We’ll be implementing RIMS features that will help us help YOU as dealers.  Our mission here is to make things as easy-to-use as possible when it comes to your website.  In the next few days if you’re a DHD client you’ll be getting our email with the details of the 1.13 update and features you can look forward to.  If you’re not a Dealer HD client yet, don’t worry, we’ll let you in on the features too.  They’ll be added right here on the DHD blog as they’re available.

In addition to our development efforts this year we’ve also made a point make our brand more available.  You’ll be seeing more of us in your dealer publications and dealer forums.  We want you to know what we’re up to and what you think.  Check us out in Auto Success on page 16, Auto Dealer Monthly on pages 26-29 and in our latest AS Podcast.

For all of you heading to Orlando for NADA, we’d love to meet you.  Stop by our booth, #461 to chat.

We’re implementing the “90 Day Test Drive.”  Dealerships within eight months of expiration with their current website provider will be eligible for our “90 Day Test Drive” at NADA with no contract or cost to the dealer, letting dealers witness firsthand what we can do and our strategy driven relationship.  We simply ask you to apply the NADA stimulus voucher to the 3 month agreement.  If DealerHD proves to be a great fit after the trial a contract will be a month-to-month agreement proving every day the right choice was made.  In doing this, we hope to provide dealerships with a true experience before they make the decision to move forward with DealerHD.

During the trial, dealerships will use our tools and the capabilities of our new platform, and our flexibility in development and strategy around an individual dealership.  Our attitude is one of “we can.”  If dealers have a progressive idea not currently used or built in the industry we will work to implement or create the technology at no cost.  DealerHD wants to be part of the innovation for automotive digital and dealership ideas are critical in that venture.  Most website vendors in the industry would agree when sitting with a dealership they talk about what their competitor can’t or isn’t doing. With DealerHD, whether its functionality or service, we will prove our worth before you make a decision.

We are scheduling demos at NADA and participating dealers can sign up to take a 90 Day Test Drive.  After NADA we will be implementing a one-time set-up fee for dealerships that are interested in our 90 Day trial to drive their online goals, again no contracts will be involved.  Set-up pricing hasn’t been set but will be minimal, around a couple hundred dollars for the full 3 months.  We believe this one-time charge to be fair in helping you decide the dealership’s online future without commitment.

Our goal is to be the vendor that works best with your dealership and not simply known as having incredible marketing or a top-notch sales force.  Our resources are dedicated to our account management, research and development efforts. “Salesmanship” is being replaced with “relationship” in our world.  We want to have the lowest ratio of account mangers to dealerships in the industry; our goal is 10:1 which puts us in incredible shape.

Currently we work with dealers on websites, mobile, SEO, PPC, banner advertising, texting, reputation management, social media, lead management, live analytics and rewards programs.  Ninety-nine percent of our products are built in-house to keep the cost down for the dealer and we’re always looking for progressive ideas to build new products.  We look forward to working with experts in the industry to help drive innovation forward.  If you have any questions or would like to schedule a demo at NADA please contact NADA@dealerhd.com.  You can also email me at jeff@dealerhd.com.  DealerHD looks forward to helping the community grow and the exchanging of ideas in 2010.

Video is sticky, we’ve been told that until we were blue in the face for a while now.  Everybody knows and everybody is doing their part to get video of some kind on their website.  Vehicle videos are a popular feature here at Dealer HD too – new vehicles have video reviews and used vehicles have the ability to get live voice video with custom scripts.  Things have come a long way in terms of car shopping, and video has made it possible.

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “ok we get it, but what’s with the Day at the Office video?”  The two types of video are essentially unrelated – one works without the other just fine – but what if you used both?  Vehicle videos and commercials are used to directly sell your products.  Viral video, on the other hand, gives added value to your brand without pushing the sale.   Subtle connections can be made between your brand and your customers and when they’re done right they spread like wildfire.

Spots HD provides a range of audio and video services covering all dealership needs.  Video services include: editing, shooting, 2D & 3D graphics, storyboarding and duplication for television commercials, web videos, viral videos, training videos and infomercials.  Audio services from Spots HD include radio spots and on-hold messages.

“Dealer HD saw the need to expand its offerings to include custom video,” said Justin Duff, Dealer HD’s National Sales Director.  “The market for video is growing exponentially right now and there aren’t many companies offering this service to dealers.  We have an excellent product that goes hand in hand with our dealer websites as well as every other advertising medium.”

As with all of Dealer HD’s automotive product offerings, Spots HD delivers high quality work with competitive pricing.  The Spots HD editing staff brings a variety of experience to the table, and can work on custom projects or pre-produced spots.  For a full demo of Spot HD’s offerings visit SpotsHD.com.

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Dealer HD is an Automotive Website and Solutions Provider serving clients Nationwide. Located in the southern suburbs of Chicago, the Dealer HD team has over 100 years of combined automotive experience.  Dealer HD provides customizable dealer web sites with a comprehensive admin tool that collects dealer leads, allows the quick and easy editing of website content, inventory modification and more.  Dealer HD makes sure your dealer website is ready for mobile applications, social networking, and all future web innovations.

Dealer HD’s Automated Rebates product was initially introduced as a time saver for Dealership Internet managers.  Each month when manufacturers released new vehicle rebates and incentives Internet Managers were given the task of updating them online.

“We found that Internet Manager’s time was better served overseeing their department and looked for a Rebate and Incentives solution,” said National Sales Director Justin Duff.  “Clients have really taken to the product, it saves them time and gives them peace of mind.  They sell cars and we handle the rest.”

The Automated Rebates product updates daily ensuring all of the correct rebates and incentives are displayed per each manufacturer.  Dealer HD enhanced their product in a quarterly update soon after its introduction – rebates and incentives are provided with each vehicle in the inventory– from the Enhanced Line Listing, Vehicle Details page or complete table that illustrates all rebates and incentives in one location.

For more information on Dealer HD’s Automated Rebates product, quarterly updates or how to become a Dealer HD client please visit our website, dealerhd.com.

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Dealer HD is an Automotive Web Solution serving clients Nationwide. Located in the southern suburbs of Chicago, the Dealer HD team has over 100 years of combined automotive experience.  Dealer HD provides customizable dealer web solutions with a comprehensive Admin tool that collects dealer leads, allows the quick and easy editing of website content, inventory modification and more.

Every dealership with a Dealer HD website can watch the traffic on their website 24/7 with Live View technology.  Live View separates individual site sessions by IP Address and traces a visitor’s path on the dealership website.  This information provides valuable insight for dealers, they know where visitors are going on their sites and can follow them each step of the way.

“Knowing where a visitor is going is essential to Internet success for dealers” said Justin Duff, Dealer HD’s National Sales Director.  “It allows dealerships to target their customers more directly, giving them exactly what they’re looking for.”

Dealer HD prides itself on providing cutting edge technology to its clients, giving them a leg up in an ever-competitive market.  Live View was an addition made during Dealer HD’s free quarterly updates.  For more information on Dealer HD, quarterly updates and becoming a Dealer HD client please visit dealerhd.com.

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Dealer HD is an Automotive Web Solution serving clients Nationwide. Located in the southern suburbs of Chicago, the Dealer HD team has over 100 years of combined automotive experience.  Dealer HD provides customizable dealer web solutions with a comprehensive Admin tool that collects dealer leads, allows the quick and easy editing of website content, inventory modification and more.

For dealerships utilizing Social Media outlets in their marketing mix Dealer HD is providing access to Social Media right from their custom dealer websites.  Knowing the importance of a cohesive message Dealer HD has added calls to action in the footers of their sites that link to the Social Media profiles of a client’s choice.  Dealer HD also provides social bookmarking outlets on every vehicle available in a dealership’s inventory.

“It’s important for dealerships to use their website to coordinate all Internet marketing efforts,” said Justin Duff National Sales Director at Dealer HD, “Their website is the foundation of their online presence and should easily facilitate additional outlets, which is why we continually work to integrate new media.”

The Dealer HD push towards Social Media integration couples with a new product offering available this winter, Social Media Coaching and Management.   The product will be available as a standalone or package product with Dealer HD websites.  For more details on upcoming Social Media products and future integration details or other Dealer HD product offerings please visit dealerhd.com.

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Dealer HD is an Automotive Web Solution serving clients Nationwide. Located in the southern suburbs of Chicago, the Dealer HD team has over 100 years of combined automotive experience.  Dealer HD provides customizable dealer web solutions with a comprehensive Admin tool that collects dealer leads, allows the quick and easy editing of website content, inventory modification and more.

Updates to Twitter can be made in just two clicks.  The goal of integration was to keep everything Dealers need in one convenient location – the RIMS Admin.

“Our dealers have really taken root to social media.  Whether they are doing it on their own or using our Social Media Coaching product, we’ve made it even easier to update their Twitter status.  Now all Dealer HD clients can send tweets directly from our RIMS admin.  It’s definitely a cool feature, but mostly a time saver for social media managers,” said Justin Duff, Dealer HD’s National Sales Director.

The growing popularity of Social Media has given Dealer HD cause to make strides towards integrating every aspect into its product offerings.  For more information on Dealer HD’s Social Media Management program or other features included in the 1.12 update please visit dealerhd.com

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Dealer HD is an Automotive Web Solution serving clients Nationwide. Located in the southern suburbs of Chicago, the Dealer HD team has over 100 years of combined automotive experience.  Dealer HD provides customizable dealer web solutions with a comprehensive Admin tool that collects dealer leads, allows the quick and easy editing of website content, inventory modification and more.

A Canonical URL tag tells search engines what to do with duplicate content and allows them to direct indexed pages to the correct location.  Duplicate content crops up based on different ways of entering a web address. (Typing www.dealerhd.com pulls duplicate content of accessing a site by simply typing dealerhd.com).

Director of Product Development, Bruce Etzcorn explains that, “While Duplicate content sounds like a good thing to have on a Search Engine, it could effect what is and isn’t listed on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS). Among other things, this will also serve as a funnel of sorts and direct all links to the correct address we are tracking in Google Analytics.”

Keeping up with SEO practices is not just a goal at Dealer HD it is a business strategy. “SEO is changing every day.  Our Search Engine Optimization team is continually working to evolve and update our practices and processes so that our dealer websites have the very best SEO.  You can’t lag behind on SEO and be a success in today’s online automotive marketing arena,” said Justin Duff, National Sales Director.

If you’re interested in learning more about Dealer HD’s SEO strategies or Hyper SEO program, please visit dealerhd.com

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Dealer HD is an Automotive Web Solution serving clients Nationwide. Located in the southern suburbs of Chicago, the Dealer HD team has over 100 years of combined automotive experience.  Dealer HD provides customizable dealer web solutions with a comprehensive Admin tool that collects dealer leads, allows the quick and easy editing of website content, inventory modification and more.

Popularity Search display options include:

• Displaying the dealer’s choice of the top ___ searches
• Displaying the Popularity Search on Home, New, Used or any combination of the three
• Displaying counts on how many times each popular vehicle has been searched.

Why you should use it:  It’s something fresh and different that adds value to your site. It sparks interest with visitors keeping them on your site longer while giving them one click to a pre-defined search. Visitors can click through to a search of the popular vehicles if they’re unsure of what they’re looking for. The popularity search acts as a tool for you and your customer. They show you what they’re interested in and you give them vehicle suggestions based on the searches other customers have performed. The possibilities are endless but the result is the same, longer site time. The longer they’re on your site, the more likely they are to find the vehicle they want to buy.

To add the Popularity Search feature to your website, simply call your account manager, and they’ll put it up while you’re on the line.