LotVantage’s Backpage posting for auto, motorcycle and powersports dealers is now easier to do than ever.  Previously, the LotVantage software (which also enables dealers to post custom ads to craigslist) required a few extra steps in order to successfully post an ad to Backpage.com, but is now set up like a data feed.

The new Backpage.com posting features:

1. One-click posting!
2. No captcha code necessary
3. No Backpage account required

That’s right, no more 3 steps and manual codes, everything goes automatically with just one click for each vehicle and every ad contains all of the links that are driving traffic from craigslist to you.  Best of all, our Backpage.com product is still just $25 and it’s pro-rated for this month when you sign up so you’re looking at less than $10 to get started in July!

Click here to find out more about LotVantage’s one-click Backpage posting for auto, motorcycle and powersports dealers or sign up for a free trial today.

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Ever receive a sales call and wish you had a way of knowing the caller’s ID and where they were calling from? LotVantage now provides an advanced Call Tracking service to help auto, motorcycle and powersports dealers better manage their leads.

Don’t just receive calls – track them!

The LotVantage Call Tracking software provides dealers with a unique toll free phone number that is inserted into each online advertisment. The toll free number allows the phone calls to be tracked and provide the dealership with important details about the lead, such as: the caller’s name, phone number, state and area code they are calling from, and the date and time of the call.

It gets even better – LotVantage Call Tracking for auto dealerships can tell whether or not a call was answered and the duration of the phone call or voicemail message. But what was the conversation about? Is the lead a serious buyer? Never forget the details again! LotVantage Call Tracking records the conversations and voicemails and enables dealers to listen to them – all from within the software!

Enable Call Tracking in your LotVantage account today, or click here to receive a free trial & demo!

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With so many auto, motorcycle and powersport inventory marketing systems out there it can get a little difficult to figure out the right fit for your dealership. At LotVantage, we cater to dealerships of all sizes and ensure the best possible customer support out there. That’s just one of the reasons our customers rave about our online marketing solutions.

Superior customer support is integral to our success and the success of the dealerships that rely on us. With other companies, you might get the run around and never even receive a call back.  You can think of LotVantage’s Support team as a technology partner with your dealership – anything you need, just ask and we’ll provide the solution.

Need an example? Many online inventory marketing softwares provide websites with email for auto dealers. What they don’t provide is adequate support behind it. How will your site get updated if you need the phone number changed? What can be done to better represent your dealership’s image online? What happens if you can’t access your email? LotVantage provides multiple avenues for you to obtain these answers: chat on live support with a customer service representative, send us an email, browse the LotVantage Help Desk, submit a support ticket, or hey – just give us a call at 813-470-7094!

Review our eBay Motors & Craigslist Getting Started Guide, browse the Frequently Asked Questions and see the latest updates at the LotVantage HelpDesk.

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LotVantage recently added an intelligent AutoResponder to the software’s ever-expanding lead management tool for auto and powersports dealers.The AutoResponder is fully customizable and allows dealerships to provide potential buyers with specific information about the vehicle they’re interested in along with a sales contact immediately after an inquiry is made.

LotVantage uses keywords that automatically insert details in to the email so there’s no extra work on the dealer’s end! The AutoResponder provides potential buyers with specific information such as the vehicle’s year, make and model along with the salesperson’s name, email and phone number. The new addition to the lead management system helps dealerships make contact even when they’re not available, so there’s never a missed sale.

To find out more about the LotVantage AutoResponder, click here. Already a LotVantage user? Click here to get help configuring the AutoResponder.

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As a technology provider for auto and powersport dealers, we’re constantly seeking new ways to help assist dealerships in performing better.  At LotVantage, our motto is “Driving Your Technology Online” because that’s exactly what we do.  We ensure that our customers are able to list, manage and track their inventory online to multiple marketplaces in the easiest and quickest fashion that will ultimately bring in more leads. So, while LotVantage provides the software to get your vehicles noticed and sold online, what technology assists inside your dealership?

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Mercedes Uses iPads To Speed Deals, End Cubicle Culture” discusses how dealerships are integrating new technology into their daily routine. At the end of May, 30 of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz dealerships introduced Apple’s iPad into their sales process. Instead of bringing buyers into a cubicle to discuss current discounts, rebates and financing, salespeople at those dealerships now work alongside the vehicle to be purchased with the help of the iPad.

While I find this concept very intriguing and definitely on point with current technology trends, I wonder if Mercedes-Benz will be successful at introducing the iPad into all of their 350 U.S. dealerships. There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to any technology and while Apple has done a magnificent job at making the iPad user-friendly, many people find it difficult to adapt to even the iPhone. Furthermore, who will be training & supporting the sales team at these dealerships when they have questions?

So, what do you think? Is incorporating the iPad into the sales process a positive move for auto and motorcycle dealerships?

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LotVantage featured in Full Throttle's May 2010 issue

LotVantage was recently featured in Full Throttle, a Florida magazine for motorcycle enthusiasts. The article entitled “Craigslist – A How-To For Dealers” covers the current economic climate and it’s effect on the  motorcycle industry and smart ways to overcome sales struggles, namely with craigslist.

“The coming months will be a ‘make it or break it’ for many dealers hoping that the warming months will bring customers back to the showrooms…the success for most dealers will hinge on the effectiveness of their online marketing efforts”, the article states. Instead of focusing on a dealer’s website alone or high-cost sites for promotion many dealers are being encouraged to try out craigslist.org in their local market. Why? “Craigslist boasts over 10 million unique visitors each month and is currently ranked as the 7th most visited website in the United States, but best of all Craigslist is free”, the article continues. We all know time is money and although craigslist is free, it can be quite tedious to list just one vehicle – that’s where LotVantage comes in.  LotVantage provides an easy to use inventory management system for dealers to efficiently post vehicles to craigslist, among other online marketplaces.

The article goes on to talk about the experience St. Pete Powersports had with LotVantage and their success using craigslist to sell vehicles. “I was surprised, but we had people calling about the craigslist bikes on the same day we posted them”, claimed Donny Wilson, General Manager of St. Pete Powersports. Not only did St. Pete Powersports receive over 300 phone calls about their craigslist ads, but they also exceeded their previous sales by 14 motorcycles!

You can read the full article here and please be sure to check out Full Throttle’s website and magazine! While you’re at it head on over to St. Pete Powersports to see LotVantage in action.

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We’ve just launched our newly redesigned website, LotVantage.com, with an entirely new look and feel. The new site not only looks more visually appealing, it also is much more user-friendly and easier to navigate. Plus, the new website outlines all of the new features of Lot Vantage such as our support for motorcycles and classic cars.

Now Lot Vantage has more to offer for more types of dealerships than ever before. Motorcycle dealers can maximize their online presence by posting their inventory to sites like Cycle Trader, Craigslist, and their own web site. Dealers that handle older, classic cars can enter vehicle information without a VIN, making the listing process more accurate.

Also on the recently launched Lot Vantage site is a new support section. The Lot Vantage Help Desk was created to help you get started with the Lot Vantage software and provide solutions to your questions. You can view tutorials on everything from getting started with Lot Vantage to troubleshooting with Craigslist, eBay Motors, Backpage, CycleTrader and more. Browse the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to quickly locate the answer to your question, watch a video on how to post on Craigslist, submit a support ticket and much more.

We hope that the new website provides a better end-user experience to all of our visitors and customers. Let us know what you think!

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The power of Lot Vantage is no longer restricted to just auto dealers – the system now handles motorcycles as well! Our inventory marketing software allows motorcycle dealers to manage their inventory on craigslist, eBay Motors, Backpage.com, and even provides an inventory display for motorcycle dealer websites.The platform starts with a VIN decode and then lets you add all the options that make every bike unique. Our streamlined listing process lets you add those critical details for aftermarket options quickly and painlessly.

Motorcycle dealers can now load and promote all of their bikes on leading web sites like Craigslist, eBay Motors, and Backpage.com in just three clicks per cycle. Plus, there is a VIN decoder that does all of the dirty work such as filling out all of the motorcycle’s standard information based on make, model and year. Users can even track all of their leads and monitor listings as well as active eBay Motors auctions from one easy-to-read interface.

On top of that Lot Vantage enables users to post unlimited photos of each bike, select from 20 professional templates for each posting, and provide customers with a secure online credit application. We can even build you a web site that will always display your current inventory!

The world of online motorcycle sales just got a whole lot more interesting.

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The U.S. auto industry had one heck of a year in 2009. Nearly every automaker in the United States struggled to stay afloat and sales plummeted thanks mostly to the recession. December, however, did bring some good news as the industry continued it’s slow rise out of the pits. While shoppers’ enthusiasm is still below pre-crises levels there was a slight uptick in auto sales during the last month of ‘09.

The annualized rate of U.S. auto sales went up to 11.2 million, which is up from 9.1 million at the end of 2008 but still far below the 16 million it was before the economy bottomed out. Like Jessica Caldwell, senior analyst at Edmunds.com, said, “It’s not even growth, really — it’s more like stabilization”.

Some U.S. automakers are being hit much harder than others. Of course, GM and Chrysler have been the two most negatively impacted by the recession. Chrysler’s December sales were down 4% from last December and annual sales were down 36% for 2009. General Motors, which is now largely owned by the United States Government, saw December sales drop 6% below December ‘08 levels. GM’s annual sales were also down 30% from 2008. For GM, those drops can be attributed to a reduction in fleet sales, a drop in spending for consumer incentives, and the decision to close the Pontiac and Saturn brands. Thanks to the U.S. Government’s bailouts of these two automakers and a $3 Billion Cash For Clunkers program auto sales were able to somewhat stabilize.

China, meanwhile, surged and has nearly matched the U.S. as the largest auto market.

The brightest spot for the U.S. auto industry has been the performance of Ford, which did not take any government bailout money. Ford’s annual sales were down from 2008 but December sales were up 33% from the same month in ‘08. The company’s stock has also surged to over $11 per share, up from just over $1 a share in early 2009.

Some people project that the number of cars scrapped in 2009 was higher than the number of new cars sold. This number wouldn’t be inflated by Cash For Clunkers because each clunker was traded for a new car. Public transportation in the United States has become more heavily relied upon as a result. Although there may be a slight shift away from personal transportation to public transportation, John DeCicco, a University of Michigan lecturer and former senior fellow at the Environmental Defense Fund, believes the U.S. is far from ending it’s love affair with the automobile.

Source

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Although auto dealerships across the country slashed their marketing budgets by 27% through the first three quarters of this year compared to 2008, they did increase their ad spending in one area that continues to see growth, the internet. Online ad spending soared 45% higher above last year’s figures as car dealerships realized the effectiveness of online marketing dollars.

A study performed by Northwood University for AutoTrader.com shows that the internet is the leading media driver of walk-in traffic for auto dealerships. Of the 25,000-plus participants in the survey, 54% said that the Web was the primary media source leading them to the dealership. With the internet accounting for such a large percentage of walk-ins its no wonder that new and used car dealerships spent about $3 Billion in 2009 in online advertising. That number is expected to increase even further in 2010 (by about 8.6%). Paid search results, web displays, social media, and auto-listing software are some of the places that dealerships are spending their dollars. Just like nearly every other industry, the auto industry has found a way to use the internet to its advantage and generate interest and leads much more efficiently by diverting their ad spending to the source that has the best ROI.

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