dealerchum

This is a snippet from a recent interview Jim Cramer conducted with Google’s CEO, Eric Schmidt. This is more evidence in our opinion that the keys to success that everyone can acknowledge Google has had is because of its specific targeting, measurable, ROI based advertising it offers advertisers.

If this isn’t a more reason to car dealers and the auto industry to move traditional advertising over to internet based advertising I don’t know what is.

Hat tip to VentureBeat.com for the transcript.

CRAMER: ONE THINK THAT’S BEEN BROUGHT UP A LOT IS THAT YOU MUST BE SEEING SOME CYCLICALITY — WE KNOW THE AIRLINE’S IN TROUBLE, WE KNOW THAT TRAVELS IN TROUBLE WE KNOW THAT AUTO IS IN TROUBLE THAT’S BEEN WRONG, HASN’T IT?

SCHMIDT: IT’S BIZARRE.AUTOS ARE IN TROUBLE BECAUSE THE DEALERS ARE SMART.THEY MOVE TO MORE TARGETED ADVERTISING TO SELL WHAT THEY HAVE. SO WE CAN DO WELL IF PEOPLE MOVE TO MORE TARGETED OR MORE ROI BASED ADVERTISING. THE ONES BEING HIT ARE THE NONMEASURABLE ADVERTISING.

CRAMER: THAT’S NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES

SCHMIDT: AND TRADITIONAL DISPLAY ADS.

RICHMOND, Va., July 25 — CarMax, Inc. the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, reports that searches on carmax.com for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles increased in June. According to carmax.com, search frequency rankings for several vehicles with higher estimated miles per gallon (mpg) have increased.

– The Mazda3, with an estimated 24/32* mpg, leaped from 39th in March to 16th in June.

– The Toyota Corolla, with an estimated 28/37* mpg, jumped from 9th to 4th place over the same time period.

– Outside the top 20, the Volkswagen Beetle, with an estimated 21/28* mpg made a big leap from 71st place to 40th since March.

“With gas prices continuing to rise, fuel efficiency has increased in importance for many shoppers,” said Ann Yauger, director of carmax.com. “On carmax.com, we offer a robust research section that allows consumers to find the best car for their needs.”

Of the three makes and models highlighted, there are a combined total of nearly 1,000 of them, as of this release, available on carmax.com for sale and can be transferred to the nearest CarMax store.

The CarMax website can be used to research information on vehicles of various makes and models. Online shoppers can search the company’s inventory of more than 25,000 new and used cars. The website showcases vehicles with multiple photos, the no-haggle price, and information on features, options, fuel economy and customer reviews. Visits to carmax.com continue to increase, and approximately 70 percent of in-store customers visit the website before coming to the store.

About CarMax

CarMax, a FORTUNE 500 company, and one of the FORTUNE 2008 “100 Best Companies to Work For,” is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., CarMax currently operates 98 used car superstores in 46 markets. The unique CarMax consumer offer provides our customers the opportunity to shop for vehicles the way they shop for items at other national retailers, and it is structured around four customer benefits: low, no-haggle prices; a broad selection; high quality vehicles; and a customer-friendly sales process. During the twelve months ended February 29, 2008, the company retailed 377,244 used vehicles and sold 222,406 wholesale vehicles at its in-store auctions. For more information, access the CarMax website at http://www.carmax.com/.

* Note: Miles per gallon as displayed above is city/highway miles based on 2006-2007 models and is provided by the EPA at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/.

This is an opportunity to use search terms that can take advantage of the opportunity in the marketplace for more fuel-effiecient cars.

If you would like help with launching a “Fuel-Internet Efficient” campaign contact sales@dealerchum.com

To show dealers some of the internet marketing strategies and ideas dealerchum is able to provide we have launched NewInfinitiFX50.com. NewInfinitiFX50.com is an informational site with pictures, videos, and reviews to generate leads on the new Infiniti fx50 SUV. We have well over 1000 domains we will be launching for lead generation for car dealers nationwide. If you would like to have us create a lead generating site similar to newinfinitifx50.com please contact us at sales@dealerchum.com

NewInfinitiFX50.com is for sale. We want this site to be in the hands of a Infiniti dealer than can help consumers with price quotes and delivering this SUV to them. If you are a Infiniti dealer and would like a site like this that helps you be less dependant on sites like AutoTrader.com, get you great SEO (this is on the first page of Google for “New infiniti fx50″, and cost effective way you can own all the leads contact us today.

*<we also have some other Infiniti websites we are in the process of making which can be bundled with this or sold seperately>

Here is a chart from Compete.com diplaying traffic from AutoTrader.com, Cars.com, and Google. Is there really any question why SEM, SEO is so important and why money should be moved here or at least budgeted for that?

Yes, people go to Google for everything but even considering that fact Autotrader.com has only 4.9% of the traffic Google has this is a huge opportunity to get TARGETED traffic to your DIRECT website vs. Classified Auto Verticals that show all your competitors as well as “Verizon Wireless” or other display ads to distract your potential customers.

PLEASE click on the graph of AutoTrader.com, Cars.com vs. Google.com traffic.

If you need help with Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Blogging, or any new media that can help your car dealership be more cost effective and “chum” up some customers please contact us today at sales@dealerchum.com

Ok, I’m coining the phrase Car Dealer 2.0 here and now. I even searched the term with quotes on Google and nothing came up that I see people are using …yet.

I’m defining Car Dealer 2.0 as Web 2.0 for car dealerships or as the next level of connecting with customers on the internet for car dealers through Search Marketing, Optimization, Blogs, Video, and Social Media.

Any dealer that accepts and embraces Web 2.0 or Car Dealer 2.0 will be able to gain new customers, be cost effective <especially in today’s economy this is huge>, and will have deeper connections with their customers.

People said “this internet” thing isn’t going to last and now look at Google with a stock price over 500 dollars a share and billions in revs, and now as we continue to evolve you either start learning, embracing, and empowering your sales teams {especially internet departments} or you can sit on the sidelines saying, “this SEM/SEO/Social Media thing” isn’t going to last. It will, and there is more to come. Adapt quickly, or lose market share and stay flat.