Articles for Internet Dealer Stories
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Riding out the rough waves of the economy hasn’t been a breeze for anyone, but Phil Smith Acura in Pompano Beach, Fla., seems to be weathering the storm quite nicely. The store, which has been a part of Phil Smith Automotive Group for three years, focuses intently on attracting and engaging customers online.
Friday, October 09, 2009
“It was one of those middle-of-the-night ideas,” said Amy Schlueter, vice president of Schlueter Automotive Group in Waterloo, Ontario, referring to their innovative new campaign, the Twitter Test Drive.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Nearly every dealership these days seems to have some kind of online presence, although to varying degrees. Some have just a Web site, while others have a Web site and listings on sites like AutoTrader.com or cars.com.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Almost a decade ago, the owners of Gentilini Motors in Woodbine, N.J., began to notice traditional advertising trailing off and the Internet catching on. “The Internet was becoming more of a craze. It was becoming more prevalent in everybody’s household,” said Paul Gentilini, co-owner. In 2000, Gentilini Motors’ focus shifted to building an online presence ...
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The last month the store topped 600 was September 2008. Its three-month average for December ‘08, January ‘09 and February ‘09 was about 350 units per month, and while those three months are typically the slowest months of the year at Toyota Sunnyvale, Scott Pettitt, direct sales director, said the dip in sales was also partially due to market conditions. The direct sales department, which is similar to an
Monday, July 13, 2009
When he was growing up, Matthew Haiken had no doubt about the career he wanted to pursue. “I wanted to be a car dealer from a very young age … I love the business, every aspect of it. I love the competitiveness, the entrepreneurial spirit,” he said. In fact, he started attending 20 group meetings at the age of 16. “I loved being around car dealers; to me they were ...
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Internet can be incredibly rewarding with proper nurturing and commitment, and Anthony Bartoli, Internet director and sales manager at Behlmann Pontiac Buick GMC, treats the Internet department like a child—a method that has proved successful at more than one dealership in St. Louis, Mo.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Kimberly Long - Mountain View has been steadily working toward a stronger online presence for several years, striving to mold efforts into what Erwin described as “a full-fledged, go-after-it, no-holds-barred concept of e-commerce.” That concept has developed into a ...
Thursday, July 03, 2008
John Carroll - These days, just about everyone working for Granger Motors in tiny Granger, Iowa, has almost universal access to the Web. Anyone responding to a vehicle on the Web page is ringing right into the mobile number of the Web sales manager...
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Jennifer Rincon - Before the Web site or even the sales process could be modified, Bell, at Hagar’s urging, decided to clean house. His first instinct was to gather all the third-party leads and the handfuls of phone numbers, and unify all...
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Daymond Decker - According to statistics provided by Honda, 80 percent of typical Honda buyers first turn to the Internet to conduct online research...
Friday, December 14, 2007
Daymond Decker - With an effective digital marketing strategy, complete with the right technology, tools and extensive training, McDaniel and the BDC department at Kerry Toyota are giving the competition a run for their money...
Friday, November 30, 2007
Jennifer Murphy - Bill Finocchiaro, president of Peruzzi Toyota in Hatfield, Pa., has been experiencing online success since he expanded his Internet department and adopted new processes for the department. “I knew there was more out there;
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Jennifer Rincon - In the last decade, the Earnhardt Auto Group based in Chandler, Ariz. has grown from three franchises to 11 across Arizona and Texas. Around 1994, the first Earnhardt Web site was created...
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Daymond Decker - To gain the systematic processes and controls necessary to operate effectively and efficiently, David Taylor contracted with a technology consultant with automotive digital marketing credentials and proven results...
Saturday, June 23, 2007
John Zieglar - Based on statistics of online searches by car buying shoppers, Courtesy Chevrolet decided to allocate the majority of its SEM budget to using online Google “Sponsored Link” ads to drive car buyers to its sites...
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
John Carroll - In February, eBay Motors announced that it’s taking their online auto auction to the next level, with plans to roll out a new service called the Local Market that will let dealers post all of their used vehicles online for a...
Friday, April 13, 2007
John Zieglar - Frank Myers Auto Maxx is well known in the Triad region of North Carolina for their zany TV personalities like “Uncle Frank,” “Mr. Poot,” “Ching A. Ling,” and “Frankie Cutlass.”...
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Walter Trusdell - Things like pay-per-click, search engine optimization, organic searches, flash media, blogging, black list and more held no meaning in our dealership...
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Karen Steckler - From the first contact that they make with the customer to gathering a name from an Internet lead, customer service is always a priority for Jones.