4. The IRM Reality
IRM = More Warm Calls + More Warm Leads
A Strong IRM Policy Generates More Sales
4
5. Qualifications For Coaching IRM Strategies
• Google Page One search results in USA for my business services:
– Automotive SEO
– Car Dealer Microsites
– WordPress Microsites
– Automotive Reputation Management
– Automotive Reputation Management Portal
– Dealer Reputation Management
– Google Page One Management
– Automotive Digital Marketing
• Top Consumer Website for “Cash For Clunkers”
• Top Consumer Website for “Toyota Recall”
• Awarded “Top Rated” SEO Company in 2010
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6. Are You Behind the Market?
• Every month new ideas are being discussed to
improve your digital marketing visibility.
• Social media is changing the way in which consumers
are communicating
• Email communications are increasingly being used via
Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms.
• With all these changes, are you embracing the new
opportunities or sitting on the sidelines?
• Lets start by talking about your online reputation…
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9. Our Seminar Trajectory
1. The Case For Internet Reputation Management
2. Creating an IRM Process
3. Costs Associated with an IRM Program
4. The Barriers To Success
5. Tools To Ensure Success
6. Measurement of IRM Process
7. Benefits of IRM Processes
8. IRM as an SEO Strategy
9. Google Page One Management
10. One Last Thing…
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10. • 90% of Consumers Start Their Search Online
• If you checked Google Analytics, you would see that
your dealership name is your #1 source organic traffic.
• The Yellow pages and BBB are dead and have been
replaced by Google Maps and Peer Reviews.
• Google Maps shows thousands of times a month
when people search your business name.
• The scary fact is that many business owners have very
poor visible consumer review scores on Google Maps.
The Case For Internet Reputation Management
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12. Who Takes The Time To Post Reviews
• The majority of posts are
motivated by anger after a
negative experience.
• Only a small percentage of
customers who have a positive
experience will post without
prodding.
• This is changing with the next
generation of mobile applications.
• Encouraging your customers to
take action is NOT an easy process
but you can not ignore it either.
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13. Google Maps Facts
• Google Maps rolls up reviews from multiple
sources: CitySearch, InsiderPages, Dealerrater, …
• Consumers can post reviews directly on Google
Maps and we recommend direct posts.
• Once negative reviews are posted, it is hard to
get them removed.
• The goal of your IRM process is to have balance
not perfection; you can’t stop negative posts.
• The order of dealers listed on Google maps is
not static and often based on the IP of your PC.
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14. Google Page One Check
• Type in your dealership name
• Is Google Maps Correct?
• How Many listings do you control?
• How many lead collectors appear?
• How many competitors appear?
• How many review sites appear?
• Any “Complaints” website there?
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15. Your Google Map Correct?
• Claim and edit your Google Maps Listing
• Add text about all the services you offer
• Add videos of both customer reviews and walk
around videos
• Add images of dealership events, customer
deliveries, make it fun
• Get the link to your Google Local Business
Listing
• Hyperlink geo-targeted text on your site to
point to this map page
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16. Beef Up Your Maps Listing
• Add great photos
• Add video testimonials
• Describe your services in detail
• Use a recorded tracking number
• Create links to your Google Maps listing
• Encourage customers to post reviews
directly on Google Maps
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20. Creating an IRM Process
• Like any new business process the owners of the
dealership must be seen as the sponsors.
• The key is to build consensus on the value of a strong
online reputation score.
• Social media and Internet Reputation Management go
hand in hand.
• Document the policies and procedures that involve
your dealership employees.
• Include specific measures on what determined
success.
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21. Cost Associated with IRM Process
• Tracking Phone Numbers
– Google Maps
– 6 popular review websites
• IRM Postcard to be given out to customers in sales and service
departments.
• IRM phone calls – These may be able to be included in existing
CSI phone calls that you are paying for.
• Staff time to review, respond and proactively manage your IRM
scores.
• FlipCam’s to record testimonial videos.
• RPM Website or equivalent.
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22. Barriers To Success
• Dealership executives who need an instant fix.
• Putting the wrong person in charge of the IRM
program.
• Monetary incentives to employees to get their
customers to post reviews.
• Zealous employees posting from inside the dealership
or from home.
• Cheating
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23. Quick Start IRM Processes
• Create list of top review sites for your market and brand.
• Make Sure Your Listings Are Accurate On All Sites
• Delete duplicate listings
• Add a Tracking Number To Each Site (it’s worth the expense)
• Setup free Google Alerts account.
– Setup search phrases that match your business name(s), key
executives names, competitor names
– Set the frequency to either as-it-happens or daily
• Setup an IRM Portal
• Design an IRM Postcard
• Implement the Postcard in your Sales and Service Departments
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24. Popular Review Websites
• Check and see if you have business listing accounts on these websites:
– Yelp.com
– Yahoo Local
– InsiderPages.com
– Judysbook.com
– DealerRater.com
– MerchantCircle.com
– CitySearch.com
• www.DealerRater.com has a “Certified Dealer” program that has many benefits to
consider.
• A different model is offered by Presto Reviews (www.prestoreviews.com) which
creates a review portal that customers can post to while in the dealership.
• Both models have their own strengths and both can be used simultaneously.
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25. Reputation Management Portals
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• RMP is placed of good domain
name.
(www.iloveprestigevolvo.com)
•The home page is fully
customizable to allow you to
change the order or appearance of
sites you want to promote.
• A YouTube video channel of
testimonials can allow your
customers to sell for you.
•This is the place where you let
your customers speak on your
behalf.
•Since the URL contains your
brand name, it will show on Google
Page One for searches on your
name
26. How To Create a RMP
• Simple Hosting
– GoDaddy WordPress Hosting
– Less than $75 a year
• 4-5 page website + feeds to get start
• Add tabs for Testimonials, Facebook Fans, Etc
• You can add content each month to make it more
compelling
• Create a YouTube video channel which neatly displays
video testimonials. Consider one for sale and one for
service.
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27. Create RMP Postcards
• Give them out to satisfied customers in service each
day
• Give them out as part of the delivery process. Tuck on
up in the sun-visor.
• Get a commitment from the customer that they will
take a minute to visit your RPM and share their
experience online
• Develop an internal culture that understand the
importance of customer online reviews
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29. Measurement of IRM Process
• Benchmark # of reviews on each review
site when you start. Good and Bad.
• Create a spreadsheet to show progress
on increase in reviews.
• Poll staff who seem to get more of their
customers to post to document best
practices.
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30. Benefits of IRM Process
• You get feedback that you may never have received.
• You unite your team on the fundamentals of good
customer service.
• You have new ways to measure and hold your team
accountable for their actions.
• Active IRM programs generate ample videos and
content stories to use in Social Media and blogs.
• IRM is Mandatory For Building Your Online Brand!
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31. IRM As an SEO Strategy
• IRM is a specific SEO Strategy
• If you have many negative reviews
posted, you definitely don’t want review
sites on Page One.
• Thus, microsites, press releases and
blogging will be need as part of your
IRM Process.
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32. Google Page One Management
• Your dealership name is your most valuable digital
and traditional assets
• For years your name is what was branded on TV,
Radio, Billboards and Newspaper.
• Dealers must own Google Page One to stop brand
equity leakage
• A strong GPOM strategy will increase First Party leads
• Today, you will have the tools to own Google Page
One for your dealership name
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33. Google Page One Management
• GPOM is based on the desire to push lead collectors,
competitors, and review websites off Google Page
One for a search on your dealership name.
• Allowing lead collectors on GPO allows your brand
equity to be “leaked”.
• Dealers with no GPOM strategy is either buying their
own leads or allowing their name to provide leads for
their closest competitors.
• Allowing review sites to appear on GPO for your
dealership name is an invitation for competitors or
angry consumers to easily attack your business.
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35. Who is Leveraging Your Dealership Name
• Many companies legally use a dealer’s name as part
of their SEO lead collection strategy.
• Do a search on your exact dealership name and you
can see on Google Page 1 and Page 2 many key
advertising companies.
• Some of these companies include review websites,
which are important for marketing and branding but
it is my belief that they just should not be on Google
Page One for most companies. (there are exceptions)
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36. 36
Search: Lawrence Lexus
The Page is filled with
websites that do not add value
to their brand.
1. No press releases
2. No positive stories
3. No social media sites
4. Multiple review websites
5. Lead Collectors present
This is a perfect example of
why GPOM is a MUST in
2010 for all car dealers.
38. I’m Not Against Lead Collectors
• Consumers who directly engage any website and
request a price quote are valuable leads.
• Third party lead services are an active part of the
Internet sales process.
• Dealer’s should not make it easy for lead collector
websites to make money off their brand.
• Dealer’s get no financial gain and may actually help
their competitors by delaying a GPOM strategy.
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40. Video is a Must for 2010
• Consumers enjoy watching videos
• CNN presents most of their key stories in a video
format on their home page
• Videos add personality
• Videos can reflect the reality of the customer
experience.
• Video can simplify a complicated task and procedure
that would be difficult for consumers to read.
• Video can enhance call to action and visitor
conversion.
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41. Video is a Must for 2010
• Invest in a FlipCam or Equivalent
• Any easy way to start it to take customer testimonials
from sales and service lane
• Create a YouTube testimonial channel for each store.
• The video “shot” can be straight on or they can
include the salesperson with the customer.
• Leverage the videos on Facebook, microsites and your
primary website.
• Shoppers will trust your customers 5x more than any
advertisement or claim that you make.
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43. Budgeting for 2010
• Digital and Social Media Marketing strategies have the
best ROI but are labor intensive tasks
• A comprehensive Internet Marketing Strategy will
required added internal staff
• A partnership with a good digital marketing agency
will ensure that internal distractions don’t derail
anticipated success.
• An individual dealer can have the same power of a
large dealer group with the proper strategies in place.
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44. Post Webinar Questions
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Brian Pasch, CEO
PCG Digital Marketing
PO Box 159
Rumson, NJ 07760
brian@paschconsulting.com
732-450-8200 office
732-672-2356 cell
http://twitter.com/automotiveseo
www.pcgdigitalmarketing
www.dealer-seo.com
www.internetsalesmanager.org