4 Reasons Your Website Sucks

4 Reasons Your Website Sucks

I know, you've been working really hard on your website. You've made sure that every pixel is perfect, every menu margin magnificent, and every title titanic.  Unfortunately, it's entirely too easy to make a beautiful website that, well, sucks.
Here are four ways things can go horribly, terribly wrong:
 
1- Your website isn't findable. Some of the biggest companies in the world have websites that aren't well optimized and they still get found.  Unfortunately for the rest of us, that isn't an option. This is especially a problem for gorgeous sites that are all flash and only have one page for Google or Bing to index, but many new websites don't optimize page titles or URLs--key places for telling search engines what your pages are about.

2- Your website only displays the news about the cool stuff your company has done. Ummmm... that's nice, but if I'm a prospect, I don't care about how cool you think you are--I care about how you're going to solve my problems.  If your website only has navigation about who you are & what you do and a news feed, it sucks.

3- Your website is so slick and cool that people have no idea where to click. It's no secret that people have short attention spans when they surf the web, so making your page so "cool" that you've hidden all obvious navigation is a really good way to increase your bounce rate.  If you only have two buttons, they had better be the best two buttons and serve your prospects' needs exactly, or they're not going to engage.  Even better, though, would be to give your prospects enough options that you can address their varying needs, depending on where they are in the research or buying process.

4-Your website automatically plays sound. Maybe you have an auto-playing video or some funky background music, but it plays instantly. From a pet peeve perspective, this should really be #1, but it's less of a marketing problem and more of an annoyance.  Your prospects probably don't suddenly want a blasting presentation to come out of their computer speakers while they're sitting in quiet cube farms.  They'll quickly close the browser tab rather than becoming engaged, filling out lead forms, and eventually buying your product or service.

If you want to "unsuckify" your website, make sure it has the following:

• Enough well-optimized pages that people can find you How you're going to solve your prospects' problems
• Clear navigation & calls-to-action
• And for the love of everything, no automatically playing noise or video!

Taking these actions will go a very long way towards making sure your prospects stay on your site, interact with your company, and become customers!

Need more help? Click or call me!

Thank you,
Thomas Ieracitano
229.251.2462
Thomas@Ieracitano.com
http://DigitalCarGuy.com
Can't Make it Here, We'll Take it There!



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FWD: Car Buying Tips To Save You Money

Car Buying Tips To Save You Money

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AmeriCredit Auto Finance Sold To General Motors Posted: 29 Sep 2010 08:24 PM PDT AmeriCredit shareholders approved a 3.5 Billion Dollar acquisition by General Motors that has been in the works since June. General Motors needed a way to offer financing to those with medium credit and AmeriCredit was seen as the solution. AmeriCredit stock rose 7 cents and this should give GM a confidence boost before their initial stock offering. The question is; Do you see General Motors as a stronger company now as compared to pre-Government GM?

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DropBox Features

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Dropbox Features

File Sync

Dropbox allows you to sync your files online and across your computers automatically.

• 2GB of online storage for free, with up to 100GB available to paying customers.
• Sync files of any size or type.
• Sync Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
• Automatically syncs when new files or changes are detected.
• Work on files in your Dropbox even if you're offline. Your changes sync once your computer has an Internet connection again.
• Dropbox transfers will correctly resume where they left off if the connection drops.
• Efficient sync - only the pieces of a file that changed (not the whole file) are synced. This saves you time.
• Doesn't hog your Internet connection. You can manually set bandwidth limits.

File Sharing

Sharing files is simple and can be done with only a few clicks.

• Shared folders allow several people to collaborate on a set of files.
• You can see other people's changes instantly.
• A "Public" folder that lets you link directly to files in your Dropbox.
• Control who is able to access shared folders (including ability to kick people out and remove the shared files from their computers).
• Automatically create shareable online photo galleries from folders of photos in your Dropbox.

Online Backup

Dropbox backs up your files online without you having to think about it.

• Automatic backup of your files.
• Undelete files and folders.
• Restore previous versions of your files.
• 30 days of undo history, with unlimited undo available as a paid option.

Web Access

A copy of your files are stored on Dropbox's secure servers. This lets you access them from any computer or mobile device.

• Manipulate files as you would on your desktop - add, edit, delete, rename etc.
• Search your entire Dropbox for files.
• A "Recent Events" feed that shows you a summary of activity in your Dropbox.
• Create shared folders and invite people to them.
• Recover previous versions of any file or undelete deleted files.
• View photo galleries created automatically from photos in your Dropbox.

Security & Privacy

Dropbox takes the security and privacy of your files very seriously.

• Shared folders are viewable only by people you invite.
• All transmission of file data and metadata occurs over an encrypted channel (SSL).
• All files stored on Dropbox servers are encrypted (AES-256) and are inaccessible without your account password.
• Dropbox website and client software have been hardened against attacks from hackers.
• Dropbox employees are not able to view any user's files.
• Online access to your files requires your username and password.
• Public files are only viewable by people who have a link to the file(s). Public folders are not browsable or searchable.

Mobile Device Access

The free Dropbox iPhone app lets you:

• Access your Dropbox on the go.
• View your files on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
• Download files for offline viewing.
• Take photos and videos and sync them to your Dropbox.
• Share links to files in your Dropbox.
• View interactive photo galleries.
• Sync downloaded files so they're up-to-date.

A mobile-optimized version of the website is available for owners of Blackberry phones and other Internet-capable mobile devices.

 

Thank you,
Thomas Ieracitano
Thomas@Ieracitano.com
www.DigitalCarGuy.com
(229) 251-2462

P.S. Are you 'Advertising' or 'Marketing' ?

Ask me the Difference?

Advertising Strategies for Influencing Car Shoppers Online 

Consumer shopping behavior has shifted in response to recent economic changes. Many consumers believe that the current economic issues are long-term and will have permanent effects on how they spend money.¹ Since consumers have become more discerning about their purchases, they are also spending more time researching in the online space, actively choosing to engage with the medium to scrutinize potential purchases. In fact, car shoppers spend an average of 55 minutes a month on AutoTrader.com during the six months prior to buying a car.²

Look at today's new automotive consumer profile and you can determine how to use the Internet to impact consumers' decision-making process.

Car Shoppers' New Attitude
Today's car shoppers are different. A 2009 study of the economic impact on car shopping behavior revealed that:

• Consumers are less impulsive about purchases due to the perceived risk.³

• They are concerned about making a wrong decision and being "stuck" with the wrong vehicle or high monthly payments.³

• They are giving more consideration to major purchases, like vehicles.³

This information may not come as a surprise, but what's important is how this feedback affects the way you market your vehicles in an environment where "savvy" has become the new status symbol.

An Influencing Medium
The goal of any advertising is to provide stimulus that creates a response from shoppers. That means your advertising should motivate consumers to take that next step in the car shopping process. You want shoppers going online to your virtual showroom or, even better, walking onto your lot. According to the Northwood Dealer Walk-In Study⁴, "advertising" was cited as one of the top four reasons that caused shoppers to walk into the dealership. Furthermore, more than half of walk-in traffic can be attributed specifically to Internet advertising.

How does this information relate to today's conscientious consumer? Because the information that car shoppers find online influences not only what car they buy, but who they buy it from. As a result, the Internet is the uniquely qualified medium to forward your value proposition to these more thoughtful shoppers. But in order to influence these shoppers, you must have the value conversation upfront in your advertising.

Ad Tips to Build Value
Influencing today's consumer starts by addressing the inherent questions they have about buying a car. Remember the economic impact study from earlier?³ Part of what we can learn from this study is what today's car shoppers want from dealers in the online space. According to the study, car shoppers want:

1. "Real" Information to Ensure a Good Purchase. While it might seem rather abstract, the point here is that what you represent online should be an accurate portrayal of the vehicle. The price should be consistent across all forms of advertising - all the way down to the window sticker. The condition of the car should be represented accurately. The bottom line is, inconsistencies erode trust. A customer wants to know what they're getting up front, so if they show up to your dealership and the vehicle is not available, the price is different or it's not in the same condition as it appears online, not only do you risk losing sales, but you also risk damaging your reputation.

2. To See Inventory on Local Dealership Lots. Consumers also want to see these cars posted online with their price and with several photos of the actual car. When it comes to photos, the more you have, the better.

3. To Compare Incentives Online. Right now consumers are looking for the absolute best deal and doing their homework online to find it. That's not to say that they will forsake value for a low price. But compared to one year ago, consumers are making greater use of the tools at their disposal to be smarter shoppers. In fact, 57 percent are looking around for more sales, 47 percent are using more coupons and 45 percent are doing more comparison shopping, while 32 percent of consumers are buying less on credit and 60 percent are making fewer spontaneous purchases.¹ Keep this information in mind when it comes to creating special offers and incentives for your vehicles.

4. The Perfect Vehicle for Their Personality and Lifestyle. In your online merchandising, there is an opportunity to tell the car's value story with custom comments. Don't just list a car's features. Make the vehicle stand out by giving specific details that allow shoppers to see, touch, feel and experience it. For example, "Room for eight. Back seat folds down for extra storage - makes a great family car!"

What Else Can You Do?
• Include a Vehicle History Report: Car shoppers want to know a vehicle is reliable, and right now one of the biggest concerns for consumers is making a wrong decision. A vehicle history report can help allay their fears.

• Merchandise Your Dealership on Third-Party Sites: A large number of consumers visit independent third-party sites, so you need to get your value message where shoppers are looking first. In fact, 89 percent of auto shoppers visit independents.⁵ Make sure to demonstrate your customer focus in your dealership description. For example, "Built on the principles of genuine caring and personal service."

Sources:
1  *Doner, "Art of the Possible," 2008-2009
2  J.D. Power and Associates and Compete Inc., 2009 Web Site Performance Tools Report-Wave 1
3  Greenfield Consulting Qualitative Research, Feb 2009 & Moskowitz Jacobs Qualitative Research, March 2009
4  Dealer Walk-In Study, Northwood University & AutoTrader.com, November 2008
5  2008 J.D. Power New & Used Vehicle Market Reports 

Thank you,
Thomas Ieracitano

229.251.2462

Thomas@Ieracitano.com

http://DigitalCarGuy.com

Can't Make it Here, We'll Take it There!

want an email like this ?  go to http://123BrandMe.com

HomeNet Launches Integrated Facebook Marketplace App to Help Dealers Reach Facebook's 500 Million Users

HomeNet Launches Integrated Facebook Marketplace App to Help Dealers Reach Facebook's 500 Million Users 

HomeNet announced today the launch of IOL Oodle Pro, which directly integrates a dealer's automotive listings in Facebook's Marketplace with their Fan Page and website. Facebook reached 500 million users in July, 2010, and the Facebook Marketplace, which draws 11 million unique users each month, grew 354% last year.
With IOL Oodle Pro, a dealer's Marketplace listings are able to be posted in bulk and are directly tied back to the dealership fan page. In contrast, most dealers use a Facebook application that presents their inventory just to their Facebook fan page, and they post vehicles one at a time into the Marktplace. Now, with IOL Oodle Pro, a dealer can bulk-list unlimited vehicles for sale in the Facebook Marketplace, enjoy premium search results, and gain exposure with millions of Facebook Marketplace users as well as the dealer's fans.

"IOL Oodle Pro harnesses the exponential power of social media. There's never been anything like it," said Neal Gann, HomeNet's Vice President of Strategic Relations. "Every time someone comments on a vehicle, it appears in the news feeds of that person's 200+ friends and networks as well as back on the dealer's fan page. And if one of their friends comments, the vehicle is now visible to that person's 200+ friends and networks, and on and on... "
HomeNet's IOL Oodle Pro's Key Features include:

• Integrated Marketplace listings with Dealer Fan Page, My Showroom, and My Listings pages
• Unlimited listings with priority placement in search results included
• Friend-of-a-friend indicator on all listings, adding credibility to inventory and softening every sale
• One-stop syndication to over 250 classified sites included, like Facebook Marketplace, Military.com, and Walmart.com
• Automatically tweet listings
• A professional-looking, dealer-branded Fan Page
• Easy to use reporting monitors the impact and value of social media: conversions, traffic, page views, etc.
• Dealers can save hundreds of dollars through HomeNet's unlimited listings and premium placement privileges

About HomeNet
HomeNet Automotive helps the automobile industry save time and sell more vehicles. It is the leading provider of inventory merchandising, management, and marketing services, led by its flagship product, Inventory Online (IOL) Internet Marketing Suite. IOL is a web-based vehicle marketing solution that helps tens of thousands of automotive dealers to engage buyers online and bring them into the showroom by streamlining the process of converting raw vehicle data into consumer-friendly and emotional online ads. With 135 employees, HomeNet has garnered numerous awards, including a spot on the "Inc. 5000" for the third year in a row, its fourth recognition by the prestigious magazine in as many years. HomeNet is a private company based in West Chester, PA, with offices across the U.S. For more information, please visit http://www.homenetauto.com or call (877) 738-3313.

 

Thank you,
Thomas Ieracitano

229.251.2462

Thomas@Ieracitano.com

http://DigitalCarGuy.com

Can't Make it Here, We'll Take it There!

want an email like this ?  go to http://123BrandMe.com