I thought that I would start a conversation on automotive microsites and why they should be a part of an automotive marketing strategy.  Microsites are not to be confused with landing pages or doorway websites.

Landing pages are an optimized web page that dealers use in a pay-per-click campaign like Google Adwords.  The landing page can be on your website or on a third party website.  If a dealer was running a tent sale and created an optimized page about the event and directed clicks from Google Adwords to this page, it would be considered a landing page.

Doorway websites are a landing page placed on its own domain name.  They are normally a one page website used to capture leads from traffic generated by pay-per-click campaigns, affiliate marketing programs, or in some cases, direct traffic.  These doorway websites are not content rich and often are more graphically weighted with attractive designs or even flash technology to add pizzazz.

My definition of an automotive microsite, up until last month, was 10-15 pages of targeted content placed on a targeted domain name with blogging enabled but without live inventory.   A theoretical example is a BMW dealer that wanted to increase their service business in Atlanta.

If they purchased www.bmwserviceatlanta.net and created content about all their service offerings and common BMW service procedures, that would get hundreds of hits to this site organically each month.   Google indicates that at least 400 people a month type the phrase “BMW service Atlanta” and this domain would be an exact match for that phrase.   With good content, this microsite would be #1 in search results because the “.com” version is being redirected to another website.

The question for service managers is this: “Would you like to attract another 25, 50 or 100 service customers a month from your PMA?”  With the right call to action, services specials and offers you can expect to capture some of those 400 customers each month who search that phrase.

WordPress Microsite Technology

The tool that I like to use for creating microsites is WordPress.   This popular “open source” content management system (CMS) tool is recommended because:

• There are no licensing fees
• It is easy to setup a website and blog
• It can be hosted inexpensively (<$100 a year)
• There are thousands of developers around the world improving the platform every year
• There are thousands of free software enhancements to make the website more attractive
• It is easy to maintain
• Anyone with Microsoft Word equivalent skills can create and add web pages
• You can drop in video, audio and images easily to any page
• It’s an SEO consultant dream

New Plug-In Technology

At the 7th Digital Dealer Conference my definition of a WordPress microsite changed.  DealerTrend unveiled the industry’s first commercially available plug-in for WordPress that displays a car dealer’s new and used car inventory.  The plug-in creates an SEO optimized website page for every car you have in stock.

This plug-in has changed the rules for automotive microsites because it takes what was once a 20 page microsite with rich content to a microsite with a few hundred highly optimized model specific pages.  Taking WordPress microsites to this level turns WordPress into a robust automotive inventory marketing tool.  I applaud DealerTrend for being the first to offer such a tool and taking the risk to offer it to car dealers.

The Pasch Consulting Group was the first Automotive Marketing Company to integrate the DealerTrend WordPress plug-in to our Automotive WordPress microsites.  We have hundreds of microsites that are operating for lead generation, Internet Reputation Management, and branding.  Having this tool available to our customers can transform these sites into more effective tools for car sales.

This plug-in creates dealer inventory microsites in minutes, once the feed is setup, and allows dealers to add content themselves or hire a consultant to write content which will make the microsite effective for organic search marketing.  For more information on the plug-in, visit www.dealertrend.com .

Can I Toss My Existing Vendor?

Some dealers have been quick to ask me if the WordPress plug-in will change the industry website landscape by offering open source website platforms that can replace the traditional leased website platforms.   The answer is no; at least for the near term.  Also, the DealerTrend plug-in is not free since it requires your inventory feed to be hosted and fed to your microsite.

Adding inventory to a WordPress website is not a replacement for a full service automotive website platform offered by companies such as eBizAutos, TK Carsites, Dealer.com, DealerFire, DealerOn or Dealer eProcess.  Dealers need to have a solid infrastructure for Internet Marketing which includes tools for CRM, ILM, Newsletters, Video and SEM.  Dealers need to find a core web infrastructure that gives them a set of robust tools for search marketing, sales process management and customer support.

Data integration and analysis will only get more important in months to come and the majority of dealer marketing budgets will move to online spending.   Until companies come up with WordPress Plug-ins for CRM, ILM and other functions that dealers need to run their businesses, WordPress will still be a complimentary platform.

A number of people are working on WordPress tools, so in a year from now my answer could very well change.  For small independent used car dealers, the WordPress platform and an inventory plug-in may be just the trick to give them the SEO marketing tools that they need at an affordable price tag.

Third Party Inventory Marketing Platforms

The WordPress enhanced microsites can feed into a dealer’s main website system as an affiliate marketing source.  Just as companies like Cars.com and Autotrader.com place dealer inventory on their marketing platforms and send leads to a dealer’s CRM system, enhanced microsites with live inventory will perform a similar function.  This plug-in allows you to create targeted, in-state inventory marketing platforms; the possibilities are just endless.

The WordPress open-source development environment and this type of plug-in makes it affordable to deploy live inventory on multiple domain optimized microsites. According to DealerTrend, dealers who implement five microsites would end up spending about $200 a month per microsite.

Automotive Microsites New?

Car dealer platform providers have the ability to offer microsites as part of a marketing strategy using their proprietary website software. From my viewpoint, most vendors in the website space do not see the need or the economics for such an offering.

TK Carsites was the first to formally introduce a microsite marketing model with their “Power of 5” product.  In the past, I was not a fan of how the “Power of 5” was implemented since the microsites were light on content. Today, website pages on TK Sites can be added easily with their new platform code.  This change makes the current “Power of 5” marketing package very attractive.

What makes the WordPress option interesting is that it allows for unlimited content creation and hundreds of free software enhancements.  The counter argument is that car dealer platforms are just now integrating blogs and content on-the-fly so they can now compete with the content creation element of WordPress.

The rules of marketing and consumer engagement are changing.  The 2009 ASMA study of 34 website platforms revealed that nine automotive website platforms have industry leading platforms for search marketing.  This includes content on the fly and fully optimized inventory pages.

We will wait to see, however, if automotive website providers have the insight to create a microsite marketing model within their existing offering.  The marketing data that we have collected would suggest that microsite marketing is here to stay and it is an untapped marketing opportunity for car dealers.

OEM Guidelines on Domain Names

Let me conclude by saying that some OEM’s have been discouraging their dealers to own domains for web marketing that do not include their business name.  I have witnessed car dealers being forced to consolidate or shutdown their microsites that have state or city names plus their OEM brand.

Restrictive marketing guidelines that forbid a Boston dealer from creating a microsite like www.toyotacamryboston.com are a lucrative opening for third party lead collectors and automotive marketing platforms to dominate local search and force car dealers to pay for leads or advertising.

To be fair to OEM concerns, car dealers should not be allowed to deploy domains that include their competitor’s brand name.  However, city names in or around their PMA should be open game if consumers are willing to drive to their dealership.

A strict crackdown on dealer domain marketing will be a boom for third party lead collectors and would restrict car dealers who are innovative and aggressive online marketers.

PMA Maps Are Invisible To Internet Shoppers

For years, TV stations and newspapers in Metro areas like Boston have run ads from competing OEM dealers in downtown Boston and its suburbs.  Those were the rules of engagement since the media outlets crossed PMA lines.  Treating the Internet in terms of PMA boundaries is a naïve thought.

Dealers should be able to innovate automotive online marketing with a microsite strategy that uses high value domain names.  Otherwise, it would be like telling car dealers that they can’t advertise on TV because someone outside of their PMA might see their ad and cause an unfair marketing advantage.

The first Toyota dealer in the Boston suburbs who is smart enough to purchase a domain like www.usedtoyotaboston.com should be able to market their cars on that domain.  OEM’s already endorse car inventory advertising from multiple dealers in one state on Cars.com and Autotrader.com.  The hypocrisy is amazing.  Let’s hope that cooler heads prevail in the coming years otherwise dealers lose significant tactical advantages.

What is Your Microsite Strategy?

Microsites are extremely effective tools for online marketing and they will increase in value as the evolution of blogging and social media turns car dealers into content marketing engines.  Having the right website assets to place that content will determine who wins the competition for high value keywords in your local PMA and state.

If you would like to setup a powerful microsite strategy for your dealership, contact the Pasch Consulting Group at 732-450-8200.   Ask for Carrie Valentine to schedule a call with our founder, Brian Pasch.

Join me in Orlando for the 2010 NADA Conference which is being held from February 13-15, 2010 in the Orange County Convention Center. 

This year’s NADA Conference theme is “Orlando, Go To Know” and I like what it implies. 

There are some major shifts in the Automotive Industry and none could be more representatitive of change than the way car dealers must communicate and market to their customers.  Automotive Internet Marketing has entered the Golden Age of Awareness as dealers are finally confident that larger investments in digital marketing and media are paying off.

Many of the winners of the 2009 ASMA Awards  will be attending the NADA show and will have a booth.  I am sure that their awards will be proudly displayed at their booth as they share their success and leadership in the automotive website industry.  Congratulations once again to all the winners.

Boot Camp Day Before NADA Show

I will be in Orlando for the show and hope to see you on the exhibit floor hall.  I have been asked to speak at some of the vendor events so I’ll keep you posted on what my schedule looks like each day. 

I will also be co-hosting the Automotive Marketing Boot Camp on Friday February 12, 2010 which is a day before the official NADA show starts.  The boot camp will allow me and the other instructors to create a skills training curriculum that empowers automotive professionals to succeed.  For more details on the Boot Camp, click here: Orlando Automotive Marketing Boot Camp.

2010 NADA Convention Schedule

The official schedule for the NADA Conference is subject to change.  Before you make any plans, check the Convention Schedule right before the show started.

Saturday February 13, 2010

7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Women Dealer Breakfast – The Peabody Orlando, Orlando Ballroom 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Convention Registration – Registration Concourse 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EXPO Open – Ribbon Cutting - West Exhibit Halls A1-B4 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Lifestyle Center – West Exhibit Hall C 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Workshops - Meeting Rooms – Levels II and III 1:45 p.m. General Session Doors Open 2:10 p.m. Pre-session Entertainment 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.   Formal Opening of the 93nd Annual NADA Convention and Expo - West Exhibit Hall D

Sunday February 14, 2010

7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Minority Dealer Breakfast – The Peabody Orlando, Orlando Ballroom 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Convention Registration – Registration Concourse 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EXPO Open - West Exhibit Halls A1-B4 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Lifestyle Center - West Exhibit Hall C and Inspirational Service Doors Open in West Exhbit Hall D 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Inspirational Service - West Exhibit Hall D Keynote Speaker:Alison Levine
Women’s Everest Expedition 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Workshops and Dealer Franchise Meetings - Meeting Rooms – Levels II, III & IV 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Workshops and Dealer Franchise Meetings - Meeting Rooms – Levels II, III & IV

 Monday February 15, 2010

8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Convention Registration - Registration Concourse 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Lifestyle Center - West Exhibit Hall C  8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EXPO Open – West Exhibit Halls A1-B4 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Workshops and Dealer Franchise Meetings - Meeting Rooms – Levels II, III & IV 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Workshops and Dealer Franchise Meetings – Meeting Rooms – Levels II, III & IV 2:45 p.m. General Session Doors Open 3:00 p.m. Pre-session Entertainment 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.             General Session - West Exhibit Hall D 

The convention ends at 5:00 pm on Monday the 15th.  Looks like many automotive professional will be missing Valentines Day.  Ouch!

If you are planning on attending but can’t make the Boot Camp, send me a note since there will be many evening receptions that we can meet up at!  brian@paschconsulting.com

See you in Orlando!

Brian Pasch

We are putting together the details for the first Automotive Marketing Boot Camp which will be held in Orlando on the day prior to the official start of the 2010 NADA Convention.  The boot camp will be a full day of intensive skills training;  Automotive SEO, Social Media and tactical Internet Marketing skills.

Details are here:   www.automotivemarketingbootcamp.com

Unlike other conferences, the sessions will be at least 2 hours in length to give participants time to develop real life Internet marketing skills.  These skills will give them the confidence to go back to their dealerships with effective marketing strategies.  Every participant will be required to bring their laptop since they will be working online during class with strategies for their dealership.

It’s All In The Details

Automotive Marketing Boot Camp participants will receive advance documentation to prepare for the skills building sessions. In addition, the boot camp instructors will be preparing dealer specific materials that will be waiting for the students when they register.  The advance preparation will ensure that the basics are setup before classes start.

Every participant of the Boot Camp will be part of at least four specific skill building classes.  The instructors for the Boot Camp will include social media expert JD Rucker and Internet Marketing specialists Brian Pasch and Paul Rushing.  Additional instructors will be announced in the coming weeks.

Since each participant will receive customized reports and analysis of their website and marketing strategy,  they will effectively have the industry’s top experts consulting for your specific dealership for a full day.  As a bonus, attendees will have both Thursday night and Friday morning to ask specific tactical questions of our instructors.  Straight talk and intense skills training.

Rest up and get ready for Boot Camp!

Limited Class Size

The Automotive Marketing Boot Camp is designed to achieve small classroom sizes and effective hands on training.  As a result, the registration will be limited to 75 students.  This will allow the instructors to provide the step by step skills training that will yield confidence and the ability to go back to the dealership with a strategy that can be implemented.

The tentative schedule for the Boot Camp is as follows:

Thursday February 11, 2010

• 6:00 pm Boot Camp Registration and Cocktail Reception
• 7:00 pm Buffet Dinner and Opening Remarks

Friday February 12, 2010

• 7:00 am  Boot Camp Breakfast & Opening Remarks
• 8:00 am – 12:30 Morning Sessions
• 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm Lunch & Keynote
• 2:00 pm – 6:30 pm Afternoon Session
• 7:00 pm Graduation Ceremony & Cocktail Reception

Saturday February 13, 2010

• 7:00 am  Industry Breakfast
• 8:00 am – 10:00 am   Q&A Opportunity

Interested?

Details are here:   www.automotivemarketingbootcamp.com