One of the industries largest lead providers to car dealers responding to an inquiry why our lead sales were down responded that car dealers have cut back on buying leads in August.   From our estimates dealers have cut back anywhere from 25-40% of their normal lead spending.

Thousands Of Leads a Day Up In Smoke

For example, our Cash for Clunkers website has over 800 leads a day that can not be placed with new car dealers.  Imagine the thousands of  leads generated by Edmunds.com, Motortrend.com and other popular lead generation websites each day.  All of these leads will become stagnant and cannot be resold under normal contract terms which dictates that leads have to be send to dealers within 30 minutes of being entered into a website form.

It seems that car dealers are flooded with calls and walk-ins that are interested in buying a car under the Cash for Clunkers program and they don’t need extra leads.  I can understand the rationale especially if the dealer is running low on inventory but I would say that turning away leads may not be in their best interest.

Looking Out To September

Not all third party leads result in an immediate sale. Leads that arrive from 3rd parties can represent consumers in the beginning of the sales cycle or at the end of the cycle.  If the CARS program has awakened the consumer to action, it won’t last for very long.  We predict that the total $3 billion will be used up by Labor Day weekend.

Cutting back on lead purchases now may be a result of dealers being exhausted with all the additional paperwork generated from the Cash for Clunkers program.  But in a few weeks that will be gone and dealers who turn away new leads in August will be creating a sales gap in their September and October pipeline.

Slowed Automotive Support Sales

I also imagine that automotive sales support services may be having a tough time getting new clients in August.  Sales professional calling up a dealership in August  to sell them a new tool to convert more sales, increase their time of their website, or to drive more traffic to their website will most likely be told to call back at the end of September.

So its a good time to be selling cars after a horrible past 12 months and probably rough times for the support industry.

Dealers will have to think of new ways to continue the good times this fall is Congress does not inject more money into the Cash for Clunkers program.  That would mean getting back to the basics.

Interesting times indeed.

• Article Archives

Chrysler announced today a new progran called “Double CASH For Your Old Car” Incentive Program.

This Chrysler rebates will start on July 23, 2009 and will offer consumers additional incentives that can be combined with the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) credit.

For some consumers this can equal up to $9,000 off the MSRP for new cars that qualify for the NHTSA CARS program.

I love this tactic and it raises the bar for manufacturers who want to capture the most eyeballs generated from the Cash for Clunker press.

Hyundai had a great marketing plan by starting Cash for Clunkers sales on July 2, 2009.

The Chrysler marketing plan tops Hyundai because their incentives apply to ALL consumers purchasing a 2009 Chrysler, Dodge or Jeep vehicle.

There are SO MANY consumers who don’t qualify for a CARS rebate and they are angry. Getting $4,500 from Chrysler is giving them the same CASH they would have gotten without all the NHTSA papwerwork and restrictions.

That means any clunker they want to get rid can be tossed to a salvage yard and they can get the salvage cash. They can get up to $4,500 in rebates and get themselves into a new car.

Very clever and perfect timing.

• Article Archives

From over 24,000 consumer responses, 4,900 of the consumers (20%) plan to trade in a Ford car or truck for their CARS credit. In second place with 3,458 or 14% of responses are consumers who plan to trade in a Chevrolet car or truck.

When looking at the OEM manufacturers that consumers plan to purchase, it would indicate that Honda and Toyota dealers will benefit the most.

Purchases Planned

Based on 24,000 data points, consumers have also indicated which brands they plan to purchase with their CARS credit. Toyota, Honda, Ford and Chevrolet brands will be clear winners from the $1 billion dollars in funding.

For additional information on the Cash for Clunkers data presented on this page, contact PCG Digital Marketing at 732-450-8200.

• Article Archives

The only consistent advertisers for the term Cash for Clunkers in the prior weeks was Edmunds.com and our company for www.cashforclunkersfacts.com.  Now the page is filled with Pay-Per-Click ads from national brands; some have good ads and others do not.   I’m surprised that some manufacturers have PPC ads going to landing pages that just suck.  

I think GM and Ford are doing to best job  with Cash for Clunkers landing pages right now and Mazda is one of the worst.  Their landing page doesn’t even mention the CARS program.

Automotive Microsites

Our advance planning was rewarded us well which shows that WordPress automotive microsites can compete with the big boys if you plan in advance.  In fact one day our website received over 70,000 vistors and is now averaging over 40,000 visitors a day.  This is good news because the program has not even started and we are on Google Page One, in the top spot for the term “Cash for Clunkers”.

We are also at the top of the search results for other related phrases like:

• Cash for Clunkers Florida
• Cash for Clunkers Ford
• Cash for Clunkers Chevrolet
• Cash for Clunkers Toyota
• Cash for Clunkers Fort Worth

First Responders Get Rewarded in Automotive SEO

Brian Pasch has been advocating for the last two months that dealers get a jump start on the bill through blog articles on Automotive Digital Marketing, Driving Sales, Automotive SEO as well as this website.  Few dealers were willing to step out in advance of the bill becoming signed into law.  Those who took my advice are at the top of organic search results.

We were the first company to come up with a marketing logo to help car dealers communicate with consumers about the upcoming legislation.  Today, hundreds of car dealers are using our marketing logo to draw attention to the program and get consumers to call.  We have offered to use of the logo to as many companies related to the auto industry as have contacted us for permission.  Dealers can download logo here.

You can go to Google and Type “Cash for Clunkers Phoenix” and see that Bell Honda is #1 in the state for ALL brands.  If you type into Google “Honda Cash for Clunkers Arizona“  you will see that Bell Honda is #1 again.  Hats off to Travis Holt for his foresight into planning ahead for strong Honda car sales in Arizona.

Budget For SEO and SEM

Car dealers know that the official start date of the CARS program will not be until the end of July.  That gives dealers approximately three weeks from today to put in a plan that can have some real search visibility by the end of July.

Dealers should consider building an organic marketing plan today as well as budgeting for an SEM campaign.  We have seen some impressive SEM ideas from ADP that dealers should consider.  You can contact Ralph Paglia about ADP advertising packages that can be up and running quickly.

The PCG Digital Marketing can assist dealers with on-site and off-site SEO strategies like press releases, blogging and dealer profile pages on www.cashforclunkersfacts.com. A dealer profile page is optimized for your brand, state and city.  Here are two examples of dealer profile pages:

• http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.com/dealers/california/nissan-cars/los-angeles
• http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.com/dealers/texas/chevy-cars/fort-worth-chevrolet-cash-for-clunkers 

In the end, our marketing plan was to educate consumers and to motivate those with an old clunker to get in and buy a new car with the limited time offer that CARS presents to consumers.  If you need help implementing an effective online organic marketing plan, call us at 732-450-8200

• Article Archives

The Ford website (www.letfordrecycleyourride.com) offers consumers the ability to type in their old clunker information to see if they qualify for a cash voucher from the CARS program.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides the only official reference for car MPG estimates at http://fueleconomy.gov.  The information on this website is the only final source for qualification data that car dealers will use when consumers trade in their car.

Ford is the third most popular car brand that consumers visiting www.cashforclunkersfacts.com .  We congratulate Ford and the opportunity this program will bring for new car sales. Consumers have sent us a clear message that they want to buy Ford cars. (See Data)

Cash for Clunkers Email Alerts

The Ford website also has a feature called “Sign-up for Email Alerts“. Consumers can enter their email address to be placed on Ford’s email marketing list. Interestingly enough, the Ford website provides similar email alert features to the Cash for Clunkers Facts website (www.cashforclunkersfacts.com ) that has been up since May.

The email alert system on www.cashforclunkersfacts.com was the first setup for the Cash for Clunkers program. The website has been alerting consumers throughout the legislative process. Each step of the way the website has been sending emails to consumers and the feedback from the system has been very positive.

It would seem that a number of car dealers are getting on the band-wagon to inform consumers about the Cash for Clunkers bill which is now called CARS. We applaud Ford’s efforts since we have been encouraging dealers to update their website with our consumer awareness logo for the past six weeks.

The www.cashforclunkersfacts.com website was one of the first dedicated websites to cover the bill before it was passed. It looks likes the rush is on to provide consumers with information about the new program. To up the ante, Ford has created yet another term to describe Ford’s take on the CARS program: “Let Ford Recycle Your Ride“.

By the end of the month we could see about 20 different slogans for the program.

We like the Cash for Clunkers moniker since it has been what American consumers and our politicians have been calling the program for the last six months. It has a “clunkier” name and it resonates when you say it. In the crowded market of people claiming to describe the program better, we like “Cash for Clunkers”.  We don’t call hamburgers “chopped steak”.  The average Americam will be calling the program Cash for Clunkers for sure.

It is said that when people imitate your ideas it is the sincerest form of flattery. It seems like some people are catching on that consumers are very interested in the bill and that helping them understand the program is good for business. That is what this website has been doing for two months; helping consumers understand the program.

Share Your Feedback

The website www.cashforclunkersfacts.com , a top destination for consumer information on the CARS program, has added two special pages to allow consumer feedback. One page is for consumers to express their appreciation of their website. The second page is to share their feelings about the program. Consumers are encouraged to click on the links below to participate:

• Send us a note of praise for the Cash For Clunkers Facts website: Click Here
• Share your thoughts on the CARS program: Click Here

The next few months will be very interesting for the program.  Follow Twitter updates on the CARS program  at:  http://twitter.com/cashclunkers

• Article Archives

The bill is all but signed and it is attached to the wartime spending bill that has to be signed. Dealers can start to prepare and educate their staff on the program.  The big problem for car dealers is that while the program starts on July 1st, there is no define systems in place outlining how they will get paid. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be picking a vendor to implement the dealer back-end system this week.

Car dealers will have to prepare for the “float” of monies that will be due to them as cars are sold.  A car dealership selling 100 cars in the first 30 days could have close to a half a million dollars owed to them.  Aside from the money issues, dealers need to prepare for the storage and salvaging of the cars that are traded.  The process and paperwork has not been defined for qualifying trade-ins yet so it looks like dealers will have to stockpile these cars until it is clear what paperwork and validation must be in place before the car can be scrapped.

Cash for Clunkers: Holiday or Headache?

For a sales professionals in high demand brands (see below), Cash for Clunkers will be a holiday celebration.  For dealer principles, this will be a compliance headache as well as added liability.  From data collected from www.cashforclunkersfacts.com the top 10 brands that consumers have indicated they will buy are:

1. Toyota 18.2%
2. Honda 14.7%
3. Ford 13.3%
4. Chevrolet 10.1%
5. Nissan 5.4%
6. Hyundai 4.1%
7. Dodge 3.6%
8. Volkswagen 3.3%
9. Acura 3.2%
10. Kia 2.9%

 To view the top 20 list visit: Cash for Clunkers Top 20 List

Cash for Clunkers Website

The website the Pasch Consulting Group was asked to create to help car dealers and consumers with the Cash for Clunkers program has been a great success. We are responding to over 100 emails and 200 calls per day from people asking about the Cash for Clunkers program.

For car dealers, we have created a National Cash for Clunkers Dealer directory and a Participating Dealer logo to display on your website.  The directory is voluntary of course and will not replace the registration that dealers will have to do with the federal government.  To be added to the directory follow these instructions: 3 Steps for CFC Directory

We have also made up some free CFC banners branded with your dealership car brands, if you want to use them in email blasts or on your website.  Logos and banners are free.   Banners can be download on Vox.

Consumers Aware of Cash for Clunkers Program

On Friday June 19, 2009 we had over 65,000 visitors to the www.cashforclunkersfacts.com website which confirms that consumers are aware and ready to purchase a new car with their Cash for Clunkers voucher.

For additional information on the Cash for Clunkers program, read our FAQ sheet which gets updated almost daily.  Cash for Clunkers Answers

• Article Archives

For Automotive SEO being the first to act can often be tipping point for success.  This is one of those times where car dealers who act now, may be rewarded this summer with greater organic search traffic.

If you have not been paying attention to the Cash for Clunkers legislation that is being considered in Washington, you should start reading.  You can visit www.cashforclunkersfacts.com  and read the news posts on the website for a quick briefing.

Since the bill is not assured of passing, you have to decide if you want to invest a little time to start to optimize your website for the eventual searches that will take place if the bill passes.  If the bill passes, it is estimated that there will be a surge of new car sales ; 1.4 million cars are some estimates being tossed around.

Survey of Consumer Interest

From the chart below, Toyota, Honda, Ford and Chevy dealers already have a considerable edge in consumer interest. The Toyota and Honda rankings did not surprise me but I was pleased to see that Ford and Chevy are the 3rd and4th most popular brands consumers are interested in if the bill passes.

If you are one of these four dealers, there are many clear reasons why your website should start talking about this legislation.  You can use the data on this chart to start a content marketing campaign that says that consumers are acknowledging your brand’s success in creating fuel efficient cars that people want to buy.

If you are not selling one of the top four manufacturers consumers are considering, if they will get a $4,500 cash voucher, then your attack plan is different.   The real question is that if you have 30-60 days in advance of the bill being signed, what will you do to educate consumers that your brand sells fuel efficient cars that qualify for this voucher.

Cash For Clunkers Dealer Badge

Consumer interest is high so I thought that I would share this insight with my blog readers so at least a group of car dealers would be prepared, if the bill is signed.  I have created a Cash for Clunkers Participating Dealer badge which you can add to your website and blog to start to create an awareness with consumers who visit your website.

To get the code to add the badge to your website, follow this link:

http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.com/bill/dealer-cash-for-clunkers-badge

This badge can be linked to a page that you create that outlines your support of the bill and that consumers who want assistance with purchasing a new fuel efficient car should contact you.   Your dealership should be the FIRST in your area to call yourself a participating dealer which will start to raise questions about the bill and how you can help.

If the bill never passes, you will still be capturing new leads from consumer searches about the bill in your state if your content is optimized properly.  If the bill passes, a flood of new cars sales will be up for grabs and who is going to get the most sales, depends on your readiness.

• Article Archives

The House and Senate are currently working out the details of two different versions of the bill. Both sides have yet to reveal what the subsidies would cost the federal government, although some experts suggest the cost could be as high as $4.5 billion if the maximum number of vouchers are distributed.

Regardless of initial cost, the end result could mean big business for US car dealers if and when the bill passes.  Additionally, the move to purchase more fuel efficient cars could help position the US to become less dependent on foreign oil, a strategy both sides of the party agree would be positive. 

According to the proposal, consumers would get a $3,500 voucher if they trade in a car that gets less than 18 mpg for a new car with mileage of at least 22 mpg. Vouchers of $4,500 would be awarded if the new car gets at least 10 mpg more than the old. 

www.Cashforclunkersfacts.com outlines how consumers can take advantage of the new bill if signed into law.  In order to qualify, consumers would have to trade in their gas guzzlers for a more fuel-efficient vehicle that averages between 2 to 10 additional miles per gallon. 

Consumers can stay tuned for alerts and updates on the passage of the new bill at http://www.cashforclunkersfacts.com

• Article Archives

According to data published on May 9, 2009 on the Cash For Guzzlers website, Honda, Ford and Toyota are the top three manufacturers that would benefit from the Cash For Clunkers legislation.

If I was operating a Honda dealership in the US I would be all over this data and updating my website with content about the program.   Read Full Story

Cash For Guzzlers Attracting Consumer Interest

In the first week of operation of www.cashforguzzlers.net, Honda car models were the top inquiry for consumers interested in purchasing a fuel efficient car with the government’s proposed voucher program. The Honda models of interest were the Honda Accord, Honda Civic and Honda Fit, the nearest competing brand by number of inquiries was the Ford Motor Company.

Ford Motor Company was the most popular US company from consumer price inquiries. Interest in a wide range of Ford models topped GM and Chrysler models by a 4:1 margin. The data showed that consumers have a strong interest in the Ford Fusion Hybrid and select Ford cars and trucks.

Of the Big Three automakers, data suggests that Ford has done the best job at educating US consumers that the Ford Fusion and the Fusion Hybrid is a fuel efficient car that is priced right for the market.

Consumers indicated that their third most compelling brand of fuel efficient cars were Toyota’s. Interest was strong for the Toyota Prius and Yaris; but early data gives Ford car an edge over the Toyota Prius.

Car Dealer Websites

If early demand is any indicator, car dealers should start writing additional content on their websites that addresses the Cash for Clunkers program and to strengthen their organic search visibility in their PMA.  If the bill is passed and signed into law by President Obama, there will be a flood of searches on this topic.   Car dealers who prepare in advance will be rewarded.

If you need any assistance preparing your website, writing press releases or leveraging social media on this program, give us a call or send me an email:  brian@paschconsulting.com

• Article Archives