What a dealer owns in their inventory – the amount and quality of the vehicles they own in order to resell – is the most important driver of their marketing and advertising efforts. Cars drive clicks and eventual buyers.
Dealers should be doing everything they can to get customer eyeballs to their website. But too many dealers pay websites such as AutoTrader and Cars.com to redirect those eyeballs away from where they should be . That’s crazy.
Sites such as AutoTrader and Cars.com are pay-to-play. Customers only see inventory from dealers and manufacturers who pay to show it, and in many cases what you see at the top of the page is who has paid the most money to be at the top of the results. It isn’t necessarily the best selection or fit for the customer, or even the best deal.
Build a great website. Maintain it, work it, groom it. It’s the best option not only for your dealership, but for your customers as well.