This is Part Two of a Four Part series on developing a Reputation Marketing Strategy for your dealership.  If you would like to read the previous article, click here for Part One.

Creating a Reputation Marketing Strategy requires that you have a process in place to survey customer satisfaction and a process that engages the customer based on their feedback.

By creating a culture that values customer service and transparency, dealers will be rewarded by consumers who control the sales process.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Everyone

Every customer that enters a dealership should be asked about their “experience” before they leave the store. If a customer leaves the dealership without being surveyed, dealers run the risk that the empowered consumer will be very critical to their online communities and on highly visible public forums like Google Places, Yelp, or specific automotive platforms like DealerRater.com and Edmunds.com

Review collection processes and word tracts should be customized for each dealership based on marketing strategies and investments in technology.  Dealers that invest in tablet computers like the iPad can leverage user-friendly mobile applications to simplify the review collection process.

The most efficient way to collect a review is when the customer is in the dealership.  Once the customer leaves, their motivation to stop their normal activities to go online a post a review are greatly diminished.

I discourage dealers from sending email “reminders” or to make calls to their customers asking for a review. This may impact the OEM CSI phone and email survey processes. Customers may get confused and  feel that they have already submitted a review to the detriment of CSI scoring.

In-Store Review Collection Workflow

A high percentage of customers will participate with an in-store review process if the engagement questions are handled properly.  During the verbal customer satisfaction survey, the dealership staff can identify which review platform is best matched for each customer.

Once surveyed inside the dealership, customers should be able to post to at least one review platform inside the dealership, as indicated in the InfoGraphic below.

If the customer did not have a positive experience, the issues should be resolved immediately.  Keep in mind that consumers have tremendous power to influence the next car shopper during the Zero Moment of Truth.

If a customer does not want to write a review in the store, you can send them home with a reminder postcard which identifies a website where they can post a review(s).  DealerRater.com was an early pioneer of the postcard reminder process to encourage customers to post reviews from home.

Working With Existing Account Holders

In the workflow above, dealers will be looking to leverage customers with Yelp, Google, Bing, or Yahoo accounts.  If a customer does not have any of these accounts, there are ways to capture a review.  Dealers will find that at least 30% of their customers will have one of the accounts listed in the InfoGraphic.

If a dealer identifies customers that have existing accounts, they will most likely have the most reviews in their local market.  Creating new accounts on behalf of your customers inside the store is discouraged.  There are many reasons for this warning, but for now you will have to trust my advice.

In-Store Review Platforms Create Powerful Content

For those customers that don’t have any of these accounts, I strongly suggest that dealers implement an in-store review collection platform.  This will allow dealers to collection 100% of your satisfied customers.  There are a number of choices on the market, each with their strengths and weaknesses.

I will be discussing in-store review platforms in greater detail in Part Four of this series.

The benefits of the in-store review platforms is that the dealership will own the review content.  These platforms allow progressive dealers to syndicate their reviews on blogs, websites, and also to create unique marketing strategies based on their customer reviews.

What About Duplicate IP Addresses?

Dealers must be careful of posting reviews inside the dealership using their WiFi or hard-wired Internet connections.  Without starting a technical discussion on IP addresses, your in-store Internet connections may reflect a physical address not located near your store.

Case in point, I am writing this article in Florence, yet my IP address at this cafe is being identified as Genoa Italy which is HOURS away from this location.

Many review platforms track IP addresses and reviews can be flagged as spam if they all come from same IP address or an address that does not match the physical location of the business.

Using 3G/4G technology on tablets running mobile apps will eliminate this problem because the GPS systems in mobile devices show that the review is coming from a device at the dealership location.   Contrary to popular belief, this is good in a mobile world.

Dealers can download mobile free review applications from Google, Yelp, MerchantCircle.com or platform independent review apps from cDemo.com.

Google Places encourages reviews to be placed in the store, restaurant, or dealership using their mobile application.  This has been confirmed by the Google Automotive team; consumers can post a review using the Google Places App using their existing Google account inside the dealership.

As smartphone market share increases, mobile devices will be the primary technology used for posting online reviews because they allow consumers to share the “emotion” of their experience at the point of contact.

Starting Your In-Store Review Collection Process

The workflow presented in the InfoGraphic above can serve most dealers desiring to build their Internet reputation scores.  Dealers will need to invest in mobile tablets and decide where to insert the survey and review collection in the sales process.

In Part Three, I will discuss how dealers are implementing in-store processes.  Dealer solutions will vary so I will document three different in-store processes to choose from.  After reading Part Three, there should be no reason why anyone would delay starting a review collection process inside their dealership.

This is the end of Part 2 of the series on developing a Reputation Marketing Strategy.  If you enjoyed the article, please share it with your friends, click on the +1 button, and Tweet it out!

Brian

Brian Pasch, CEO
PCG Digital Marketing
Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences
Brian Pasch

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The foundation for any successful reputation-marketing program is a commitment to serve consumers with passion, transparency, and integrity.   Dealers have been trained by OEM’s to focus on CSI scores for years.  Online reviews are the digital equivalent and become the Dealership Reputation Score (DRS), which include more than just customers.

Every person who contacts a dealership at the First Moment of Truth (FMOT) has the power to enhance or diminish a dealer’s reputation. Online reviews for car dealers are typically seen by thousands of potential customers every month during the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT).

For example, a BMW in New Jersey receives over 40,0000 impressions a month on their Google Places business listing which includes their Google user reviews.  Now add impressions on websites that include Yelp, DealerRater, and Edmunds and you can see why online reviews are influential when consumers research cars and dealerships online.

A dealership building a strong online reputation must have clear sales and customer service standards for their employees to read and put into practice.  Training and accountability measures will ensure that consumers have a consistent experience during all contact points.

Starting a Reputation Marketing Program begins with asking every customer about their experience at the dealership before they leave the building.  The casual scripted survey will allow dealers to identify potential problems before they escalate to a negative online review.

Asking satisfied customers if they would be willing to post a review online when done properly is never pushy or contrived.  Consumers are well aware of the importance of online reviews, mostly because of the influence of websites like Amazon.com and TripAdvisor.com.

Millions of dollars on ecommerce transactions each day are influenced during the Zero Moment of Truth based on previous customer reviews placed next to products, hotels, and restaurants.  Car dealers are being viewed through the same lens yet few dealers have taken online reviews seriously.

We surveyed 150 dealers in a state recently, as part of our national survey that we will release at DMSC 2012, and found some startling  statistics.  The data showed me that dealers have not taken the impact of reviews during the Zero Moment of Truth seriously.

Have A Strategy For Different Reviews Platforms

Online reviews are the fuel for accelerating a dealers’ reputation however review websites each have their own strategic value, visibility, and submission processes.  With this in mind, a successful reputation-marketing program must have a comprehensive strategy with a workflow that is based on the overall online strategy for the business.
Reputation marketing processes must also be flexible since changes in the marketplace are inevitable. When Apple introduced the world to Siri in October 2011, it also made waves in world of online review platforms.

When Siri is asked this question “List Honda Dealers” the phone will list them and show their Yelp reviews.

What do you think will happen when your dealership has 20 Reviews on this list and the competitors have none?

Apple’s choice elevated the important of Yelp.com to business owner’s overnight.

With smartphone web traffic on the rise, Yelp must now be part of any review collection process.

The challenge with Yelp for car dealers is that their user community and editors don’t like One-Yelpers; a consumer who creates an account just to post one review for a business.

For car dealers, this means that customers that are active on Yelp are extremely valuable.

Their reviews will be included in the store’s review count so the collection process must ask if the customer is a Yelper.

This is the end of Part 1 of the series on developing a Reputation Marketing Strategy.  If you enjoyed the article, please share it with your friends, click on the +1 button, and Tweet it out!

Brian

Brian Pasch, CEO
PCG Digital Marketing
Text PCGedu to 75674 get information on our upcoming conferences
Brian Pasch

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The platform allows your customers to post reviews on your custom review site while they are in the dealership. Strong advocates of the PrestoReviews platform get over 90% participation rates from their customers.

The reviews on the dealers custom local website are rolled up into the national PrestoReviews website similar how DealerRater.com displays reviews for all dealers on one website. The advantages of the PrestoReviews platform are many but a two main points are the program helps to increase your POD Score and also makes it easier for your customers (service and sales) to post reviews when inside the dealership.

Car Dealer Reviews

This week, Google Maps started to include PrestoReviews dealer websites on Google Places. I have a screen shot below which shows the inclusion of the custom site built for Infiniti of Lisle. Right now the star counts are not being rolled-up but it won’t be long until that integration takes place.

This turn of events further reinforces the need to have a multi-platform IRM strategy that can include more than one review site as your primary focus. All car dealers should have a process that includes encouraging customers to post on ANY review website that is rolled up on your Google Places listing.

For most car dealers I would recommend that they invest in both DealerRater and PrestoReviews since both have their advantages that will deliver a strong ROI for the dealership.

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It’s Social Media Baby!

If you haven’t noticed car dealers are being pushed off of Google Page One for the cars that they sell. To throw salt in the wounds, it seems that every month another car dealer “review site” pops up.

This means when consumers type in a car dealership name, more sites are vying to capture and suck the equity out of the brand.

In reality, many of these sites are just Google Adwords and banner advertising sites that are making money from optimizing website pages on a car dealer’s name.

There is nothing illegal about this and over 60% of car dealers are allowing their name to be leveraged for other people to profit from.

In the area of car dealer reviews, have you take a minute to see just how many websites seek to be the “authority” for car dealer reviews?

Here is a quick sample of the sites that I have found that want to be found in Google, Yahoo and Bing search for the phrase “Car Dealer Reviews” or “Auto Dealer Reviews”:

Car Dealer Specific SItes

• www.mydealerreport.com
• www.cardealercheck.com
• www.dealerrater.com
• www.cardealerreviews.org
• www.prestoreviews.com
• www.dealerscene.com
• www.dealershipratings.com
• www.carsdealersreview.com
• www.autodealerreviews.com
• www.dealerreviewer.com
• www.autodealerreviews.com
• www.edmunds.com

General Review Sites

• www.my3cents.com
• www.insiderpages.com
• www.yelp.com
• www.citysearch.com
• www.judysbook.com
• www.merchantcircle.com
• www.yellowbot.com
• www.switchboard.com
• www.superpages.com

Automotive IRM Confusion

The reason I bring this trend up on this blog is because it can be confusing for a car dealer to know where to focus their Automotive Internet Reputation Management strategies.  So let me give you some practical advice:

1. Look at your own Google Maps listing and see which review websites are being summarized on your Google Maps page.  Focus on getting positive reviews posted on these sites first.
2. Of course, getting posts directly on Google Maps should be a car dealers #1 priority because the “star” ratings are directly counted if a consumer posts on Google Maps.
3. Once you have seen which review sites are being summarized on your Maps listing,  focus on getting more reviews on those sites via email, calls and in store coaching.
4. To see if other sites are having an impact on your business, Google your exact business name and see which review sites are showing on Page One and Page Two.
5. Any sites on Page One or Page Two should get some attention to build positive reviews.

If a review website is not on Page One or Page Two, I would hold off investing any labor on these sites  until the steps listed above are complete.  Then, I would add positive reviews to the largest website vendors first and ignore the lesser sites that only have their own self interests in mind.

Summary:  There are hundreds of websites trying to capitalize on your car dealership name.  Don’t get overwhelmed and just focus on the most visible websites that appear for your car dealership name or the cars you sell in your PMA.

If you need help, call 732-450-8200.

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Here’s an excerpt from Brian’s IRM workbook:

I am often asked how to deal with DUPLICATE directory listings for your business on popular directories like Google Maps and consumer review sites like Yelp, Insider Pages or CitySearch.  It is not uncommon for a business to have multiple entries on the same website if:

1. Your business has moved during the past 10 years.
2. Your business has gone through a name change.
3. Someone added a new listing without checking for previous entries
4. Someone has purposely added the business multiple times with variations on your business name.

Duplicate Entries Are Not Good

Leaving duplicate entries on the same website dilutes your Internet Reputation Management (IRM) process and may trigger the website owner to ban both accounts if they feel you are spamming their index.   Duplicate entries that a consumer may find via organic search or by searching a review website should be removed.

To find duplicates, try these steps using Google search:

1. Search Google for your business name + the name of the review site
2. Search Google for your business phone number + name of the review site
3. Search Google for your OEM brand, city  + name of the review site
4. Search or your business name inside of the website using their search tool.

So, if your dealership name is Brickell Honda, you would test for duplicates on InsiderPages.com by going to Google and typing as a search these three phrases:

1. brickell honda insiderpages
2. 866-645-7878 insiderpages
3. honda miami insiderpages

The process for removing duplicate entries varies by website.  Google Maps has an easy tool to report duplicate or erroneous map entries.  Other websites like Yelp, have a reporting process that requires a few more steps.  Invest the time in making sure all your public directory listings are correct. 

Review All Public Directory Listings

When you review your business listings, here are some suggestions:

1. Make sure you have a tracking number on the most popular websites, like Google Maps, and the review websites that show on Google Page One and Page Two for your dealership name.
2. Make sure your website address is correct
3. Make sure that you have selected the proper business category “tag” for the services you offer.
4. Make sure there are no spelling errors.
5. Make sure you take advantage of any sites that allow you to load photos or videos to your listing page.

Once all the most effective IRM websites are de-duped, record the links to all your business profile pages in a file that can be used to for IRM letters, icon placement for your primary website or to be used in a Reputation Management Portal (RMP). 

Checking What Consumers Are Saying

By having a single document that has all your profile page links, it is a basic ad no-cost way to see what has been written about your business online.  Setup a procedure where someone on your team visits these profile pages to ensure that no complaints have been posted that you are not aware of.

Setting up Google Alerts is another free tool to notify you in real-time when anything is posted online with your dealership name. However ,in case you miss some alerts, checking your manual list will be a second round of checks and balances for your overall social media strategy.

There are paid services that automate this process and save you the manual work but not everyone has extra money to spend.  So you have no excuse, other than time, not to check your current business listings and clean them up if they have duplicates on the same website.

See You In Orlando

At my DD8 seminar I will demonstrating the most effective strategies, policies and procedures to create powerful Internet Internet Reputation Management (IRM) campaign, which should be an integral part of your social media strategy.  Public review websites is one of the most powerful social media tools that consumers have decided are valuable so you can’t ignore them!

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The Digital Dealer Conference being held this April in Orlando will cover the latest developments in Internet Reputation Management strategies.  Brian Pasch, CEO of PCG Digital Marketing, will deliver an in-depth presentation focusing on proactive reputation management techniques that will establish a winning online strategy for auto dealers in 2010. 

Pasch will review and demonstrate the most effective IRM strategies that car dealers can implement at a low cost that deliver a high ROI. Guests of Pasch’s presentation will also learn what other car dealers are doing to increase their positive customer reviews on Google Maps, DealerRater, Presto Reviews, InsiderPages and other important review websites. 

According to Pasch, Internet Reputation Management will be one of the key metrics for success in 2010 and beyond.  Add to this mix new mobile phone technology that can reward consumers for on-site reviews and it becomes very clear why dealers in 2010 need a reputation management policy and strategy.  

“The Internet has empowered consumers with new tools to express their satisfaction and dissatisfaction with car dealers online. Dozens of consumer review websites now appear on Google page one for searches on a car dealer’s business name. I recommend that all dealers look to see what is being written online about them,” says Pasch. 

Brian Pasch is the founder and CEO of PCG Digital Marketing, formerly the Pasch Consulting Group. He is a respected member of the automotive digital marketing community and an active writer and lecturer.  His expertise in automotive SEO, social media and Internet reputation management have made him a popular name among dealers looking for strategic digital marketing advice.

To learn about the automotive SEO services of PCG Digital Marketing, visit http://www.pcgdigitalmarketing.com .  For more information on automotive Internet Reputation Management strategies, visit http://www.automotiveirm.com/

About the Digital Dealer Conference

The annual Digital Dealer Conference attracts hundreds of dealership attendees that are looking to learn more about Internet and technology-related issues.  Speakers who are experts in the field of Automotive Digital Marketing present seminars which help forward thinking dealerships stay ahead of the ever changing technology curve.   For registration or sponsorship opportunities, visit http://www.digitaldealerconference.com/

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Car dealers who want to implement an effective Internet Reputation Management (IRM) process at their dealership should plan on attending Brian Pasch’s seminar at the 8^th Digital Dealer Conference in Orlando.  The conference runs from April 20^th through the 22^nd and will attract the top dealers in the country who are passionate about digital marketing.

Brian will educate dealers on how to create an effective reputation management strategy that empowers the dealership’s customers to share their positive experiences online.  With Google consolidating consumer’s reviews on Google Maps, car dealers can no longer ignore what consumers are saying online.

More importantly, if dealers are not proactively asking their satisfied customer to post their reviews online, the only comments that most dealers will see will be critical.   Brian’s research has shown that as positive reviews increase, so do calls and leads from a Google Maps listing.

Brian will walk attendees through the processes and procedures to establish a strong IRM program as well as leveraging new IRM ideas that include Reputation Management portals (RMP).

For additional information on the seminar schedule and how to register for the 8^th Digital Dealer Conference, visit:  http://www.digitaldealerconference.com

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In these cases, employees decide to hang out the employer’s dirty laundry, that most companies, have in the public eye.  In the automotive industry, consumers would be hard pressed to put in perspective some of the behinds the scenes “language”  or strategies crafted by car dealers.  

Former employees use this knowledge to paint their former employer as a bad person, a liar or characterizations that are much worse.

Car Dealer Reputation Management

Car Dealer executives and owners need to have a proactive Internet Reputation Management campaign in place to defend their good name.  In the summer of 2009 we were approached to help one automotive executive fight back against the unsubstantiated claims of online bloggers, many of which were former employees.  Five months later, the results of our Automotive Reputation Management strategies are paying off.

When you do a search for Carol Grossinger, on Yahoo and Bing, the first page of search results now display the good works Caroline is doing in the community as well as leading her business.  This summer there were multiple attacks on Caroline’s reputation that appeared on Yahoo and Bing Page One search results.  That has been corrected by the IRM team at the Pasch Consulting Group.

10 out of the 10 organic listings for Carol’s name on Yahoo and Bing now properly represent her integrity, business success and her charitable work in the community.

In Yahoo and Bing, we have a complete Page One Management (POM) success story and you can see that from the screen shots below:

Google and Rip Off Report Website

On Google we have 9 out of the 10 organic listings on Page One updated with positive news except for the infamous “RipOffReport.com” website.  Google and this website have a long history of high rankings and this site is challenging to remove from Page One.  It will be pushed off of page one over time but it is not a fast process for some posts.

When stubborn posts like this “compliants” site are on Google Page One, we have to employ even stronger measures to promote our clients reputation.  The owner of the RipOffReport.com has allegedly been extorting cash from companies with negative posts for years and has been tied up in many lawsuits that allege the same.  There is no rational discussions with the staff at the RipOffReport.com; their business is tied to being on page one for company name or executive name searches.

The good news is that we are making progress as you can see from the screenshot below; the negative website is now under the fold when before it was #2 on the first page.  The photos were never there before we started and new videos that we will be adding will also help in 2010.

If you or your automotive dealership has been attacked by former employees or disgruntled consumers, give the IRM team at Pasch Consulting Group a call.  You can ask for Jessica Guida, IRM specialist or Brian Pasch, CEO and founder of the company.  We will review your specific situation and help you implement a proactive Internet Reputation Management (IRM) solution.

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