eCarList has launched a brand new Health Status report as part of our growing analytics suite. The new health status report will provide measurable insight into your dealership’s key marketing initiatives in one easy to read system.

Key areas of monitoring include:

	Operations Health of photos, pricing, descriptions, options, and videos.
	Distribution Instant insight into feed distribution that includes specific vehicle information transmitted to eBay, AutoTrader, and Cars.com.
	Pricing Consolidated view of pricing and aged inventory.
	Leads Track email and phone leads from all sources including eBay, AutoTrader, Cars.com, your website, and more.

Take a look at the all new Health Status now available inside your eCarList software account. Inside you will find a video tutorial showing how you can take advantage of this incredible new tool.

Need a Demo? Click Here or call (866) 766-5478

The John Eagle Dealerships are pleased to introduce an all-new, fully integrated automotive shopping website at JohnEagle.com.

John Eagle, President and Chief Executive Officer of the John Eagle Dealerships said, “With more than 80% of car buyers starting their internet shopping experience online we wanted to make sure that our customers had real-time access to the latest and greatest information about each of our amazing products in real time.  We’re excited to bring more than 2,500 high quality vehicles into one website for customers to consider.”

The brand new website integrates virtual inventory from each of John Eagle’s 15 franchises and multiple locations to deliver quick-loading, visually appealing information that will help customers to make better purchase decisions.  The virtual showroom delivers a wide range of multimedia that includes, among other items, video displays for used inventory and 360 degree interior and exterior views for new inventory.

Rene’ Isip, Chief Operating Officer of John Eagle Dealerships and Dealer Principal of a Toyota and Honda dealership said, “Our goal is to be leaders in 21st Century Marketing and this website is focused on extending the positive experiences that our customers have at our dealerships into an online environment.  This website takes us to the next level by allowing customers to compare new and used vehicles from all of our makes and models and each of our locations.  At the end of the day it will help us reach more customers, secure more market share and sell more vehicles.”

The new website delivers access to credit applications and service appointments as well as details about store locations and contact phone numbers.  Customers will be able to take advantage of cutting-edge capabilities to quickly and intuitively submit leads and search inventory by body style, make, model, color, year, mpg and desired price range.

Len Critcher, President and CEO of eCarList, said, “The automotive marketing landscape is rapidly evolving.  John Eagle Dealerships are setting the benchmark for customer-centric online solutions.  We are honored to work with this group to provide our suite of integrated solutions and assist in growing their online presence.”

The new website goes live on 11-11-09.

About The John Eagle Dealerships –
Bob Eagle, John Eagle’s father, began working in the automotive industry in 1950 and began the family business in 1962 where he earned a well-deserved reputation for quality work, solid salesmanship and customer care.  John Eagle learned the business from his father and now carries on the family traditions in the dealerships that he now owns and operates.  The family business now includes Honda, Toyota, Acura, Mazda, Volkswagen, Aston Martin, Bentley and Lotus franchises in Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas as well as Panama City, Florida.  The dealerships employ over 1500 people, including equity partners and general managers at each location that manage each store, in order to serve thousands of happy and loyal customers.  John and his team look forward to maintaining and improving upon the Eagle family traditions of excellent customer service, huge inventory selection and value pricing.

For more information about the entire line-up of franchises in the John Eagle Dealerships, as well as details about new vehicles, used vehicles, parts and service please visit JohnEagle.com.

About eCarlist—
eCarList provides web-based inventory management, distribution, and marketing services to over 1,000 leading franchise and independent automotive dealerships nationwide.  The company’s comprehensive vehicle pricing analytics, online marketing, and custom dealer websites connect dealers to a growing audience of online vehicle shoppers.  Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, eCarList is an eBay Motors Preferred Provider and CarFax Preferred Partner.  For more information, visit www.ecarlist.com.

FINALLY! For all you dealers fumbling around in the darkness that is Social Media integration, it seems like somebody may have found the light switch…or at least turned on a night light.

Yesterday bing announced they would integrate Twitter updates in their search results. And because search engine land is more competitive than the NFC East conference, Google announced the same day that they, too, would integrate Twitter into their search results.

All of this is in attempts for the search engines to move to more of a “real-time” display of search engine results. Meaning, instead of typing in “Malibu Surf Report” and getting a PDF from 2003, you’ll now get real-time results from Tweeters on the sand in Malibu putting on their rash guards (in theory). This is a huge movement in the Search world, which has been really floating by over the years tossing around ideas of local search, vertical search and real-time search. Finally.

So what does that mean for you as an automotive dealer? It means getting your inventory on Google and bing directly…and in real-time.

How does it work?  The engines are going to crawl Twitter data no older than a week and display them in order.  What order?  AHHH, therein lies the question of all questions.  How does any search engine rank results - relevance and popularity.  So if your Tweet is relevant to the keyword search, and Tom’s Ford has more Twitter followers than Bob’s Ford, Tom is going to get the ranking for “2010 ford mustang”.

I am very happy to see things come together considering my last post, “YouTwitFace”, had the theme of a big thumbs down to dealership Social Media integration.  So for now, what I would recommend is promoting Twitter on your websites.  Offer incentives, coupons, car washes..whatever to people who sign up to follow you on Twitter and also facebook, who’s integration with the engines is just around the corner.

We’ll do our part by getting your inventory to Twitter.

Stay tuned.

Tweet ya later.

Dealers using eCarList’s inventory management software can obtain Carfax information and make it available with their vehicles listed online. Used car shoppers get the information they need up front to make faster buying decisions.

“Our intent is to create a seamless user experience for online car shoppers,” said Len Critcher, eCarList’s CEO. “The Carfax brand is recognized throughout our industry and further reinforces the credibility of online data we provide. Forward-thinking dealers understand that the added value of the eCarList inventory management program helps generate sales and improve the online customer experience at the same time.”

Previous independent studies prove that cars sell faster and for more money when Carfax Reports are included with online listings. Subscribing dealers can purchase Carfax Reports directly from the eCarList platform. Online shoppers see vehicle history highlights like Carfax 1-Owner and reported accidents within the vehicle listing and get the full Carfax Report for free.

“Having Carfax Vehicle History Reports available through eCarList enhances the Park Place brand and helps us improve our customers’ experience,” said Frank Sobyak, director of Internet Business Development at Park Place Dealerships in Dallas, Texas. “Using these powerful tools we can easily identify the cars our customers want and reassure them that they’re getting only the highest-quality vehicles. Every vehicle we list on our site has a free Carfax Report to build customer confidence and support our fine reputation.”

Dealership sales personnel also have access to Carfax data inside their eCarList inventory dashboards to assist in pricing and marketing decisions.

“Carfax Vehicle History Reports are a must have for online shoppers,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “eCarList is providing dealers with the tools necessary to help their inventory stand out from the competition.”

About eCarList
eCarList helps automotive dealers manage and distribute their inventory online providing intuitive Inventory Management Software, Vehicle Pricing Analytics, Custom Websites and online SEM, SEO and Behavioral Display Advertising. For more information on eCarList’s inventory management platform, visit www.ecarlist.com.

About Carfax
Millions of used car buyers and sellers each year rely on Carfax, the most trusted provider of vehicle history information. Using the unique 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN) found on vehicle dashboards and title documents, Carfax instantly generates a detailed Vehicle History Report on any used car or light truck. Carfax Vehicle History Reports™ provide valuable information that helps used car buyers and sellers make better decisions. For more information or to become a Carfax-subscribing dealer, visit www.carfaxonline.com.

Two easy ways to use:

1. Simply submit a trouble/help ticket by emailing (support@ecarlist.com) and an account will be created for you.

2. Create your own account to track current, and past, ticket logs and have access to our growing eCarList resource help center.

Click below to view a brief video overview of the new Help Desk system.

This new resource is now accessible inside your eCarList software account.

Check out my quick video demo….

Download PDF: eCarList Automated Incentives

Real-time rebate and incentive data automatically matched to your website inventory.

• eCarList automatically updates your website with comprehensive incentive information tied to specific vehicles in your inventory.
• Display all programs available in your region within hours of release by the manufacturer.
• Instantly upgrade your website content to correspond with manufacturer advertising.
• Incentive information is displayed directly on your inventory and vehicle pages without frame-ins or pop ups.

Lewisville, TX - Toyota of Lewisville is excited to announce our new, redesigned website. The address will remain the same, but the look and function of the website has improved to make navigation easier and faster. We want to welcome you to the Toyota of Lewisville redesigned website at www.toyotaoflewisville.com.

We wanted our customers to have a better user experience when they visited our website. So the new website has a brighter, more visually appealing look and feel. The company has also uploaded more photographs of the vehicles. There are more advanced options to help you find the exact vehicle you are looking for. We took an innovative approach by creating the website with dynamic colors in the icons which resemble the characteristics of an smart phone.

“eCarList dealer websites help reach an audience of highly-engaged potential buyers,” said Dave Hanson, Vice President, interactive and creative services, eCarList. “The new Toyota of Lewisville website is a more engaging and faster loading user experience with better vehicle search, integrated social media, and compelling eCarList AutoReel video content.”

“We are very excited to show proof of the eCarList platform’s results in regards to SEO,” says Terrence Gordon, Vice President, search and media, eCarList. “Our limited use of flash, dynamic inventory SEO and overall improved search engine indexing has given our dealers more exposure out the gate with the option to upgrade to even more aggressive SEO if necessary.”

The new website will allow clients to research different vehicles in a virtual showroom atmosphere. The virtual showroom will provide a range of multimedia presentations that show 360 degree interior and exterior views by eVox technologies. This is the next best thing to actually taking one of our cars for a test drive.

Rene Isip, owner of Toyota of Lewisville said, “We are always focused on being on the leading edge of 21st Century Marketing and the new website brings together lightening fast inventory load times, low prices and great Toyota products and even our Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages. With cars like the Prius, Toyota has always been a technological leader and our dealership is headed down that same path with this new website.”

Steve DeWitt, General Manager, Toyota of Lewisville said, “Our goal is always to make sure our customers have a great experience when they visit our store. Our new website update will expand that great experience online by ensuring our visitors are able to find what they are looking for online quickly and faster. I am really excited with the new website and I look forward to customer feedback.”

Our new website will allow customers to access each of our departments quickly and more efficiently. They will also be able to search the vehicle inventory by body style, model, color, year, and desired price range. Customers will also be able to look up vehicles that receive specific miles per gallon.

We are heavily engaged in 21st Century Marketing and we have included links to all our social networking websites where customers can directly engage with the company. Some of the virtual networks include Twitter, Skype, YouTube, and Facebook.

About Rene Isip’s Toyota of Lewisville -
Toyota of Lewisville is a new and used car dealership that proudly serves the greater Dallas Fort Worth area including Addison, Allen, Arlington, Carrollton, Colleyville, Coppell, Frisco, Garland, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Irving, McKinney, Mesquite, Richardson and Southlake. For more information about the line-up of Toyota’s and Scion’s, as well as details about parts and service, please click here www.toyotaoflewisville.com.

I want to thank every member of the growing eCarList team for making yesterday’s meeting such a success.

I personally believe social media used in the right capacity can be beneficial to you both personally and professionally.  I have a Facebook account, a LinkedIn account and I belong to a couple Automotive social networks.  I use Facebook on my iPhone when I find myself waiting for my car to get washed or my steak to get to medium-rare.  LinkedIn has done absolutely nothing for me, but I know people who rely on it heavily for business networking.  I don’t have a MySpace account…because, well I’m a male above the age of 15 and I don’t play in a band…yet.

Now what about car dealers?  Tweeting?  Really?  Let me emphasize that we offer social integration for our dealers.  My favorite, and in my opinion most useful application is being able to post a vehicle from a dealer’s website to my Facebook with a link back to the dealer.  It’s social network marketing at its finest, and I’ve seen real referral traffic to dealers from Facebook based on this app.

We can do anything for our dealers, and many of them are requesting Twitter.  I don’t Tweet and I don’t subscribe to Twitter because frankly there’s not a person or a business out there that I want or need to receive updates from.  Perhaps maybe my doctor or stock broker….maybe.

Celebs and Astronauts maintain decent audiences, and President Obama would probably create a nice sized Tweet-base (or Twit-base depending on what side of the isle you sit on).  But Bob’s Discount Auto Sales?  I didn’t believe it actually until this morning when my collegue told me one of our Porsche dealers has almost 400 people following their Twitter account.  Who are these people, and what are they wanting updates regarding?  Turns out most of them are other local business in the community also on Twitter, some spammers and I’m assuming a few customers.

I believe more than anything, engaging with Social Media fills a gap, provides some personalization between the dealer and whoever wishes to partake, and proves the dealer is ahead of the curve -  staying with the times…which these days could not be more important.  Twitter is actually considered a “micro-blog”, which makes it much easier for a dealer to maintain than an actual blog, which is the key to successful Social Network Marketing.  Maintenance.  It’s hard enough to come up with something to say monthly in a blog, so dealers must be able to find relevant or useful content to provide their customers with or else their Twitter”ees” are going to drop like flies.

So what’s next?

Twitter, Facebook, Google, BING, and the entire Internet are getting more personal and intuitive - it’s Web 3.0.  Or as Dave, our VP of Interactive, explains, the Internet will be coming to you vs. you going to the Internet - your own personal concierge so to speak.   In that case, I see Twitter getting more opt-in friendly which means if you want to receive Service specials from your local Porsche dealer, or want to receive a Tweet when they get in that blue GT3 you’ve always wanted -  then I can see Twitter for car dealers being realistically effective.  But isn’t that what texting and emailing is for?

I can’t predict the future like Conan can, but I’m assuming what works will stay and what’s novelty will fail.  In the meantime, my friends, keep Tweeting, FaceBooking and LinkingIn…because the bottom line is that these amazing and technologically resourceful programs allow you to reach out to people who opt-in to listen to you…no matter what you have to say.  Just keep at least 3 feet between you and My Space.

I want to talk about my favorite dealer to-date.  His name is Brian Hoskins…from Brian Hoskins Ford in Pennsylvania.  Why do I like Brian so much?  Aside from the fact he’s a super likable guy, Brian Hoskins is Brian Hoskins, yes the owner.  And he is INVOLVED.  Brian Hoskins cares about his store and shows concern about the future, and has genuine ambition to be the best regardless of how big or how small his store is.

Before Brian came to us, he had one of those OEM “Here, Use This”  Dealer Websites.  The site was convoluted, hard to navigate, outdated, mundane…and worst of all it had zero rankings on Google - even when you searched for “Brian Hoskins Ford”.

I was introduced to Brian after he took a demo of our software and was interested in a website.  Then he wanted to learn more.   He asked the right questions about SEO and Paid Search and even Press Releases and microsites.  He didn’t know much, but he knew he needed to learn if he was going to be the best.  He saw the writing on the wall….whether he was a successful dealer with his old website company or not, he still wanted to better himself.  And better he did.

Within a month, we got Brian Hoskins setup with new Inventory Management Software, a great looking Website with dynamically piped-in specials, an SEO program and a Paid Search (SEM) program to bring in immediate traffic while the SEO took effect. Currently his site visitors are up 55% month over month, his bounce rate on his website well below average, his average Time On Site is huge and his SEO rankings have increased 1,250%…and yes, he is #1 AND #2 on Google for “Brian Hoskins Ford”.

Brian called me on his way out the door to the beach for the 4th to learn how to read Google Analytics and his monthly SEO ranking report.  He asked questions that were productive and absorbed all of it like a sponge.  He set his own expectations, and set them correctly.  He knew that he was going to be involved, and that eCarList, as good as we are, still offer dealers TOOLS to make themselves better.

So why is Brian Hoskins different again?  Because he’s the owner who cares.  He represents everything the Auto Industry should be and every reason why GM is in the position its in now.  He didn’t task some Internet guy (who may or may not be there in another 3 months) with the job of finding a better web solution, or convince himself that Ford buyers don’t use the Internet, or believe the economy would turn itself around in his favor.  He picked up the phone, found the best web solution, and made sure he understood what he was investing in…which just so happens to be his future.