Many organizations rely on social media and social networking as extentions of their store fronts and for internal communication with customers and emplyoees.  While many of the internal safeguards put into place for "controlled" environments do not exist in the wild west of online networking or in the arena of "user generated content".

To often we as users of online communication channels don't really think about the impact of our online behavior until it is too late.  Even if we had well being intentions.  The blogosphere in our industry seems to raise dander when issues are addressed as it relates to online behavior or reviews of products that serve the dealer community. 

While there is not a hard fast set of rules to live by there are many suggestions that will make the networking environments more enjoyable and fullfilling for all:

Here is a list I have compliled for you.

• Follow the House Rules - Every networking platfom has terms of service and guidlines.  Before you engage the community make sure you understand them.
• Lurk before you leap - Observe the conversation that is going on inside of a community before you jump in.  Make sure your contribution add to the conversation.
• Be a human being - Be you and dont hide behind mask.  Use your picture in your profile not a corporate branding image or pictures of your kids or pets.  Be real, be you.  Let your contributions reflect who you are.
• Commit to the conversation - Don't stop listening just because you are busy. Don't stop participating because you don't agree with someone. Relationships are not built in a day, be in it for the long haul and we will all reap the benefits as an industry.
• Don't send abussive, obsessive or blatantly self promotional messages - Also don't share confidential membership list with anyone, unless thos on the list explicitaly agreed for you to do so.
• Be professional in all of your interactions - Maintain boundries between your personal and professional life virtually, just as you would face to face.
• Don't Shock the system - Lasting change only comes in baby steps.
• Be smart. - Think before you speak, there are some conversations which have no benefit other than to reinforce stereotypes or create negative situations.
• Make connection when there is a good reason, not randomly - Most communities will allow you to announce your presense mention your background and experiences.  However don't join a community just to build your roledex of prospects.  If you don't have a valid reson for connecting don't do it.
• Know when to drop it - Some topics will only only result in problems when you discuss them.  You can talk about anything you want in your space but don't push controversy into someone else's.  At the same time if somethng that concerns you goes viral then people are watching your space too.

While this is not a hard fast set of guidlines it is just what I feel is a good starting point.  Please take time to add to this discussion and give your veiws too.  We are conting on it!!

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Today I had a conversation with one of my dear friends, who works for a website vendor, and we talked about one of their new products. The topic of conversion ratio vs traffic came up. I was discussing with him how the title tags that the sites were using may actually be counterproductive to traffic and his reply floored me.

Paul, while what we do is to increase traffic we also have to keep conversion ratios in mind. Based on pitches they have received from other vendors in the marketplace, dealers do not understand that a high bounce rate may not be a site issue as much their location in relationship to the actual website visitor.

As an Internet Sales Manager who's income was tied directly to leads, conversions, in precisely measured results, sales, I understood the problem. Tons of traffic that did not convert did not benefit me, however it did benefit the over all branding for the store. Let's use a mathmatical approach to this problem.

• 1000 Site visitors x 20% Conversion Ratio = 200 leads
• 2000 site visitors x 10% Conversion Ratio = 200 leads

Same results on two times the traffic. If I bought this traffic I would not be happy as it has not directly benefited me and my department, however it would of been charged to my budget. While at the same time providing two times the number of "impressions", for you old school dogs substitute radio cumes or drivebys. While an SEO program is in reality a form of buying traffic it is completely different then SEM, where impression count does make sense. Out of market area traffic on a SEO basis is incremental business and traffic thus pushing down conversion ratio, but at the same time increasing consumers awareness that you are available for them. The real problem lies in measuring your "true" conversion ratio. On the lot visitors may not even mention that they saw a website or advertisement but remember the radio commercial, not using tracking numbers in all forms of advertising online and off does not give you a gauge of the effectiveness and a form submission or call from your website is not the only tracking metric to gauge its effectiveness!! As an ISM I used tracking numbers for every piece of online presentation made. From the website, directory submissions and even google maps. It allowed me to control any conversation that was started via the Internet. Unless you are taking this kind of disciplined approach how can you really measure conversion ratio? Maybe some of those impressions are still paying off even if they did not convert the first time they hit the site. Long term, traffic is still supreme especially when the ultimate "conversion" is a delivered unit that cannot be delivered completely online. What is your take?