So I know it sounds like I’m talking crazy talk, but bear with me…

We all know that we’re in a recession. We all know that car sales are lower than they’ve been in years. The important point is this – because of the tough economy, fewer people are buying cars… but that can be a good thing! People want to be sure that their money is well-spent, so they’re doing more online research before making a purchase than ever before.

Consumers want to buy a car that not only satisfies their needs, they want to pay the right price and buy it from someone they can build a rapport with.

Getting found in the search engines can be your white knight that saves you from the evil dragon of the recession.

Here are three tips that will help you boost your site to a higher level:

1. Local business is key. While the good ol’ days of people driving around and browsing for cars is long gone, consumers still tend to purchase locally. Your address is already on your site, but make sure you have text on your Home page and your About Us page that mentions where you’re located. People like to know that once they find a car they like, they can come by and take a look in person.

2. Your inventory should be your focus. Your inventory is already working for you – all of our inventory pages have unique URLs, title tags, and meta data, which is vitally important for helping to rank higher in the search engines. What’s important here is to write good descriptions for all of your vehicles – the VIN exploded information isn’t enough, you want to add a personal description that will catch a potential buyer’s eye. Our automatic description builder can help with this, but it’s always a good idea to add your own personal touch.

3. Make sure your site is appealing. Your site is an extension of your business, and you want people to see your site and WANT to buy from you. Your home page should have nice graphics and well-written text. Your site should be informative and easy to look at.  Appealing graphics are extremely important, not only on your home page, but on your inventory pages as well. Taking the time to get great photos of each car will make a huge difference when it comes to sales.

Our sites are highly optimized to help with search engine rankings right out of the box, but if you follow these tips, you’ll be maximizing your site’s potential.

As always, comments are welcome – let us know if you’ve done something with your site that’s boosted business so we can share your success with others.

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There is a new school of dealers taking advertising into their own hands. Dealerships that control their inventory are going to win the internet game. I often get asked “Why would I want to take my own photos?” the answer is simple – control.

Why DIY works:

• As a dealer you can take photos and have online advertising from the moment it comes out of make ready. If you have a lot services company come out on Monday and take photos. Tuesday you get more cars in stock, you will have to wait a full week before getting them online and seen.
• Complete & thorough descriptions of your vehicles (how many times have you had to explain inaccuracies)
• Window Stickers / Buyers guides can be printed from just about any printer, so no longer is the dealer not in State / Federal compliance.
• Every lot has someone that can learn to take photos.
• Cars.com and Autotrader.com now allow 28 – 32 photos. Take advantage of this and not have to pay extra to a company to come out and do it for you.
• The cost savings for the average franchise dealer $700 – $1500

Everything that goes up must come down. So here is the down side to doing it yourself.

• You need to have a good digital camera.
• You need to train someone on how to take good photos.
• If you are not dedicated to the process it cannot work.
• Turnover – and having to retrain someone to do the job.

Companies like Dealer Specialties and CDM Data (the list goes on and on) are in business today because of the down side you see above. Sometimes having a company come out to take the photos is the right answer.

I suggest to all dealers to evaluate your current situation. Look at current staffing levels and make sure you have someone in place to do the job before moving forward. Also be aware that DIY is not plug and play. It will take a little time to get off the ground and to make sure all the needs are being met.

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JFR Cars has been using the AutoRevo Vehicle Marketing System for 10 months now. How do you like it so far?
I can’t say enough about how professional it has made our online presence.  JFR Cars now stands out among the competition in our area.

Speak for a moment about the daily use of the system?
We were able to get quick user adoption here within the dealership.  The system interface flows very well and has an intuitive feel to it.  As we took a deeper dive into the product settings, the AutoRevo support team was always there to take my call and help explain to me what I needed to know.

What kind of feedback are you getting from your customers about your website?
WOW! People love our website! I have previous customers and other dealers going to our website daily to see what is new in our inventory.  It is not uncommon for us to get comments about what a great looking site we have and how nice it displays our inventory.  Even our website is user friendly and easy to navigate the inventory.

Has AutoRevo changed the way you do business?
Yes, in that we are getting more leads and sales from the internet that we were not getting before. We are selling vehicles in other States and even other countries. We have sold and shipped cars to the Netherlands, Germany and Africa.
If you look at last year’s sales figures verses this year’s (pre and post AutoRevo). How is JFR Cars comparing?
That is a simple answer: we are up about 15-20 cars per month.

How would you rate your experience with AutoRevo’s support team?
My experience with the support team has been excellent! I get quick answers to my questions and fast solutions to my challenges.  They have responded to both online and call-in support requests.

You have been using AutoRevo’s Craigslist tool for some time now. What kind of results are you seeing?
Craigslist has definitely increased our leads and sales…and the response seems to be immediate. As soon as I post cars to the site my phone starts ringing.

We are Auto Consultants and we specialize in locating your new and used vehicles. We have over 26 years of experience in the auto industry. Our team of professional Consultants knows the automobile industry inside and out. We are here to offer you the car you want, at a great price. Let us help you with your next vehicle purchase, and you will see that having an automotive expert on your side can really make a difference.

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