AdAgencyOnline.Net

Philip Zelinger, the President of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and the host of the automotive advertising resource / networking portal http://AdAgencyOnline.Net, has scheduled a follow up interview on his blog talk radio show with three principals from eVBDS, (Electric Vehicle Business Development Strategies), — George Stellweg, Forest Williams and Carlos De La Guardia.  The trio of auto industry, government and technology insiders will be discussing the introduction of their game changing electric vehicle charging solution in advance of the upcoming 10th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition at The Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando Florida April 19th – 21st., 2011.  The show hosted by Philip — Lunch With Phil Discussing Automotive Advertising —  will air Monday, April 11th., 2011 from 12 Noon EST to 12:30 PM EST on  WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time hosted by Ad Agency Online.

Electric vehicles will surface many challenges and opportunities for auto dealers, some are known but many more are yet to be discovered.  Philip recognized the unique opportunities being presented by eVBDS that would benefit his affiliated automotive advertising agencies and auto dealer/vendor clients. “I have always valued people over even product and price.  Before I decided to invest my reputation and valued relationships earned over my 35 year career in the auto industry as both a dealer and now as a consultant by recommending eVBDS, I included their partnered relationships as part of my due diligence.”

eVBDS together with Eaton Corporation – a leader in electric power management for over a century with $13B in total revenues – will introduce a line of electric vehicle chargers that permits consumers to charge their EVs at home safely and significantly faster than conventional “trickle” charging. Eaton’s Pow-R-Station will also serve as the controller for the emerging home energy generation and storage systems of the future. eVBDS is creating a channel to allow dealers to enjoy the profits of selling a charger at the dealer level vs. deferring it to the OEM sponsored channels…and later to participate in their customers’ future in-home energy management  needs.”

The factories have functionally bypassed the auto dealers with direct relationships with vendors such as Aerovironment for the Nissan Leaf and SPX for the Chevy Volt.  They are even encouraging customers to contact these vendors directly to purchase their chargers and arrange for installation. The goal of eVBDS is to provide a world class EV charging product that will be sold exclusively thru dealerships’ F&I department. The initial EV buyer is likely to be affluent and will want to leave the dealership with a complete solution.  They will be equally attracted to the ability to add the charger and installation to the vehicle loan package with much more attractive interest rates.

Over the next several years more consumers will want to add home storage batteries to take advantage of the low energy costs that will be offered at off peak hours. In addition, many will also decide to add their own electricity generation capability via solar, wind or even the Bloom Box that can generate electricity fueled by natural gas or propane. Their line of EV chargers are designed to manage these generation and storage processes for the homeowner. In fact, as dealers see service revenues dip due to the lower maintenance requirements of EVs they will be motivated to take advantage of these natural “add on” sales, perhaps leading to new business opportunities.

Many auto industry analysts believe that the EV is going to have the same impact on the power grid that the personal computer had on computing. It will accelerate the move towards decentralized power generation and storage the same way that the PC ended the dominance of the mainframe computer.” 

Philip Zelinger shares the vision of eVBDS  and their ability to help shape a developing opportunity in the retail auto industry.  “The bottom line is that EV vehicles will impact the dealers bottom line before, during and after the sale.  eVBDS is focused on keeping the auto dealer in the mix!  Anything that makes auto dealers money is part of the newly assigned areas of responsibility for today’s full service automotive advertising agency.  Based on my past dealings with one of the principals at eVBDS and my ongoing due diligence regarding their business model I see them as a valuable potential partner.”

“One of the founding partners, Carlos De La Guardia, brings a wealth of knowledge regarding the politics that both help and hurt any new industry.  Couple his knowledge of the beltway with the retail auto experience of another principal, George Stellweg supported by the tech savvy business development experience of their other partner, Forest William and my decision to promote them and theirs to me and mine became self evident.”

“My updated live review of eVBDS on my show scheduled for April 11th. will also be sent out as a podcast to a targeted audience of automotive advertising agencies and service providers allowing me to listen and learn from literally thousands of auto dealers and auto industry decision makers before I presume to teach.  My plan is to get their feedback and support to help us launch this new revenue stream for auto dealers who are struggling to make more with less in our consolidating industry.  After all, what are friends for!”

About George Stellweg

George Stellweg has over 20 years of experience as a business leader, entrepreneur and senior executive in leadership positions successfully establishing new businesses, managing and implementing executive, sales, and business development teams in enterprises worldwide.

George was born in Mexico City of Dutch heritage and educated in North America and Europe. This background along with his exemplary service and business experiences internationally contributes to his extensive multi-cultural global knowledge in business and life.

He is currently the Founder and Managing Partner of Green Automotive Inc, Latin American Consulting, Inc, KSD & Co, LLC, and Electric Vehicle Business Development Strategies, LLC.

About Forest Williams

Forest Williams has been in technology sales and new business development for almost 30 years. A graduate of West Point, he served as a KC-135 pilot in the Air Force refueling the SR-71 spy plane, still the fastest aircraft in the world.

After leaving the service in the early eighties Forest went to work for National Semiconductor as a Strategic Account Manager in Southern California. He left National in 2001 to found CarLocate, a GPS vehicle tracking company that was the launch partner for Trimble Navigation’s TrimTrac, the industry’s first portable GPS tracking device.

Over the past several years Forest has become increasingly involved in the development of electric vehicles and the charging station infrastructure that is an important component for the success of EVs in the marketplace. He is currently a Founder & Managing Partner and VP of Sales and Marketing for Electric Vehicle Business Development Strategies, LLC, or eVBDS, which is introducing a line of home EV chargers that will also manage the energy generation and storage products many consumers are adding to their homes.

About Carlos R. De La Guardia

Carlos R. De La Guardia is Founder and Managing Partner in Electric Vehicle Development Strategies, LLC (eVBDS), Latin American Consulting, Inc, KSD & Co, LLC and the President of The De La Guardia Group; an international marketing and business consulting firm that advises the government in the development and implementation of new technology strategies in the public sector. He has developed a close relationship based on credibility and positive results with high ranking members of the government administration.

In April 2004 Mr. De La Guardia was appointed Chargé d’ Affaires until the new ambassador arrived after the administrations changed in Panama. In October of the same year he coordinated the transition team at the embassy and went back to his private consulting business; this time creating The De La Guardia Group, an international business and political strategy consulting firm based in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, where he resides with his wife Laura.

He became a diplomat when he was appointed Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Panama in Washington, DC, the United States of America in November 2002. He was also Minister Counselor to the President in US-Panama affairs. Mr. De La Guardia’s role in Washington, DC was instrumental in the initial conversations between the two nations to have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He also played a key role in all the arrangements for the official presidential visit of President Mireya Moscoso to the White House in June 2003.

About Philip Zelinger

Philip Zelinger is the President of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and host of a nationally respected automotive advertising social networking portal, AdAgencyOnline.Net.  Philip invested 25 years as a General Manager and Dealer Principal followed by his last ten years in the automotive advertising industry representing auto dealers and technology vendors focused on the auto industry.

His role as a “Dealer Coach” is enhanced by his hosting a nationally recognized blog talk radio station – WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time.  As the author of two books on the auto industry, including “How To Sell A Car – a Career Guide to The Automobile Industry,” he is a recognized authority on market trends and developing technologies with the responsibility of selecting key vendors and applications for his dealer clients as well as forming strategic partnerships for his vendor clients to leverage their shared resources to help them bring their products and services to market.

About AdAgencyOnline.Net and Ad Agency Online, L.L.C.

AdAgencyOnline.Net reviews automotive advertising vendors and new technologies on several blog talk radio shows including Lunch With Phil Discussing Automotive Advertising, Auto Industry Insiders and  their most listened to program Automotive Advertising Experts.  The shows attract automotive advertising agencies, auto dealers, auto industry vendors and O.E.M. representatives that listen to the blog talk radio station WAAOL to find vendors, applications and technologies to maximize the R.O.I. for their automotive advertising dollars.

AAOL is a national network of independent affiliated automotive advertising agencies linked by an online communication / distribution system developed by Philip Zelinger.  The proprietary operating system that powers AAOL was designed to reduce fixed and semi-variable expenses for full service automotive advertising agencies.  The developing technologies that enhanced the performance of the independent automotive advertising agencies linked by AAOL has served as the role model for the solutions suggested on AdAgencyOnline.Net and represented by AAOL to their affiliated automotive advertising agencies when serving their auto dealer clients.

Ad Agency Online L.L.C is focused on discovering and representing new automotive advertising vendors and technologies not yet recognized by the mainstream automotive advertising industry. Automotive advertising vendors represented by AAOL include; ronsmap.com, DealerMouth, TeleTextSolutions, GetAutoAppraise, Argistics – AutoTransaXion, DealMaker.Com, CityTwist.Com, Bulldog Marketing Technologies, Kihon Media, CarFolks.Com, Ai Dealer, Laser Stream Video, SiSTeR Technologies – Video CarLot and IntellaCar; to name a few.

For more information on Philip Zelinger, Ad Agency Online, L.L.C., eVBDS or any of the vendor clients represented by Ad Agency Online contact Philip at 888-796-2228 or email him at pzads@bellsouth.net.  Automotive advertising vendors, automotive advertising agencies and auto dealers that would like to be considered as a “preferred automotive advertising vendor” on AdAgencyOnline.Net and/or to hire/join Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. to represent them can contact Philip Zelinger at http://adagencyonline.net.  To quote Philip Zelinger, “Help is only a click away!  After all, what are friends for!” ###

Philip Zelinger, the President of Ad Agency Online L.L.C. and host of an automotive advertising resource portal http://AdAgencyOnline.Net, reviewed a new auto industry social networking club organized by Ken Gibson, the Automotive Digital Mastery Club.  The pair of auto industry experts shared their visions for the growing role of social networking for automotive advertising agencies while discussing the new online community on the blog talk radio show Auto Industry Insiders featured on AdAgencyOnline.Net.  The show aired on Thursday, March 10th, 2011.

Philip has agreed to support the new online resource community by contributing as a Subject Matter Expert, (SME), specializing in Technology Integration and Vendor Negotiations.  A number of equally respected auto and automotive advertising industry consultants were mentioned as potential qualified contributors, however, Philip was quick to point out that formal invitations have yet to be delivered or accepted. 

“Professionals like Ralph Paglia, Brian Pasch, Jared Hamilton, Chris Saraceno, Keith Whann, Scott Monty and Jody Devere have already invested their time to develop and support their own online networking communities.  Each of these official Auto Industry Insiders have proven their support of sharing best practices by linking to our Network Of Networkers.  I am confident that they would see the value in any additional efforts to educate our shared online friends.  However, individual obligations, personal agendas or potential conflicts of interest might preclude them from participating in the Automotive Digital Mastery Club.  Similarly, consultants referenced during the show like Joe Webb, Mark Dubis, Gary May and others are under no obligation to join or support Ken’s new online community. The on air discussion with Ken introducing his new forum was intended to surface the shared opportunity for their consideration and to hold them up as shining examples of the quality of the professionals that Ken hopes to attract.  After all, what are friends for!”    

ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE DIGITAL MASTERY CLUB

The Premier Exclusive group of the best and brightest in automotive digital marketing. Membership by invitation or referral only.

Every industry has its leaders, movers and shakers, and subject matter experts. We have created this club to bring together three groups of people: subject matter experts who are the best in the world at what they do; top auto dealers and dealership groups who are the best and want to stay on top by getting better at digital marketing; and top industry sponsors who support this effort and play a key role in advancing digital solutions.

HOW THE CLUB WORKS

Subject matter experts  (SME’s) are already recognized innovators and leaders in helping dealerships understand and capitalize on internet-related solutions. They are actively involved on a regular basis in the field, relentlessly driving for improved results as they work with Dealer Principals, General Managers, and Internet Sales Managers.

This group of SME’s provide exclusive content to Members via webinars, best practices, whitepapers, case studies, and resource material that is not readily available anywhere else. Every member has access to this collection of material created by the best brains and experience in the industry. Members also have access to each of these SME’s on a private basis (fee paid separately).Sponsors support the work of the club by financial contribution, to maintain the site, publish the content, and facilitate communication among the SME’s, Members, and Sponsors. Sponsors may be suppliers, vendors, consultants trade groups, publications or associations.

ABOUT KEN GIBSON

The Automotive Digital Mastery Club is the brainchild of Ken Gibson, a veteran consultant and trainer since 1974. Ken serves as Founder and Director of the Club, and oversees all operations. Ken is the Founder and President of Gibson Internet Marketing Consultants.

With over 15 years of digital marketing experience in several industries, and 7 years of automotive digital marketing consulting and training, Ken is unique in assembling the resources the industry needs to prosper in the new media age and the New Economy.

Ken has been the Chief Internet Consultant and Trainer for the Colorado Independent Auto Dealers Assn, developed their education and training programs, and trained over 100 dealers on internet marketing. Ken is a national speaker, and last year spoke at NIADA, Digital Dealer Conference, and several local and state associations.

Ken can be reached at kg@automotivedigitalmastery.com – http://automotivedigitalmastery.com 

About Philip Zelinger Read the rest of this entry »

Automotive advertising agencies gather online at AdAgencyOnline.Net to listen and learn from automotive advertising insiders who host a blog talk radio station — WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time.  These automotive advertising experts will be discussing The Art Of The Deal In Vendor Negotiations on Monday, March 07th. 2011 at 12:00 Noon EST.  The show will focus on best practices for automotive advertising vendors who are actively negotiating software consolidations in the technology sector; but not for the same reason as the consolidation in the retail auto industry. 

Newly forming technology platforms link complementary applications into more comprehensive sales and service process.  Small independent vendors are partnering with other best in class vendors to leverage their proprietary software and processes allowing them to provide superior products and services than they could individually. Applications that integrate sales and service processes online with the auto dealership to enhance the customer experience are shaping the future of the automotive advertising industry and the retail auto industry that they serve.

Philip Zelinger, the President of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and the moderator of the Lunch With Phil Discussing Automotive Advertising blog talk radio show, shared his own best practices with his affiliated automotive advertising agencies.  “I have a self delegated role in my company to find and review cutting edge automotive advertising applications provided by best in class vendors.  I prioritize people over product or price when evaluating a solution because support services after the sale and the ability to act vs. react to the changes that will shape our shared futures depend on them.”

“My policy to only do business with friends has served as the foundation for my advice to vendor clients who are seeking partners and/or investors to expand their business.  Men make deals, attorneys break them and human nature controls them all.  Relationships change and any partnership must be built on a common understanding of our individual needs.  Communicating and recording those needs in the formative stages of the partnership in an objective manner is the art of the deal in vendor negotiations.  If I negotiate to protect your needs and you focus on defending mine our partnership will last.  If our agendas are purely self serving any meeting of the minds will have to reflect that and that is no way to start a relationship!”

Specific subjects that will be discussed during the show will include:

• Evaluating market demand to build an accurate pro-forma
• Establishing brand identity and barriers to entry
• How to pick a partner
• Preparing a Memorandum Of Understanding, (MOU), and a Letter Of Intent, (LOI)
• Monetizing applications
• Building a sales channel

About Philip Zelinger

Philip Zelinger is the President of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and host of a nationally respected automotive advertising social networking portal, AdAgencyOnline.Net.  Philip invested 25 years as a General Manager and Dealer Principal followed by his last ten years in the automotive advertising industry representing auto dealers and technology vendors focused on the automotive advertising industry.

His role as a “Dealer Coach” is enhanced by his hosting a nationally recognized blog talk radio station – WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time.  As the author of two books on the auto industry, including “How To Sell A Car – a Career Guide to The Automobile Industry,” he is a recognized authority on market trends and developing technologies with the responsibility of selecting key vendors and applications for his dealer clients as well as forming strategic partnerships for his vendor clients to leverage their shared resources to help them bring their products and services to market. Read the rest of this entry »

Philip Zelinger, the President of Ad Agency Online, L.L.C. and the host of the nationally recognized automotive advertising resource / networking portal AdAgencyOnline.Net, announced that he will be reviewing myNegotiation.com on his Lunch With Phil Discussing Automotive Advertising blog talk radio show scheduled for Wednesday, March 02nd. 2011.  Philip will be interviewing two of the founding partners of myNegotiation.com, Gerry Booth and Greg Wayer, in an open forum with his online audience of automotive advertising decision makers who will be invited to call in questions about this new online conversion tool.  

Philip explained his process for reviewing vendors and software applications for his affiliated automotive advertising agencies and his reasons for considering myNegotiation.com as a preferred automotive advertising vendor on AdAgencyOnline.Net. ” I have a self delegated role in my organization to review solutions that integrate sales and service processes in the real and virtual showrooms that we promote for our auto dealer clients. Today’s empowered internet customers demand transparency during their online shopping experience. myNegotiation.com offers the opportunity for shoppers to negotiate online in relative anonymity with a promise to provide the hosting auto dealer better leads and more ready to buy customers.”

“Online transactions are becoming a reality and applications that provide customers the information that they need to make a buying decision are critical to that process.  The efficiencies and increased profit margins offered to dealers able to consummate a sale online are obvious but there are still a few missing links.  I see myNegotiation.com as a piece of the puzzle for the long term and a valuable qualified lead source in the short term.  Auto dealers are challenged to sell more with less.  Less staff, less budgets and less time to capture an online customer’s attention suggest that the more information that a customer can get online will demand less time from the dealer to earn their business.”   

About Gerry Booth

Gerry has 30 years of experience converting inefficient manual processes into optimized online solutions. His first career was as a Air Engineering Officer in the UK Royal Navy where he was the lead design engineer on the transfer of paper based supply-chain, maintenance scheduling and maintenance recording processes to a centralized computer based solution. Since leaving the Royal Navy and moving to the US, Gerry has led the design and implementation of a number of DOD, Airline Industry and Automotive solutions including direct to consumer finance automation and integration of DealerTrack and RouteOne as VP of eBusiness for HSBC Auto Finance. Gerry is now a founding member and lead design engineer of mynegotiation.com - an online solution for auto dealers that generates new high quality leads from a dealers existing website to deliver more Ready To Buy customers to the dealership. gerry.booth@mynegotiation.com

About Greg Wayer

Greg has 15+ years of experience in the financial industry, working as an executive for Wells Fargo Bank, Countrywide Bank, and JP Morgan Chase Bank. Greg was a founding member of instavin.com, a vehicle history service providing the most comprehensive, up-to-date data at a fraction of the cost of a CARFAX report. instaVIN™ vehicle history service includes real-time Government Title and Brand data through a partnership with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System. (NMTVIS) He is also a founding member of mynegotiation.com, an online solution for auto dealers that generates new high quality leads from a dealers existing website to deliver more ”Ready To Buy” customers to the dealership. Greg is leading the sales and marketing efforts for both of the start up companies. He has an Industrial Management/Industrial Engineering degree from Purdue University. greg.wayer@mynegotiation.com

About MyNegotiation.com

MyNegotiation.com is a patent pending software-as-a-service solution for dealers in the sale of new and used motor vehicles including; automobiles, truck, RV’s, motorcycles, boats and powersports. MyNegotiation.com provides dealers with an online solution to increase leads and negotiate directly with buyers providing an integrated dashboard for both the dealer and buyer.

MyNegotiation.com (www.mynegotiation.com) is the next generation of software-as-a-service online negotiation application for auto dealers. Dealers can expect to receive a 500% increase in firm offers from their existing website traffic to drive incremental sales through internet negotiations. Dealers simply sign up and place the MyNegotiation icon on their website listings, inviting shoppers to negotiate vehicle sales price and trade-in values online. MyNegotiation works with both new and used vehicles and integration with any dealer website is turnkey and simple.

“In the few months that we have been using it, we have sold 15 more cars than then we would have without this solution”

The patent-pending MyNegotiation.com application allows consumers to negotiate the vehicle transaction online through their own secure portal. It builds consumer confidence by capturing and tracking their communication and prices with the dealer throughout the process. Similarly, MyNegotiation provides dealers a simple yet sophisticated online dashboard, tracking each negotiation by customer and by vehicle. At the end of the process, the consumer prints out a non-binding deal certificate that documents their negotiated purchase price and trade-in value, which they can then bring into the dealership ready to sign the paperwork. This no risk, no hassle approach brings new customers into the buying process.

MyNegotiation.com was developed with dealers in mind who need to generate more leads, convert more online shoppers and extend their marketing reach to a broader market, and was designed to attract and engage the Facebook generation that do everything online and expect a true online process when negotiating the purchase of a vehicle.  With expanding dealer territories, leaner sales staffs and more online research behind the every vehicle purchase, it is critical for dealers to capture greater market share through a better communication solution.

MyNegotiation.com was test marketed with numerous dealers such as Toyota South in Richmond, Kentucky (www.toyotasouth.com) in the latter half of 2010. “In the few months that we have been using it, we have sold 15 more cars than then we would have without this solution,” said Dean Sullivan, Internet Director for Toyota South. “Our customers love it and it more than pays for itself. The ROI is outstanding.”

Additionally, MyNegotiation can be integrated into the dealer’s CRM systems, and leads from other sources, such as cars.com or autotrader.com, can be configured to trigger an automated real-time customer invitation to negotiate online as one of their available options to interact with the dealer. Read the rest of this entry »

According to Philip Zelinger, the President of a national network of independent affiliated automotive advertising agencies – Ad Agency Online, L.L.C.– and the host of AdAgencyOnline.Net and their featured blog talk radio station – WAAOL, All Automotive Advertising News All The Time, automotive advertising agencies must re-evaluate who they actually work for.  Of course their auto dealer clients sign their pay checks but in today’s pull/push Internet market the customer is driving the deals on the Internet Super Highway.

Consumers prefer to go to the Internet to shop for a vehicle to get information to make a buying decision without having to visit a dealership.  Sometimes they turn to the World Wide Web vs. their local car row to avoid being pressured by a self serving car salesperson — real or imagined. Other times their objective may be to save gas and time before they jump into the real world where they may be pressured into making a premature buying decision based on emotion and limited information. Frankly, in many cases, they are right; can you say — spot delivery.

Job one for search engines, like Google, is to provide relevant information to their online customers to help them narrow down their list of vehicles of interest and answer associated questions like trade-in value, payment options and the many items that must be addressed before they can select — the — vehicle vs. — a — vehicle.   Once those issues are resolved, they need to help their online shoppers find an auto dealer that can provide a vehicle that best satisfies those terms and conditions; in that order — vehicle first and dealer second. My point is that when Google first directs their customers to the most relevant source for their desired information it is not necessarily limited to a particular dealership.  Today’s car shoppers are much better educated than yesterday’s. They know what questions they need to ask before they can make a buying decision so their online search words are more able to target vehicles that warrant their consideration rather than limiting their search to their local car dealerships.  For better or worse, auto dealers can’t put that horse back in the barn!  

The adversarial relationship between consumers and auto dealers that governed old world selling processes originated in the real world to help auto dealers control the shopping and negotiation process and they survived briefly on the virtual showrooms being built one on the Internet, but — today and tomorrow — not so much!  Once auto dealer’s realized — or more correctly — once customers told auto dealers that they no longer controlled the access to the information that they needed to purchase a vehicle the dealers tried to control the information on the Internet; how is that working out for auto dealers!

Automotive advertising agencies first assumed that S.E.O. and S.E.M. was a way to put Google on the auto dealer’s side of the Internet Super Highway.  If they placed the right search words, meta tags, URL names — and the various manipulations of the Google search algorithms that automotive advertising agencies have memorized as fast as Google changes them — then they could manipulate the search results to place their auto dealer clients as the most relevant source for the information that customers were searching for and earn the auto dealers a position on the car shoppers short list.  Given the vertical priority placed by Google to position a listing on page one based on relevancy to their customers search words or phrases, that technique certainly has value. However, since customers are prioritizing finding a vehicle before a dealer and/or to answer related questions before they open negotiations on a specific vehicle at a particular auto dealer, auto dealers that base their online marketing efforts to accomplish that priority are positioning themselves mid-sales cycle and they may be a day late and a dollar short for a large portion of today’s and tomorrow’s shoppers/buyers.

Automotive advertising agencies have attempted to answer customer’s questions on their auto dealership’ websites in an attempt to earn them a top position on vehicle based searches. Their assumption is that the more information the better — as long as it is relevant — however, once at the auto dealer’s site the more accurate priority is “transparency!”  More time on page, and more page visits used to be considered a good thing but today, once again — not so much!  The easier and faster the online car shopper can find the specific information that they need to make a buying decision the better! Site designs are being simplified with more intuitive user interface and dedicated landing pages or linked micro sites to allow customers to limit the amount of “clicks” or wasted exposure to information that may be relevant to the dealer but not necessarily to the customer; at that time in their shopping cycle at least.

Once the shopper actually ventures onto an online showroom the plan is to keep them there by providing direct or linked access to anything that they need to move themselves further down the sales/buying funnel. The dealer may see these information resources as a conversion tool or a lead generator but if they lose track of the truth — that the customer is still in charge — they risk losing them with the click of a mouse. Sorry, but throwing their trade-in keys onto the roof won’t work in your virtual showrooms!

The solution is for auto dealers to listen and learn from their online customers before they presume to sell them anything!  Human nature has survived on the World Wide Web and relationship based selling still has a strong influence on consumers. Today’s online shoppers are being directed by Google and the other search engines to social networking sites because the marketplace is a conversation and people are social animals. Auto dealers who want to attract customers with a message that they are the best source for information to serve the customer’s interest vs. their own are better served to have their customers make that case for them.

Next generation inventory based search portals — like ronsmap.com — accept an auto dealer’s inventory for free with the ability to push their vehicles into social media using their vBack application to Ask-A-Friend or Tell-A-Friend about the vehicle — and the dealer –that they are considering within their social networking communities of online friends. Google has already admitted that they are prioritizing real time social media to establish relevancy, and automotive advertising agencies already know that more vehicles on a site provide more relevancy to more online car shoppers. As a result, they have found that the way to attract more online customers to find their auto dealership as the place to go to get all of their questions answered will be the message that is carried along with their individual vehicles listed on this communal consumer-centric site; which is what the customers are looking for to begin developing their shortlist of dealers to do business with!

Customer friendly applications that distribute the information on an auto dealer’s individual website which have the secondary value of functioning as a conversion tool or lead generator are also key differentiators that quickly build branding value for an auto dealer’s virtual showroom and enhance their online reputation as the place to go to get customer’s questions answered vs. their being sold something.  For example, GetAutoAppraise.Com is a next generation appraisal tool that provides credible third party trade-in values sourced through NADA with integrated inventory information that allows the customer to review the entire transaction more efficiently. Their trade-in appraisal form includes vehicle, price and payment information to and from both parties to the transaction in one easy transparent and customer friendly process.  

Video platforms, like SiSTeR Technologies Video CarLot, is another transparent Google friendly application that converts pictures on an auto dealer’s website into interactive videos with human voice that are also pushed out onto the World Wide Web through their dedicated API to You Tube and soon to be announced applications that push their vShock platform onto social networking communities like Face Book. Their proprietary video platform is fully index able for the search engines and it provides relevant information to the customer from within the video as well as direct links through their vShock application that opens a dedicated micro site with similar vehicles chosen from the dealer’s inventory using algorithms and business rules custom designed by the dealer to improve the customers vehicle selection. This process is another example of a customer friendly information delivery system that will improve transparency for the customer once they find an online dealership which will also extend the auto dealers S.E.O..

The point is, the more information that an automotive advertising agency provides through their auto dealer client’s websites in the most relevant and transparent manner the better.  However, auto dealers need to get online car shoppers to find and visit their virtual showrooms first, and since information is a key differentiator between them and their online competition — or according to Google and online shoppers, it should be – then the information alone won’t make it! Automotive advertising agencies must focus on consumers’ interests in order to best serve their auto dealer clients because Google does; and Google does it because their customers demand it!