per, on your radio spots, your business cards, and at the bottom of your TV commercials. That’s all great, but only a start. You have to take the people whom you are already reaching and make them drop the paper or leave the TV and go to their computer. This isn’t the easiest task as sometimes you are trying to reach the lazy people, too.

The big question in your website marketing strategy is: “Are you hitting the people that are already searching online for vehicle

The Internet is touted many times as the Holy Grail of Marketing. It definitely can be for those who find its powers. The funny part is that many dealers do not even saddle up their horse to go on the Crusade. We all get the emails that tell us about the shortcut to Internet success and still everyone isn’t swimming in their new-found riches. Maybe that’s because we haven’t put together a strategy to make it happen.

I have found the worst web strategy ever and I wanted to share it with everyone. The problem is that most of the readers aren’t going to like me very much after I divulge my observations. Some of you have built the Taj Mahal of Websites out there and others have been very successful with simplistic sites. Either way, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a basic web strategy in place.

When I speak of a web strategy, I want to talk about marketing your site. Buying third party leads doesn’t count. They are going to another site and finding their way to you via the brokers. I want to look at your site and the results that it produces; focusing on the marketing of your site and the quality leads it produces.

So what is the “Worst Web Marketing Strategy Ever”? Do you remember the movie “Field of Dreams”? Kevin Costner ripped through a cornfield to build this great baseball diamond. Then baseball ghosts from the past came and played on the field. The famous line from that movie was “If you build it, they will come”. Well that’s the strategy that most dealerships have employed for their web marketing strategy. Build a website and the visitors, sales, leads, finance applications, etc., will come. Well for those of you who understand that ghosts don’t play baseball in a cornfield, you will also realize that your website doesn’t magically make people appear.

By now I have some of you saying: “but we….” Yes, I know that you put it in the newspaper, on your radio spots, your business cards, and at the bottom of your TV commercials. That’s all great, but only a start. You have to take the people whom you are already reaching and make them drop the paper or leave the TV and go to their computer. This isn’t the easiest task as sometimes you are trying to reach the lazy people, too.

The big question in your website marketing strategy is: “Are you hitting the people that are already searching online for vehicles

nted to share it with everyone. The problem is that most of the readers aren’t going to like me very much after I divulge my observations. Some of you have built the Taj Mahal of Websites out there and others have been very successful with simplistic sites. Either way, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a basic web strategy in place.

When I speak of a web strategy, I want to talk about marketing your site. Buying third party leads doesn’t count. They are going to another site and finding their way to you via the brokers. I want to look at your site and the results that it produces; focusing on the marketing of your site and the quality leads it produces.

So what is the “Worst Web Marketing Strategy Ever”? Do you remember the movie “Field of Dreams”? Kevin Costner ripped through a cornfield to build this great baseball diamond. Then baseball ghosts from the past came and played on the field. The famous line from that movie was “If you build it, they will come”. Well that’s the strategy that most dealerships have employed for their web marketing strategy. Build a website and the visitors, sales, leads, finance applications, etc., will come. Well for those of you who understand that ghosts don’t play baseball in a cornfield, you will also realize that your website doesn’t magically make people appear.

By now I have some of you saying: “but we….” Yes, I know that you put it in the newspaper, on your radio spots, your business cards, and at the bottom of your TV commercials. That’s all great, but only a start. You have to take the people whom you are already reaching and make them drop the paper or leave the TV and go to their computer. This isn’t the easiest task as sometimes you are trying to reach the lazy people, too.

The big question in your website marketing strategy is: “Are you hitting the people that are already searching online for vehicle

another site and finding their way to you via the brokers. I want to look at your site and the results that it produces; focusing on the marketing of your site and the quality leads it produces.

So what is the “Worst Web Marketing Strategy Ever”? Do you remember the movie “Field of Dreams”? Kevin Costner ripped through a cornfield to build this great baseball diamond. Then baseball ghosts from the past came and played on the field. The famous line from that movie was “If you build it, they will come”. Well that’s the strategy that most dealerships have employed for their web marketing strategy. Build a website and the visitors, sales, leads, finance applications, etc., will come. Well for those of you who understand that ghosts don’t play baseball in a cornfield, you will also realize that your website doesn’t magically make people appear.

By now I have some of you saying: “but we….” Yes, I know that you put it in the newspaper, on your radio spots, your business cards, and at the bottom of your TV commercials. That’s all great, but only a start. You have to take the people whom you are already reaching and make them drop the paper or leave the TV and go to their computer. This isn’t the easiest task as sometimes you are trying to reach the lazy people, too.

The big question in your website marketing strategy is: “Are you hitting the people that are already searching online for vehicle

was “If you build it, they will come”. Well that’s the strategy that most dealerships have employed for their web marketing strategy. Build a website and the visitors, sales, leads, finance applications, etc., will come. Well for those of you who understand that ghosts don’t play baseball in a cornfield, you will also realize that your website doesn’t magically make people appear.

By now I have some of you saying: “but we….” Yes, I know that you put it in the newspaper, on your radio spots, your business cards, and at the bottom of your TV commercials. That’s all great, but only a start. You have to take the people whom you are already reaching and make them drop the paper or leave the TV and go to their computer. This isn’t the easiest task as sometimes you are trying to reach the lazy people, too.

The big question in your website marketing strategy is: “Are you hitting the people that are already searching online for vehicle

per, on your radio spots, your business cards, and at the bottom of your TV commercials. That’s all great, but only a start. You have to take the people whom you are already reaching and make them drop the paper or leave the TV and go to their computer. This isn’t the easiest task as sometimes you are trying to reach the lazy people, too.

The big question in your website marketing strategy is: “Are you hitting the people that are already searching online for vehicles?” Can the “average Joe” find your website? Can they remember it? If you even hesitated for a second on those questions you need to take a serious look at your website marketing strategy. If you didn’t hesitate, then take this little test with a friend that doesn’t live in the same state as you. Call them and ask them to find you on the Internet. Give them just enough information to do a search on Google or Yahoo! and see if they can find your site easily. You might be surprised at the results. (Example: your make and your major market; Dodge, Des Moines)

So if you are employing the “Build it and they will come” marketing, here are a few suggestions. You need to be in the search engines. Either list your site by yourself or hire a company to ensure that happens. This is an ongoing process, not just a one-time shot. Search Engines change daily, so doing it once will last for a while but then you fade off into Never, Never Land. Take a look at spending some advertising money on Pay Per Click (paid placement). You’ll be amazed at how many more calls and emails you’ll get from your site.

The next item is to go back and double check every lead service that you are using. I found three dealers in the last week that when they checked their listing or contact information on the lead providers, it was wrong; wrong contact and, twice, phone numbers that went to the wrong department or, worse, they didn’t work at all.

These are simple things but the basis for communication for your dealership. We all get so busy in enhancing the site, building an Internet department, and selling cars, that we forget that we need to make sure that sales that may take place tomorrow can find us today. Change your strategy to “Built it and they are coming”.