Dealerfire Blog

Overlooking the Easy Ones...

I'm often asked by clients to eternal question, "How do I drive more traffic to my website?". Now as a Internet Services vendor you might think my first response would be "Spend more money on you Internet marketing, I'll fax over a contract for you ASAP." but it is not, that's the second answer. The first one is that they not forget their traditional TV/Radio/Print advertising and how it affects consumers. Make sure that your website address is prominently displayed in your print/TV ads and is well mentioned in your radio. Most people are NOT going to see/hear these ads and go directly to your showroom in person. That was the old way, 80% of new car shoppers and almost as many used car shoppers start their search for a vehicle on the Internet. Your traditional advertising gives you the opportunity to "plant" in the consumers mind the information they need to find your website. Visiting your website could be the call to action of your traditional ads, "Visit dealerwebsite.com now and search all our inventory from the comfort of your home. You can request quotes, schedule test drives and research price, all at dealerwebsite.com Etc....". It's what Auto Trader, Car Soup and the like do. Once you've got that in place, then we'll fax over the contract for more Internet marketing to scoop all the extra traffic.

Is 2008 a Leap Year?

Not the kind of leap year that adds more days but the kind of where dealers leap over their 2 year lag in technology. Does Internet marketing in all is forms finally get some R-E-S-P-E-C-T from dealers in 2008?  Will they finally let Internet marketing have a seat at the table with TV/Print/Radio and not a small chair that makes it seem shorter than everyone but a real "big boy" chair. "Model Year Close-out" and "Summer Sales Drive" should be more than a small image that the dealer requests be added to their website two days before the event is over. Lets hope that this is the year they catch up, because you now what's just around the corner? Mobile, that's what...