Google introduced Google Hotpot as a way to simplify posting reviews on Google Places.  Until recently there was no convenient way to post a review on Google Places from a mobile device.

Before this app was available, it was a painful process to post a review on Google Places from my iPad.  This new app solves that issue and opens the door to empower business owners to collect more reviews.

Google has just published their Google Places App which is available for download on the iTunes store.  This app will bring a significant change to how reviews are posted directly on Google Places.  It will also bring direct competition to Yelp.com and other platforms that have similar mobile ratings apps.

Google Places does roll-up reviews from many different review websites but my recommendation is that if you need a place to start your IRM process, begin with posting reviews directly on Google Places.

Collecting Reviews Using HotPot

For business owners, this means they can load an iPad or iPhone with the Google Places App which gives them an easy, one click path, to their business listing ratings page on Google Places.

The Google HotPot technology will automatically show all businesses near the location of the mobile device. If you have not played with Google Hotpot, get busy.  It really makes posting reviews for any business a breeze.

For car dealers,  imagine if during the sales and service processes you ask your customers is they have a Google Account. If they do, you can pass them an iPhone or iPad on the public 3G network and ask them to post a review using their gmail account.

The Google Places App makes it so easy for the customer and they are using their EXISTING Google email. You also have no IP address issues that prevent dealers from getting in store reviews from sites like DealerRater.com.  In reality, Google wants consumers to post reviews on the spot.  Did you enjoy your meal?  Post a review.  Did your oil change go smoothly?  Post a review.

I wonder if DealerRater and other automotive specific websites will start to release mobile apps and unshackle car dealers from the duplicate IP address issues that are antiquated.

Soon, you won’t have to pass them an iPad you can just ask them if they downloaded the Google Places App and they can vote from their own phone.  This new app will significantly increase reviews on Google Places.

You Can Also Send Customized Emails

While you are implementing the mobile review process outlined above, you can also craft a special email to your customers that have given you a Google “gmail” address on their customer file.  Since they have a Google account, sending them a link to your Google Places review page. This brings your customers one click away from being able to post a review.  Your email template for these customers should state that since they are Google users, they don’t have to create an account to post a review.  Let them know that its fast and simple.

So if you want more positive reviews, create a mobile strategy for your business and have your customers review your business while they are with you!  Are you ready to be the business in your area with the highest number of reviews on Google Places?  The race is on!

Watch The Google Places App Video

• Article Archives

Location based applications are a hot segment of the market and Google is moving fast into this space to become a dominant player in consumer reviews and feedback loops.  Google Hotpot takes the data from Google Places and the reviews from other consumers and places them in a simple interface that anyone can use.

Getting Started With Hotpot

The first thing you will need to do is to create your account.  Click through on this link to get started:  http://www.google.com/hotpot

If you have a Google Account, just login and you will be asked to create a screen name.  This is your public “reviewer” name so you can get creative at this point or use your real name.  From the screenshot below, you will also see that your default start-up account needs a photo as well as some basic information.  I decided to use my actual name so my Google HotPot account.

Once you create your account you can start rating local businesses and places nearby.  You are presented with a search box and you can start by reviewing your favorite places.  You have unlimited 1-5 star ratings and initially you only get 10 “Best Ever” stars, which is a special rating.  I’m not sure how the “Best Ever” ratings will pan out but since they are limited, they may be weighted heavier.

Google HotPot Targets Review Websites

The default search is restaurants and so Google is taking aim at the most popular ratings engines like Yelp.com and CitySearch.com. Google also knows businesses that you rated in the past.  For example, you will see that my review count started at eight even though this is a brand new account.  This is from past reviews that I used with this Google email address on Google Places.

Hotpot takes all of Google Places‘ ratings and reviews features and adds a more personal touch. Currently, Place Pages mostly aggregate review data from sources such as Yelp. With Hotpot, users will be encouraged to rate and review businesses directly from their Google-linked profile. Users’ ratings and reviews are tracked with a counter at the top of each profile, and likes and dislikes are remembered and used in Google’s recommendation engine.

When you post a review, you photo will now appear next to the review as shown below:

Looking At Recent Trends

How does this apply to car dealers?  Think stars! The progression over the past few months looks like this.  Google upgrades Google Places and emphasizes the important reviews.  Then Google integrates Google Places reviews into organic search so business “star” ratings appear for broad business searches.  Search for “Baltimore Honda dealers” in Google to see exactly how that look.

Then Google offers business owners the ability to run pay-per-click ads using their star ratings: Google Boost.  Now, Google is making it easier for consumers to post reviews for local businesses.

In 2011 the most important investment dealers can make is to establish a strong online reputation management process.

Good customer service will be rewarded ten-fold if Google’s Hotpot takes off.  Bad customer service will be placed for all consumers to see for popular search phrases.  Dealers need to start inspecting all business processes and test ways to integrate review posting strategies.

As Google makes it easier for consumers to post reviews from their mobile devices, like Google Hotpot, you should be encouraging your customers to post reviews on Google Hotpot when they are in your store or when you are on the phone with them.  If you are NOT asking your loyal and happy customers, then most likely you will only see negative reviews.

PCG Digital Marketing can assist your dealership implement an Internet Reputation Management (IRM) process and show you how to leverage customer reviews.  Act now because this is one of those rare opportunities to leap-frog ahead of your competition.

Google Video Explains It All

• Article Archives

PCG Digital Marketing Recognized By Andrew DiFeo

In a recent Auto Dealer Monthly article, ANdrew DiFeo the owner of Hyundai of St. Augustine shares his thoughts on online marketing, reviews and his success online.  PCG Digital Marketing is mentioned in the article as a part of his successful online strategy. Click on the image to read more about Andrew’s online success and our partnership with his dealership.

The article is on Pages 32  and 33 in the May 2010 Issue of Car Dealer Monthly.  You can read the online edition by visiting this link: http://autodealermonthly.epubxpress.com/

• Article Archives

While many automotive professionals and vendors are just catching up from NADA, my sights are set for another Orlando convention: the 8th Digital Dealer Conference.  The event will be held at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, April 20th-22nd and I predict it will be a record setting event.

The vendor space for the event sold out quickly as many companies have found that the Digital Dealer conference attracts decision makers seeking to enhance their online sales and marketing strategies.  The event is held twice a year and the previous conference in Nashville was a great success for PCG.  For additional information about the event, visit the  8th Digital Dealer Conference website.

8th Digital Dealer Conference Schedule

PCG has reserved a booth again this year so we look forward to taking with automotive professionals about digital marketing, internet reputation management, microsites and our new automotive advertising network.  If you would like a free one-on-one digital marketing evaluation of your website, please call Carrie Hemphill at 732-450-8200 to schedule a time with the PCG marketing specialists.

At the PCG Digital Marketing booth we will be showing at latest strategies that include:

• Reputation Management Portals
• CarPort App
• Automotive Advertising Network
• Regional Microsite Marketing

Digital Dealer Speaking Schedule

Brian has submitted two seminar topics to share with conference attendees.  If the courses are confirmed in the coming weeks, we will post the class times and Brian’s class descriptions.  In Nashville, the class that Brian conducted was standing room only, so get to the class early to get a seat.

I strongly encourage all automotive marketing executives, owners and partners to attend DD8 in Orlando.  With many dealers moving the needle towards an increase in digital marketing spending, you can not afford to miss the latest strategies to stay competitive.

If You Are Coming, Tell Us Below

• Article Archives

Automotive Internet Marketing specialists, the PCG Digital Marketing (PCG), announce the launch of a new comprehensive Internet Marketing package price at $995 per month.  The new offering will provide car dealers with customized online marketing solution that will include microsites, content development, blogging, social media, internet reputation management and Adwords strategies on a monthly basis with the convenience of a predictable monthly budget.  

The services delivered in PCG’s monthly package is configured based on the dealer’s current marketing strategies and vendor relationships. The PCG Digital Marketing package can work with any car dealer platform or existing service providers.

Automotive Social Media Strategies

Automotive social media platforms and online automotive portals have grown in popularity as the majority of consumers begin their car research online. By 2010, Generation Y will outnumber baby-boomers and become one of the most important consumer targets.  96% of Generation Y have already joined social networks. 

Dealers looking to leverage blogging, social media, Automotive SEO and Internet Reputation Management  networks can be overwhelmed with the amount of time and work needed to make an impact online.  Hiring a full time employee who can effectively manage these tasks would require a minimum $50K per year salary. 

With the new PCG package, dealers can saturate their local and statewide online marketing efforts for under $12K per year.   PCG’s new program includes a comprehensive approach to state-of-the-art Automotive SEO, blogging, online press releases, Internet Reputation Management, and social media networking. 

Predictable Marketing Budgets

Brian Pasch founder and CEO of PCG saw a need for this type of fee-based package in the Automotive community.  According to Pasch, “I hear the frustration of dealers at conferences who share stories about just how hard it can be to find the right person, or the person that was designated for Online Marketing was pulled off to work on other projects.  With this package, dealers can leverage the Automotive Internet Marketing expertise that PCG is known for and free up other employees to focus on what they do best.” 

Pasch also points out that Internet Marketing has no one-size-fits-all option.  Those not specifically experienced in the world of Automotive SEO and Marketing may have a harder time understanding the best practices for the industry.  “It’s another gamble that dealers don’t have to take.  PCG has proven success in Automotive SEO that a typical Internet Marketing Agency cannot immediately claim.”

Auto dealers who would like to learn more about our new comprehensive Internet Marketing package can contact the PCG Digital Marketing at 732-450-8200.

• Article Archives

Tonight I decided to to read what other industry professionals have said about the the 34 website providers that I am reviewing.

What I found was odd from an Automotive IRM perspective.

The IRM Buzz

Car industry consultants and software providers have been quick to claim the benefits of posting positive customer reviews online, also known as IRM.

Articles are coming out each week stating the importance of Internet Reputation Management (IRM).

When you look at www.DrivingSales.com  Vendor Reviews, one of the few places that post automotive industry vendor reviews, the numbers are telling.

The children of the shoemaker have holes in their shoes!

Let’s see why.

Automotive Website Vendor Reviews

• Dealer.com has 14,000 dealers using their software and has the most customer reviews and the best scores in this category but a measly 44 dealers posted their comments. That’s less than 1%. (36 Positive / 8 Negative)
• BZ/ADP have over 2,000 dealers using their platforms and only 15 review, less than 1%. (5 positive / 10 negative)
• Dealerskins – 11 Reviews (5 positive/ 6 negative)
• Reynolds & Reynolds – 9 Reviews (5 positive / 4 negative)
• eBizAutos has zero reviews.

www.DrivingSales.com and www.DealerRefresh.com  are two places where dealer website platforms and vendors can be reviewed. On both websites, the representation is the same, very few customers have posted positive reviews.

eBizAutos also has no reviews on DealerRefresh.com nor any I could find doing and Internet search.

As DrivingSales.com grows, I believe it will become to premier place for automotive vendors to be evaluated and scored by the automotive community.

If IRM is good for car dealers, then IRM is good for car dealer vendors and suppliers.

• Article Archives

If you wait until negative reviews show up for your auto dealership it will be more difficult to control the impact of a critical post. By creating a standard operating procedure for IRM you will ensure that positive reviews are being added on your dealer profiles each month.

Your dealership should focus on sites like www.DealerRater.com, www.Yelp.com, www.InsiderPages.com, Google Maps and www.Judysbook.com.  When a negative post then hits, it will be in the minority of negative reviews and the single post’s power will be diminished.

The biggest stumbling block for most car dealers that can’t seem to implement a consistent Internet Reputation Management (IRM) system is time.  The time required to call, email and follow-up some customers is much longer than others.  That’s why setting up a system that can keep the process moving is so vital. Hard to reach customers have to be skipped over since you only need a small percentage of your customers to participate to effect change.

Creating a Sustainable IRM Process

I have been helping auto dealers setup a manageable IRM process that can be kept in house or outsourced.  The key is to prepare, in advance, a list of all the review sites you want to target and to create a script that someone can use to answer customer questions while on the phone. 

You must have a good FAQ sheet prepared so that when you call a customer and ask them to post a review, the caller is not taken off guard with their questions.  The FAQ sheet should include responses to:

• What should I write?
• How long should the review be?
• Should I give my full name?
• What if I had a mixed experience and can’t give you a five star review?
• Will I get compensated for my time?

The process requires that a list of satisfied customers is provided to the person who will be implementing your IRM process.  This can be done on a weekly or monthly basis.  The sooner the request comes from the date of purchase is likely to yield the best results.

Once a customer agrees on the phone to post a positive review, we recommend that you follow-up the call with an email explaining which sites you would like them to post. The email should include a direct link(s) to your business profile page.  Your email should also walk them through the review process on each site, calling out any special requirements that may be needed.

A well written email will make it easy for your customers and increase the number of posts that are actually made.   Don’t overwhelm them by asking them to post on too many sites. Listing one, two or three sites is all you need from any one customer.  By giving them a choice of sites to post, we have found it makes them feel more comfortable with the process.

When speaking with customers ask them to commit to a date that they will post their review.  Make sure you have a system to follow-up on these dates.  By asking them when they will be posting, it makes sending a reminder email very appropriate if they don’t post.

Pace Your Customer Reviews

When implemented, a car dealership can change the dynamics of web reviews in just a matter of weeks or months.  This of course depends on how many negative reviews exist for your business.  The key to remember is that Rome was not built overnight.   Take your time and let your IRM deliver steady reviews over the next year.

Don’t rush too many reviews in any one month since dates are shown on review websites.  Never lie.  Never post reviews under anyone’s name other than yourself.  Never encourage your customers to lie.  Don’t have your customers post reviews from your Internet lounge which may appear that you are posting false reviews.

If you create a process based IRM system, potential customers will see the great things you do on these popular reviews sites as well as Google Maps.  Positive reviews will generate more clicks to your website.   

The customers that we have implemented a process based IRM system have seen their pace of monthly positive reviews increase over 200%.  You can also consider a bonus reward plan for your IRM staff as they hit certain milestones for positive review counts.

• Article Archives

My top seven websites that dealers must check include:

• http://www.dealerrater.com
• http://www.insiderpages.com
• http://www.yelp.com
• http://www.merchantcircle.com
• http://local.yahoo.com
• http://www.citysearch.com
• http://www.superpages.com

There are dozens of consumer review websites but the websites that appear on Google Page One for dealer name searches is where you need to focus your attention and budget.  You also need to see which websites appear in the “Reviews” section of Google Maps. If a website shows on Google Page 1 or 2 for your dealership name, it is important to manage.  Dealerrater.com is one of the most visible websites that car dealers must address as part of their Internet Reputation Management policy.

Heads in the Sand

I am discouraged at times by the higher number of general managers who do not visit these websites and search their own dealership name to inspect when people are saying about their staff and service. In the past week I have spoken with three large car dealers that did not know just how bad the reviews were about their company. 

Some General Managers were just flat out shocked. All three of these dealers did not have a proactive system in place to coordinate getting their customers to post their positive experiences.

That being said, I have to take my hat off to www.dealerrater.com since their website almost always is on page one when you search a car dealer name. The fact that have such a highly optimized website for automotive dealers makes it difficult to ignore.  They are a great example of how powerful Automotive SEO strategies and website content that include dealer names can be.

I also like the fact that dealers can buy advertising space on their page to direct consumers to their current specials. I like the fact that they can respond to any negative criticism. I like the fact that they offer dealers the ability to buy advertising on a competitors listing page. Aggressive but I like it.

Overall, Dealerrater’s package for Internet Reputation Management and Inventory Distribution Marketing is worth a serious look. The feedback I get from my customers who use the full package is very positive.

Testing The Importance of Internet Reputation Management

Type ”Circle BMW” into Google and you will see Dealerrater and InsiderPages on the first page of search results and MerchantCircle on the second page. If you search Google Maps for “Circle BMW” you will see that Google has summarized 7 reviews from these various websites. Dealerrater is the first review in the list and you will see reviews from CitySearch, InsiderPages and SuperPages. All are summarized so all should not be ignored.

How are the reviews that are showing up on your Google Maps listing?

If you have bad reviews on the top 7 websites I listed, you need to start an effort to balance the reviews with positive ones. Do not post them from your dealership. DealerRater has a system in place to monitor IP address spam and could have your website banned for 6 months or more. Take the time to write a phone script and email script to solicit the time of your customers to post positive reviews.

Need Help with Internet Reputation Management?

If you need help setting up an Internet Reputation Management system, give us a call.  You can outsource the communications with your customers and have us make sure that you have a balanced set of positive reviews on all popular consumer reporting websites.  If you ignore this, there will most likely only be negative posts about your company on the Internet.

• Article Archives

There are a number of popular websites where consumers go to post complaints. The most popular being: www.ripoffreport.com , www.dealerrater.com, and www.complaintsboard.com.  In addition to dedicated complaints websites, you should be checking consumer review sites like www.yelp.com , www.merchantcircle.com and www.insider-pages.com  on a regular basis.

We recommend that you periodically check these three websites for posts about your company. Keep in mind that most dedicated “complaints” websites allow you to post a balanced commentary.  Depending on the post and the motivation of the person who created the post, different responses are suggested by PCG. The staff at www.RipOffReport.com is responsive to the concerns of businesses that are being accused on their website. They will however avoid getting in the middle of disputes and encourage people to post responses for all to see.

Internet reputation management is one of the specialty services offered by the PCG Digital Marketing.  When a client contracts us to review negative posts, we will do a thorough job of researching the complaint and try to reach out to the person who is upset. The best course of action is to resolve the matter directly but that is not always reasonable or possible.  If the matter gets resolved, the person who posted the negative commentary has the best chance of having it removed or edited.

In cases where the posts are misleading or just plain lies, we will contact the websites where these posts are made and seek a retraction.  We have had success with removing or editing posts where there are valid misrepresentations. There is no guarantee that posts can be deleted so you have to have alternative plans, which we can provide.  Keep in mind that these consumer complaint websites want to represent the facts and they do not want to hurt any specific company from slanderous or false accusations.

If your company needs help with negative posts on the Internet, please give us a call at 732-450-8200.  We will review your situation and discuss our plan to help remediate and mitigate these negative posts.

• Article Archives

Internet blogging has given individuals unprecedented access and free distribution of written content and opinion.  This is both a blessing and a curse depending on the content and target of the written piece.  The need for Internet Reputation Management has sky-rocketed in response to business owners who find themselves confronted with highly visible commentary of their business on  Google, Yahoo and MSN searches.   

Business owners  often feel helpless in protecting their online reputation from valid blog posts and  negative posts planted by competitors.  On the flip side, businesses often fail to leverage positive commentary and testimonials posted on the Internet. Having a proactive strategy for disseminating positive commentary can often be the best defense against future negative attacks.

Internet Reputation Management services have a bright future. New web content is growing in direct relation to the explosive growth of social networking portals.   Each month new tools are being made available to allow a non-technical Internet user to create their own website, blog and social networking portal.  With the ease at which content can be created, organized and shared on the Internet, business owners need to be mindful of what is being written about their company.

Free Basic Reputation Tracking Tools

Protecting your reputation on the Internet can start with using a simple and effective tool called “Google Alerts”. Once you create a free Google account, you can enter specific search phrases into your own watch list.  Google will then send you an email with links to articles that include the phrases in your watch list.  You can request notifications as they happen or summarized daily, weekly or monthly. I would recommend that you start with the “as it happens” choice for a week, and then decide if you want to move it to “once a day”.

For our company, our watch list includes ‘Brian Pasch”, “Pasch Consulting”, “PCG Digital Marketing”, and “NJ SEO”. We also include in our watch list some of the buzz words in the niches we cover.  For our Automotive Marketing Division our watch list includes: “Automotive SEO”, “Automotive Digital Marketing” , “Car Dealer Websites” and “Automotive SEO Specialist” .  We use Google Alerts for both reputation management as well as tracking what other companies are posting in our competitive space.

Creating your Reputation Management Watch List

 A recommended strategy for a business watch list would include your business name, your product names and the names of your key executives.  Knowing what is being said, both positive and negative, is the first step in creating a sustained reputation management plan.

Your Internet Reputation Management strategy should have a clear escalation plan for positive and negative commentary.  Positive commentary should be evaluated and the very best should be included on your own company blog or website news page.  You may want to get permission from the individual to repurpose their commentary in your marketing materials.

Negative content should have an immediate response strategy which is best handled by a seasoned SEO and Reputation Management Consultant (RPC). Every post will have a different strategy depending on where the post was made and the policies of the website host.

Reputation Management for Professional Services

Recently, a New York City executive coaching and placement firm called the PCG Digital Marketing about a barrage of vicious attacks on the firm’s founder and on the services they offer for executives in transition.  The negative posts were well planned and well placed so that they appeared on Google Page One, when consumers issued a search on the company name.  The CEO said that these comments were directly hurting their business and needed immediate relief.

 The company’s lawyer had already pursued legal action against the individual who posted the verbal assaults under different names and aliases.  This disgruntled individual eventually signed a retraction letter and promised to stop this Internet reputation attack.  In reality, he never stopped posting.  So we were called in to help. Within 30 days we were able to have the most visible articles removed from the various websites. We also found additional negative posts on business portal sites that we were able to remove directly.

PCG created an offensive plan to get articles posted about the hundreds of satisfied clients the company had from its long history.  For this client, they never invested the time to post their client testimonials and case studies on the Internet.  Using various techniques, PCG was able to add significant content in Google page 1 and 2 for searches on their company name.

Reputation Management for Car Dealers

For Automotive Dealers, online reputation management must be part of your Internet Marketing Strategy to protect your Primary Market Area (PMA) from neighboring car dealers.  If a car dealer’s visible Internet reputation is poor, consumers may very well shop at a neighboring dealership.  

I have seen posts on the Internet that were outlandish and shocking.  If I were in the market to buy a car, these negative posts would give me second thoughts about buying from certain dealers.  It only takes a few angry consumers to make any dealership look like the devil.  You can search Google yourself to find dealers being called racist, discriminatory and deceptive. 

Often, consumers have a choice between two dealers that are 15 miles apart. If one car dealer has glowing reputation scores and one has low scores, reputation can sway their final pick.  I recognize that other factors play a part in that final decision like price, convenience and availability.  However, if your Internet reputation can be improved, taking remedial action is mandatory to continue to grow your Internet sales leads.

Sites like DealerRater.com, Yahoo Local, Insider Pages, Google Maps and Yelp all have review engines that can appear on Google Page One when consumers search your business name.  General Managers need to implement a system to regularly request positive review from their customers.  This can include new car customers as well as service customers.

Businesses should create a list of all review pages in an email and send these links to satisfied customers.  The email should request that they post an honest review of your company.  Do not attempt to post customer reviews from your own business computers.  Many of these sites track IP addresses and you could be banned from the directory for review spamming.

Empowering Your Satisfied Customers

Reputation Management requires both an offensive and defensive strategy.  The longer your offensive strategy is in place, the harder it is for negative commentary to drastically affect your business.  If you have been lax at posting positive commentary, then ANY negative commentary will look out of proportion.

Business owners can no longer ignore public commentary and commercial review websites.  A restaurant owner that has a comment posted on the Internet about a food poisoning episode, without balanced commentary, will be affected for consumers looking to try a new restaurant using Internet based searches.   A hotel that has posts about dirty bed linens and mildew will see their online bookings drop.  Simply stated, any post with your company name needs to be reviewed.

The PCG Digital Marketing has effective methodologies and strategies to assist business owners in implementing  a solid reputation management action plan.  If you would like additional information, visit www.paschconsulting.com

• Article Archives