Jul 22, 2020 | FRIKINtech
Rick Gibbs named chairman of the board at FRIKINtech, Inc., effective July 22nd, 2020. FRIKINtech is short for FRIKTIONLESS technologies and aimed at car dealers who want to automate transparency on their websites and in their CRMs.FRIKINtech is paramount to the...
Jul 6, 2020 | CRM, Marketing, Websites
In 2001, I was handed the reigns to my dealer group’s website. Back then, showing a list of cars like a spreadsheet was a big deal. Photos? Ha! Those were untenable due to cost. Third parties weren’t much of a thing, but neither was the online shopping experience. The...
Jun 15, 2020 | Desking, Digital Retail, Lead Response, Marketing, Websites
Every car deal involves numbers, the dollars and cents of the deal. When numbers are presented, customers react. This has been happening since the first car was sold. With current automotive digital retail tools, we lose the rudimentary act of gauging a...
May 28, 2020 | CRM, Digital Retail, Marketing, Websites
For Part Two (part one here), we must first acknowledge that car shoppers are irrational and emotional. More often than not, we make purchase decisions based on what looks good and feels cool instead of choosing vehicles with adequate comfort, decent gas mileage, and...
May 28, 2020 | Digital Retail, Marketing, Websites
In 2014 one of my Dealer.com coworkers had an idea to put a “Buy This Car” button on dealer websites and present payments to the customer after soliciting their trade and credit information. He believed dealers were the problem for...
May 12, 2020 | FRIKINtech
When the up-bus unloads, often at least one of the passengers is the customer’s third base coach. Well, it’s time to level the playing field. Introducing FRIKIN Dealer Third Base Coach, Chris Latta. Drawing from his extensive, decades-long success in...
Apr 7, 2020 | CRM, FRIKINtech, Lead Response, Marketing, Websites
As hard-hitting COVID-19 was on the world it did not cripple online car shoppers. As more manufacturers launched more compelling incentives and quarantining measures prevented showrooms full of ups, people went online. The above graph shows the engagement rate, by...
Mar 25, 2020 | Digital Retail, Marketing, Websites
Now is the best time to buy a new car. We’ve been saying it for years trying to drum up a sense of urgency for car shoppers. Well now, it’s true. For need-based buyers, the window may be closing to purchase a vehicle as dealers nationwide are facing...
Mar 13, 2020 | CRM, Digital Retail, Email, Lead Response, Marketing, Websites
In addition to our shared personal concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, car dealers, understandably, are also worried about the potential impact on sales in the coming weeks and months. When foot traffic slows, how are we supposed to keep in-market car shoppers...
Feb 11, 2020 | CRM, Lead Response, Marketing
Bev and Pete were shopping for a new vehicle. Like all smart consumers, they began their vehicle search online. With guidance from Google, Facebook, and few review sites, they narrowed down their contenders. Pete wanted a pickup and Beverly, a minivan (Dad never stood...
