August 2011 Bob Glasser Dino Flora Advertising: BOB QR Codes are Here to Stay GLASSER page 8 Internet Manager 11th Digital Dealer Conference & DINO Exposition: SNEAK PREVIEW: “Your Best Bet For Success!” FLORA page 12 Support Services Manager JM Lexus page 20 TABLE OF CONTENTS AUGUST 2011 PRESIDENT AND CEO MICHAEL ROSCOE FEATURES PUBLISHER GREG NOONAN Digital Dealer Cover Story 607-264-3359 20 Bob Glasser, Internet Manager [email protected] Dino Flora, Support Services Manager JM Lexus EDITOR MAUREEN CONDON [email protected] Digital Dealer Vendor Profile CONTENT EDITOR 24 Not Just Dealer Chat: Contact At Once! Provides Instant MARIA BURKEL Engagement … Everywhere Car Shoppers Browse [email protected] DIRECTOR OF INTERACTIVE MEDIA ARNOLD TIJERINA COLUMNS [email protected] ART DIRECTOR Internet Sales JOE BIRCH 6 Seize the Pent-up Demand PRODUCTION MANAGER Tom Mohr ELIZABETH BIRCH PRINT PRODUCTION Advertising NICK THOMAS 8 QR Codes are Here to Stay COVER DESIGN George Nenni JOE BIRCH COVER PHOTOS 11th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition DAVID 12 SNEAK PREVIEW: “Your Best Bet For Success!” CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION RICH JARRETT Digital Marketing 314-432-7511 16 Digital Marketing Independence – Can Dealers do [email protected] it all Themselves? NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES Steve Stauning [email protected] 607-264-3359 Dealer magazine makes every attempt to ensure the Web Sites accuracy of all published works. However it cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied 18 Content Strategy and SEO: The ‘King’ Needs a Plan herein. 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From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Commit- DEPARTMENTS tee of the American Bar Association and a Committee 4 Tech News of Publishers. A PUBLICATION OF DD 2 August 2011 DigitalDealer-magazine.com D IGITAL Dealer TECH NEWS AudienceScience accelerates shopping web sites that AutoUSA is partnered “When we’ve shared our technologies with brand advertising for with. When a customer enters information dealers, we inevitably hear the same question: automotive industry and submits a lead through an independent ‘Can I get this for my web site?’” says Dan AudienceScience, a global online advertis- web site, they will be e-mailed a coupon code Kodsi, PSCars.com CEO. “Our decision to ing technology company, announced their they can bring to the dealership and present license these tools provides an answer to meet unique Automotive Vertical Solution, rep- to a salesperson. The salesperson enters the this market need.” resenting one of several audience segmenting code into a simple web interface and a gift A key component of the market need is products that deliver industry-specific, tai- card will be mailed to the customer. dealer realization that their web sites are more lored approaches to drive marketing success in www.AutoUSADealers.com informational than transactional in nature— definitive markets requiring specific solutions. particularly when it comes to selling cars. Recognizing the unique digital market- Dealer.com expands According to Mike Pitre, dealer princi- ing and data needs of every industry, these Vermont office, projects pal at Carleton Ford, PSCars.com has taken vertical solutions apply a strategic audience new hires his site to a whole new level of interaction data-driven approach to drill down into key Dealer.com, the global leader in online and the dealership has enjoyed a substan- decision-making processes and consumer marketing solutions for the automotive indus- tial increase in business; “I’m so pleased that experience. The AudienceScience Solution for try, unveiled a 70,000-square foot addition Turbo Marketing Solutions introduced us Automotive will enable auto manufacturers to its current office space, bringing the total to PSCars.com. With our new web site and and dealers to extrapolate and share industry- office size to 135,000-square feet. The expan- the PSCars.com tools, shoppers are able to specific successes, sophisticated insights, best sion is located adjacent to the company’s cur- research and configure any vehicle they want, practices and specialized reports. It is geared to rent headquarters in Burlington. negotiate price and terms with us, all without help industry marketers identify, understand The new building includes a host of note- leaving our site; it has opened up doors that and target crucial “in-market” car shoppers. worthy features for the company’s growing were not previously available to us. We are a www.audiencescience.com/ workforce of about 500 employees. With a smaller dealership, selling around 300 new spacious open-air environment, warehouse- and used vehicles a year. Now, all of a sudden, AutoUSA launches Show- style high ceilings and an open floor plan, the we have the presence of a giant online; the Pro, an incentive program office will maintain a similar look and feel as metropolitan auto buyer views us as big as for dealers proven to turn the company’s current space. The building anyone else and business is booming.” Internet leads into “shows” opening signifies the continued growth of www.pscars.com AutoUSA announced the launch of Dealer.com, which saw a 60 percent revenue ShowPro, powered by HookLogic, an incen- increase in 2010, in spite of the recession. STAR releases its 2011 XML tive product for auto dealers that is proven to “In addition to supporting the economic and DTS repository and increase incremental sales by turning more development of Vermont, this major expan- transport guidelines Internet leads into “shows.” ShowPro allows sion will provide Dealer.com with the poten- Standards for Technology in Automotive dealers to offer a financial incentive to in- tial to grow our team by nearly 300 people Retail (STAR), a global information technol- market customers, motivating them to visit over the next few years, and provide our cus- ogy (IT) standards body for retail automo- the dealer’s showroom. ShowPro also provides tomers with even more innovative products tive and related industries, has released a new dealers with territorial exclusivity, ensuring and quality service,” said Mark Bonfigli, CEO major version of its transport specifications. no competitive dealers will be offering the of Dealer.com. “And, in true Dealer.com fash- The STAR 2011 XML and DTS reposi- same incentive products to their independent ion, we’ve put our own creative touches on tory continues to be actively modified and Internet leads. the new building, which means bold, uncon- developed by the membership. “ShowPro targets customers with the right ventional and fun.” Enhancements to Business Object message at the right time, driving more store www.dealer.com Documents (BOD) were made in the areas of visits and turning a greater percentage of leads service, parts, warranty, and vehicle business into sales,” said Phil DuPree, president of PSCars.com licenses tools to transactions. Additionally, two new BODs AutoUSA. “It’s a great way for dealers to enhance dealer web sites were implemented, a Customer Information leverage the value of the leads they’re already and better showcase stores BOD to provide customer information data receiving.” to sell more effectively to synchronization between dealers and manu- ShowPro works like this: when a customer online buyers facturers, and a Service Plan Information is looking at specific inventory on a dealer- PSCars.com announced that it is now BOD that provides all available service plans, ship’s web site, a form appears offering them licensing three core components of its online with prices, for a vehicle. a selection of gift cards upon a visit to the vehicle shopping technologies to help deal- The most relevant modifications were dealer’s showroom. The incentive will also be ers offer more compelling features for online offered through the 100+ auto research and shoppers on their own dealership web sites. continued to P-DD30 DD 4 August 2011 DigitalDealer-magazine.com D IGITAL Dealer INTERNET SALES Tom Mohr Seize the Pent-up Demand t’s been a long hot summer. Especially dealers. You need to have in place a structure, Because only after you have leads in the for Japanese-branded dealers with earth- staffing level, technology and plan to ensure 250+ range are you in a position to reliably Iquake-driven inventory constraints that the following: deliver on one key piece to the puzzle: the have stunted sales opportunity during some • A multi-vehicle price quote sent back to the first phone call within 20 minutes. At that of the most critical months of the year. And customer in 10 minutes. level of leads, you can probably hire one or all dealers have weathered the effects of a • That quote should include both new and two appointment setters to support a two- troubled economy. So what’s next? used alternatives, with full vehicle informa- person Internet sales team. It gets better as you Simple arithmetic may finally be working in tion, all updated incentives and the contact grow.