Do you use the web to advertise or sell?

[bhoecht]

If you have a beautiful website, pictures of cars, do SEO, have a BDC/CRM solution + manager, Internet Department and have signed up with every lead provider you can follow up on effectively... you are really trying pretty hard.

Problem is you are really only using the Internet / web as an advertising medium. eBay Autos, Auto Trader... they use it for both advertising and selling.

Nothing wrong w eBay Autos + Auto Trader. Problem from a dealer's point of view is that they make a car a commodity purchase, exclude finance markup opportunity and remainder of F+I products & isn't how people buy cars in the real world / showroom (70-90% buy payment vs. pure price then arrange their own financing).

But here is the rub... Call or email for price and appointment setting processes are selling, but they don't count as using the web to sell. That is traditional selling.

If you would like to see a system dealers can use to sell to consumers and support their online advertising efforts go here:

Online Dealer Sales Demo (http://www.ai-dealer.com/Ai-Sales_Demo.html) Just follow the Begin button at the bottom of the screen.

Not much of an introduction, but I hope it sets off a lively debate about the future of dealers selling on the Internet. Is call or email for price really the best we can do?

[CarSalesGuy]

I think the problem with trying to sell solely on the Internet is that if a customer has choices of coverage, lender, etc and they can opt out with an easy un-click or click of an ellipsis would severally hurt the F&I or after market that a Dealership has the potential to sell. If you cannot assign a value or need to your product you really have no product. Just my opinion but I think the logic is a little flawed.

[bhoecht]

Perhaps.

But they can do the same in the showroom, yet 80-90% of consumers go with the convenience of single source (the dealer) because they can get everything done at once.

Perhaps the majority of consumers realize that their time is worth something to not have to go to umpteen websites, submit a gazzillion leads, arrange their own financing and try to buy accessories, extended service contracts, etc. a la carte.

Certainly the experience of consumers using the system our dealers provide (which includes financing, extended service contracts, etc.) validates that convenience sells cars.

[CarSalesGuy]

I would agree with you whole heartedly - a single source is what customers prefer and as sales would say return customers are what "makes good business". I think the future will change how we buy/sell cars but we are years from such a change.

Most buyers are tactile and do enjoy the touch, smell and feel of getting in either a used or new car (more of the later).

I also agree that the "convenience" of what most dealers provide does bring in repeat customers. Products, Services and relationships have a great way of making people repeat.

[bhoecht]

... if the capability existed...

Here's a link to the study and a recent newsletter article I wrote on it.

http://www.ai-dealer.com/1_in_5_Would_Buy_Online.html

So, as of July 2007, 20% would buy a car online if the capability existed... up from 2% in 2001.

eBay sells a car every 60 seconds.

Dealers may not be ready for transactional ecommerce using shopping carts, but consumers are ready for them to have it. Interesting times ahead!

[Fixmywindshield.com]

I sell auto glass online, I did adwords, but I found that my competiors were just clicking on me to waste my money, I have invested my time and efforts into getting my web site to a top page rank on google, which I am sure if your selling automobiles in a specific market, it would be profitable to be top rank on google for lets say "used cars phoenix" just a thought, I am p1 on google for auto glass detriot.


Larry Diesbach
Spokes Person
www.fixmywindshield.com