facebook going to solve - and profit - from this? 

Facebook can create targeted consumer segments with greater depth and effictiveness than a wireless carrier can. Add on their ability for rich data such as post-click/click-through actions and you have the foundation for true value and quality for mobile advertisers that blind networks alone can't provide. This will push advertisers from smaller mobile networks over to facebook.

I've mentioned it before - new mobile advertising solutions are needed; they will change the way in which we connect and engage with brands and their services. Facebook is positioned well simply due to the fact they have the most users and the most data.

What does this mean for car dealers?

New mobile advertising strategies are about to hit the industry square in the head. Understand your mobile traffic activity from your analytics and be prepared for significant changes in the way your reach your customers.

Mobile conversion rates from Moolah Media from lead generation campaigns with over 100 million clicks during May & June 2012: 

How on Earth is facebook going to succeed within the mobile space? 

There are nearly 500 million facebook users on their mobile devices currently. The question everyone keeps raising, including those who bought facebook stock anytime after the IPO, how is facebook going to monetize these users.

I have a hunch: Doing something nobody else can even come close to doing within the mobile advertising space. Now that facebook has all of our personal data, they have a huge opportunity now to leverage that data, but it also poses an incredible opportunity for digial marketers because of the fact click through rates are higher on mobile devices. (14% higher actually) 

As users access facebook via their mobile devices, they're also accessing the site via different methods. They're not using their data networks, they're using WiFi. Initial estimates place WiFi traffic being over 50% of all web traffic by the end of 2016.

Why is that so important? Advertisers can't target consumers via WiFi. And if everyone is spending more of their time on their phone, on facebook and on a WiFi network, advertisers need a way to reach them.

Wireless carriers, like AT&T, Cricket & Verizon make it very easy for marketers to target users and provide more specific ads based on their user demographics - not so on WiFi. (and this is the reason why the wireless carriers want you on their data plan - besides making money off of your plan, they also make money knowing your demographics.) 

So, how is facebook going to solve - and profit - from this? 

Facebook can create targeted consumer segments with greater depth and effictiveness than a wireless carrier can. Add on their ability for rich data such as post-click/click-through actions and you have the foundation for true value and quality for mobile advertisers that blind networks alone can't provide. This will push advertisers from smaller mobile networks over to facebook.

I've mentioned it before - new mobile advertising solutions are needed; they will change the way in which we connect and engage with brands and their services. Facebook is positioned well simply due to the fact they have the most users and the most data.

What does this mean for car dealers?

New mobile advertising strategies are about to hit the industry square in the head. Understand your mobile traffic activity from your analytics and be prepared for significant changes in the way your reach your customers.

Mobile conversion rates from Moolah Media from lead generation campaigns with over 100 million clicks during May & June 2012: 

Who's the reigning king of low-cost incoming sales calls? Google Adwords or the YP Local Ad Network?

A news study released shows the YP Local Ad Network came out ahead - with an average cost per call of $46 vs. Google Adwords with an average cost per call of $88. The study compared 56 different companies receiving calls from both sources. 77% said they had a lower cost per call from the YP ads. 

Jonathan Hurd, Director at Altman Vilandrie & Companiy who conducted the study said, "Advertising and search experts have theorized that location based search websites deliver better cost per call value than general search for small business but no one had ever seriously studied their value." 

Granted, this study covered several different business segments, however there are a couple of key takeaways here.

1. Are you measuring your cost per call?
2. If you're using multiple sources, are you comparing the data of each to measure their ability to lower your cost of advertising per vehicle sold?
3. Lastly, are you staying current with how consumers are searching for local businesses? Keep in mind, half of all searches now contain a location specific qualifyer within their leyword phrases. Location specific search websites such as YP are in fact being used as a viable alternative to Google and they're demonstrating considerable value when compared to Google.

Read more about the complete study here.

Who's the reigning king of low-cost incoming sales calls? Google Adwords or the YP Local Ad Network?

A news study released shows the YP Local Ad Network came out ahead - with an average cost per call of $46 vs. Google Adwords with an average cost per call of $88. The study compared 56 different companies receiving calls from both sources. 77% said they had a lower cost per call from the YP ads. 

Jonathan Hurd, Director at Altman Vilandrie & Companiy who conducted the study said, "Advertising and search experts have theorized that location based search websites deliver better cost per call value than general search for small business but no one had ever seriously studied their value." 

Granted, this study covered several different business segments, however there are a couple of key takeaways here.

1. Are you measuring your cost per call?
2. If you're using multiple sources, are you comparing the data of each to measure their ability to lower your cost of advertising per vehicle sold?
3. Lastly, are you staying current with how consumers are searching for local businesses? Keep in mind, half of all searches now contain a location specific qualifyer within their leyword phrases. Location specific search websites such as YP are in fact being used as a viable alternative to Google and they're demonstrating considerable value when compared to Google.

Read more about the complete study here.

Who doesn't love a good prediction? That is, unless you're bad at making predictions, like these two gems.

"With over 15 types of foreign cars already on sales here, the Japanese auto industry isn't likely to carve out a big share of the market for itself" - Business Week, 1968.

"Remote shopping, while entirely feasible, will flop. Because women like to get out of the house, handle merchandise & change their mind. - Time Magazine, 1966 (Completely writing off eCommerce even before it was invented)

I've always enjoyed looking ahead to try and guess the direction of things to come from technology providers and how they influence social behaviors - or even better, vice-versa.

Here's a bunch of things I've got my eye on now:

1. Tablet and smart phone traffic will swell to 30-35% of retail website traffic - prompting website providers to consider smarter mobile website solutions to respond to faltering mobile conversions.

2. The iPad Mini will create a new layer of responsive design browser solutions - a mid-level solution that combines the simplicity of a mobile website with the functionality of the full-size tablet browser into a different visual shopping experience for this segment of user.

3. #Brands - Less fragmented brands and fewer brand websites will allow brands to penetrate multiple channels and increase exposure due to hashtag usage in marcom messaging - everywhere.

4. More congruent messages - TV messages driving users to mobile activities; print connecting to social activities - more activities will push the "2-Screen Model" of advertising to connect, convert and retain customers.

5. Mobile advertising units will take on new forms - Google, Apple & facebook are in a race to create the next new method of mobile identities - included within this race is the fight for mobile advertising dollars. Billions of dollars are at stake here. Watch the mobile ads hit your facebook app soon enough.

6. Fancy will take market share from Pinterest because of it's ability to convert real sales within the site (and their app) vs. driving sales to off the site in the hopes of converting the sale. (Plus the app works so much better - (TheFancy.com)

7. HTML5 & CSS3 solutions will take deeper root - Design capabilities will continue to expand as HTML5 gets closer to becoming an accepted standard in 2014. Older out of date methodologies will go by the wayside and more beautiful approaches to design will appear & morph. (EX: Responsive designs, helpful modal popups, online magazines, CSS-only designs with rounded corners, drop shadows & custom font families)

8. Path will be acquired - possible acqui-hire as well.

9. Mobile computing power will explode and astound much quicker - quad-core processors and improved bandwidth from providers will pave the way for faster devices, 3D imaging and augmented reality solutions to be more commonplace.

10. Apps will become more beautiful, effective and simple - As smart phone adoption blows through 50% penetration, apps will become easier to use while app designers understand more about our usage and what we want. Look for more gesture control apps that are both fun and efficient. (Think more voice controls and tap, drag, flick, pinch, swipe, spread, press, double tap and less typing)

What do you see on the horizon and how will it change things?