Despite continual negative, inaccurate and biased reports from the Downs Mail newspaper, we were granted planning permission last night.

Phase 3 of GForces development is underway and expected to be fully operational by Christmas.

With doors now officially open for many school leavers and graduates we are excited about the prospect of growing the business even faster.

(Details to be released shortly)

According to internet search monitor firm Hitwise, UK traffic to online video websites increased by nearly 180% between 2007 and 2008.

Smith said: “It’s clear the popularity of video as an online medium is growing very rapidly.

“Some of the dealers with more sophisticated marketing strategies are already using video to reinforce a competitive advantage online.”

However, Smith warned that, done incorrectly, a video can potentially do more harm than good. “If a clip goes on too long or feels fake, then it is likely to taint the impression viewers get of a dealer’s business.

“They should only put something up there if it’s going to be of real value or deliver a truthful insight to a potential customer. Look at the Confused.com style – granular home movies shot by actual clients – that’s the sort of human interest everyone wants to watch.”

Smith suggests topics of interest include new and used stock updates, new-car promotional clips (sometimes sourced direct from the manufacturer), special offers, company history and highlights of any charitable or sporting activities. Video testimonials, too, will provide prospects with valuable reassurance, clearly demonstrating how well existing customers are treated.
Smith added: “Sticking a video onto your website won’t turn a floundering business into a booming concern.

“However, every little advantage you can eek out over the competition helps, and the right clip might provide just that.”

GForces’ top tips for web videos:

Location – Make sure that video content is easy to find within, or accessible from, relevant parts of your website.

Content – Ensure that potential customers will be interested in what you’re saying. If unsure, gather opinions from customers that visit your showroom.

Look – Videos don’t have to look like they are shot in Hollywood – integrity and plausible content is the most important element.

Technology – employ the right kind of streaming technology, to make it easier and quicker for consumer to download content. A good web management firm will provide sensible advice on the latest solutions.

Duration – Keep it short and sweet. Stick to a maximum of three minutes.

Article by Tim Smith

Technology breeds contempt. At least it does with the vast majority of the mass market late adopters of all things new and innovative. It is human nature to resist change, to seek a state of security and safety and fend off disruptive influences of the status quo. This attitude was presented in The Diffusion of Innovations by a sociologist named Everett Rogers who coined the phrase “early adopters” and described a very neat and now famous curve to illustrate his theory.

Paradoxically, this attitude is at odds with the way of the world and Mother Nature herself. See Mother Nature embrace evolution and change. Civilizations either adapt to survive or commit themselves to the ashes of history. And so it is with technology of all types. I work for an internet company and am pretty much up to date with new technologies but that doesn’t mean I don’t have doubts. The perception I had of an incessant interruption to my daily routine and the thought of being available anywhere at any time was disturbing. Now I can barely operate without my iPhone (read life support system). Most of us accept technology once it’s settled in to the social conscious and we feel more comfortable seeing others using it. Furthermore, it often takes us time to become accustomed enough to technology to use it to its full potential. For instance, our pc’s used to get used for word processing, then we all started to get to grips with spreadsheets, email, photo editing and browsing.

The adoption of digital within the motor trade is no different to any other industry and Roger’s diffusion theory holds true. It is the speed this change is taking place that is different. The Finance and FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) markets have set the trend with a proliferation of comparison sites, portals, ecommerce stores and digital marketing techniques. This is backed up with integrated technologies fulfilling operational functions such as logistics, accounts and re-marketing. If you’ve used say Confused.com, Ocado or Amazon, you’ll realise how easy it is to purchase through them, and how persistent and targeted their remarketing can be. But its not just the big boys, thousands of one-man band online retailers provide this service as standard. Very very few dealers do this properly.

So why is there such a discrepancy? It is simply due to the attitude. This is not a negative or positive statement either, simply a fact. So collectively, if the motortrade continues to sell cars without having to invest heavily in new technologies and not risk capital committing resource to an area that is not properly understood, why should it? Part of this is down to dealers relying on manufacturers to take the lead provide the support they need to operate effectively online.

However, the dealership owners, entrepreneurs and directors themselves are often the type of people who either embrace change or see it is a necessary evil in order to survive and thrive. Whatever their angle, the common factor is they factor it in to their business days. These people have often identified the need to utilize the internet for the good of their own business and unlock its potential. They may recognise this simply because their competitors are doing it, don’t feel they get enough from manufacturers or they recognise that the web is now so integrated with society, they should be doing it properly for themselves.

The delays to a widespread adoption within a dealership often rests with the personnel who find either their role changing and feel threatened or those that fail to see the value in the new forms of lead generation and communication. This is natural. If you’ve been successfully selling cars face-to-face for twenty five years and someone tells you that emails or live chats or enquiry forms are as important as pressing the flesh you are going to question their rationality. In fact, you may do a bit more than that and simply not respond to emails at all, or delay sending that brochure out from the online enquiry by a week. The excuse is that there is always something more important to do in the showroom.

This behaviour is to be expected. It is not the salesperson’s fault. It is natural. The internet is perceived as a threat to many within the motor trade. A series of expletives is the standard accompaniment to internet commentary. The culture within the dealership needs to encourage the adoption of new techniques to deal with the internet as a lead generating and sales tool.

The internet has developed the means of communication and transaction on a global scale like no other technology but it has been driven by the consumer. If there is a market, technology will be invented to fulfil it.

The internet has flourished in the automotive trade because it delivers information on the consumer’s terms, not the retailer’s. This seemingly minor point is the driver of change. The rules of engagement have developed to suit the buyer with a baseline of convenience. The power now rests with the consumer and if you do not make it easy for them to engage with you, they will go elsewhere.

Tim Smith is the Commercial Director of GForces: the leading web management and marketing specialists

As the media furore returns to a gentle simmer, interviews and articles about Britain’s second consecutive Formula One World Champion all share the sentiment that, as good a driver as he is, Jenson wouldn’t have achieved success without a strong team behind him.

Just as Mr. Button’s title-drought for his first eight years in the sport or Damon Hill’s lack of further titles after switching teams makes clear; a good driver isn’t the only element of a title win. Behind every podium placement there’s a group of tireless individuals making sure that the car and driver are backed up by a strong and flexible team and strategy. From team principles and aerodynamic experts to pit-stop tyre changes and fuelling decisions – it’s these elements that ensure a sure-fire victory doesn’t turn into an early retirement.

The same principle applies to automotive dealers looking to achieve success in a world that’s just as competitive as the F1 starting grid – the Internet.

A recent survey of vehicle buyers revealed that 88% used the internet for information as part of the vehicle buying process with the majority of customers making use of dealer websites over manufacturer sites (source: CAP Gemini).

So how can automotive dealers ensure their website is in a position to grab the attention of vehicle buyers online? And then how can they ensure their site can win leads?
Having a good looking website is one thing, but having a strong yet flexible strategy and team behind your website is vital. It means it can adapt to every change in the market and user behaviour.

Responsible for 181,117 new vehicle sales this so far this year, the Scrappage Scheme has been one of the biggest motivators in new vehicle sales yet. One of our clients, The Stoneacre Group, was well ahead of this trend with their marketing strategy. Some six months before Mandelson’s announcement, the company was running a dedicated blog on the scheme. With 36% of car buyers using information sites as part of their decision making process, Stoneacre were in an ideal situation to drive qualified leads to their site, itself built on a flexible platform already prepared to handle enquiries on the Scrappage Scheme the second the offer went live.

Both your web marketing strategies and platforms need to be able to adapt and evolve in line with the latest changes as they happen. Not only to “cash in” but to ensure you don’t get left behind by the competition.

Our clients at GForces benefit from the support of a team with strong and flexible software, management and marketing. Whenever there’s a change in the market, they’re able to act immediately with a strategy already in place.

In the race for online enquiries, automotive dealers need to ensure that their site is backed up by just such a web strategy. From the design and functionality of a website to dedicated support and marketing – it’s these elements that make the difference between a site without visits and a lead-generating Digital Dealership up for an EWard.

Check out GForces’ web marketing solutions can target your website effectively for the ultimate ROI and how our clients websites saw success in the Ewards and keep up-to-date with Tim Smith on twitter today.

In a competitive market with thousands of automotive sites vying for attention, the key to turning visitors into customers is to make it easy for them to use your site, find what they want and, ultimately, contact you. When consumers are spoilt for choice, it’s this convenience that proves decisive. In a world driven by shorter attention spans the easier something is to use the better. No more ‘War and Peace’ instruction manuals – if it’s user friendly and convenient a product will prove a winner.

Take Apple’s iPod for example. Whenever there’s music in a portable sense on television or film it’s invariably accessed via the latest iPod. This isn’t solely due to a nice product-placement deal, it’s because this particular piece of technology is more popular than any other mp3 player and more of the audience are likely to recognise and associate with it.

In sales terms it’s a monster; even during the recession Apple reported a best-ever quarter. Why? Not because it’s the greatest-sounding mp3 player on the market, nor is it close to being the cheapest. Its success is due to its user-friendly design. From touch-screens to the ‘wonder wheel’ and clear, bright screens, everything about it screams “use me”.

Usability is proving a vital element online too. Websites designed with user-friendliness in mind prove more successful for both traffic and enquiries.

Cluttered websites with poor navigation are, thankfully, becoming thinner on the ground as they see significantly lower conversions. It’s comparable to high-street retail: in a packed, crowded shop with little space between the shelves, consumers feel hurried and hampered, far less likely to look around than in a bright and airy store where you have the space to move and browse at leisure.

For automotive dealers, ensuring websites are user-friendly is key in turning visitors into enquiries and, ultimately, sales. However, usability goes beyond simply refraining from information overload. Usability is the measure of your website’s potential to accomplish the goals of your visitor. Every aspect of the site, from navigation to content, needs to be geared towards this.

At GForces one of our clients, a large automotive dealer in Scotland, recently redressed their digital dealership with a strong focus on usability. Changes were made that ensured visitors could find what they were looking for easier and quicker across a clean and easy-to-navigate site with a call to action on every single page. Prior to the change, their online conversion rate averaged at just over 1%. The minute the first batch of improvements went live, the conversion rate shot up to well over 3%

The bottom line: Potential customers would rather head back to a search engine and find an easier-to-use site than troll through a dozen pages before finding what they’re looking for. Prioritise usability, and those visitors will promptly become customers.

From post-match interviews with crestfallen coaches to team-building seminars the length of the country, it’s hard to escape the wisdom that a team is only as good as its worst player, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and behind every great man there’s a great… chair.

How many television and print ads have you seen that advise you to “see in store for further details”? When you do head to the store you undoubtedly find an impressive front-of-store display or a member of staff wearing a shirt practically begging to tell you all about said offer. If you had to scour the entire store to find even a hint of information you’d leave and the campaign fails. Without the strength offered by in-store support, it’s too weak.

This principle applies to companies using the internet to generate interest in an offer too. If a company is using web advertising to draw attention to a special offer then that offer needs to be represented on-site or visitors won’t hang around long enough to become users, let alone make an enquiry.

For automotive dealers this means making sure that pages carry information that’s relevant for the traffic. If clicking on a Pay-Per-Click advert for the Scrappage Scheme instead leads to information about deals on a 5-Year Warranty then an internet user won’t hang around. While PPC advertising will drive traffic as part of a marketing strategy, its success in generating conversions is reliant on the website itself.

Increasingly, internet audiences judge companies based purely on their online presence. If a website isn’t functioning and appealing or if it doesn’t carry information a visitor is likely to need, opinion of the company’s offline standing is considered in the same light and chances of conversions are drastically reduced.

Dealers give careful consideration to the placement of vehicles and offers within their dealership and the same should apply to their online presence. Your dealership isn’t an impenetrable maze of cars and giant offer posters so your website shouldn’t be either. As able as web marketing is at delivering traffic to your site, your site needs to welcome that traffic and give it a reason to stay.

Our clients see success from their web strategies because they view their website as an extension to their dealerships. The internet is continually evolving and websites require constant attention in order to survive in what is an extremely competitive market place. Using GForces’ NetDirector Auto means that stock levels and information, offers and images can be easily and continually updated.

Having a really strong web marketing campaign driving traffic to your site is essential. However, without an equally strong, and flexible, website in place to support it, wondering why it’s not converting would be like selling all your best players and wondering why a fragmented club loses 6-1 to Leyton Orient.

Internet usage is on the rise. It’s undeniable. No longer is it only beloved by “pesky youngsters.” The rise of the ‘silver surfers’ has meant that the internet population share of the over-55s has grown to 19%. Given that there are now 43.7m people online in the UK (source: Internet World Stats 2009) that means that some 8.98 million over-55s use the internet.

Littlewoods, once the bastion of high-street shopping for clothes and home accessories, everyone had a copy of their catalogue propping up a table leg at home. Now they are planning to take 70% of their total revenue online by 2010.

Only a few years ago common consensus was that, while it was great for selling items like books and cds, people wouldn’t use the internet for buying products like clothes. Now clothing companies are taking millions online each year. In order to do this they ensure that their websites offer as close a representation of their actual shops as possible.

The same applies to car dealers. Selling cars online goes far and beyond auction sites. Whilst cars are not being bought and delivered through the internet (yet?), automotive websites offer as close an inspection of cars as possible without actually handling the car. With plenty of opportunities to generate qualified enquiries online, a Digital Dealership offers more potential for getting a customer into a car than print ads alone. In fact, an effective automotive website is proven to increase footfall far and above the level of drop-in customers.

At GForces we have a customer in North Scotland selling cars to buyers in the South of England. With more people willing to travel increasing distances to get a bargain on a car, reaching this audience is crucial. Again, this is where online marketing is pivotal for auto dealers. Adverts in the paper will help you shift a couple of cars locally, but to reach a bigger audience, dealers need the internet. Distance evaporates online. It’s more cost effective too.

One of the UK’s leading and fastest-growing car supermarkets invests in both online and offline marketing and, through lead-tracking software LeadBeast, has seen the difference in performance. Not only does online advertising generate more qualified leads than its offline equivalent, but the cost of those leads is significantly lower (e.g. £13.40 online to £52.51 offline in May 2009 ).

Offline advertising such as a quick ad in the corner sweet shop window is fine – if you want to sell just one or two cars a week. However, if you want to sell a lot of cars – and I don’t know an automotive dealer that doesn’t – then you need presence and marketing where the customers are: online. To ignore that audience and still hope to thrive is akin to expecting a band to fill Wembley Stadium on the back of a flyer on a lamppost in Tintagel.

Intelligence is defined as the ability to acquire knowledge, comprehend and apply in practice. In so doing, one can gain an advantage over competitors. Using this advantage in a changing environment will ensure survival in the wild, according to Darwin that is.

Making use of market intelligence gives an automotive dealer just such a functional advantage. Perfect for winning challenges – of which auto dealers currently face two.

The first, and most well documented, is the economy. It’s been stated many times how much of an advantage web marketing provides and this remains true in a recession.

The second challenge lies in the internet itself. The web is one of the fastest changing environment ever known. What works today has no guarantee of working tomorrow and, with mobile technology, even the way people access it is changing rapidly. So how does one gain a survival-ensuring advantage?

One of the recent buzz words in advertising is convergence. Convergence in technology terms refers a device serving multiple functions beyond its original use. Take the iPhone. It doesn’t seem that long ago that it was “soon to be released.” Now it has 20 million users worldwide and Apple’s App Store have sold over a billion downloads. This can’t be ignored, especially by businesses.

Mobile advertising, as part of a web marketing strategy, can give automotive dealers the advantage they need to flourish in line with this change in the marketing environment. It means dealers can reach their target market in new ways, regardless of how they’re accessing the internet.

As more people access the internet away from computers, mobile marketing has grown too. In the UK spend on mobile advertising grew by 31% year-on-year (source: IAB). Dealers can now reach out with advertising methods such as banners, skyscraper ads and rich media – including video.

For advertisers the advantages of the mobile world are simple. It gives greater audience engagement through video and rich media and delivers the message through ever-increasing channels. Internet advertising is no longer limited to the confines of computers.

Convergence in technology is one thing, in marketing terms convergence refers to a methodology which sees all online and offline strategies come together to enhance one another, with each element carrying its own individual advantages.

At G-Forces we embrace mobile advertising as part of our all-fronts web marketing attack to deliver an increased payload. Converging behavioral targeting with mobile advertising means an automotive dealer can target female drivers that own hybrid cars and engage that audience whether they’re at home, work or on the train using a mobile phone.

The greatest advantage is that with increased audience engagement and direct targeting, significant increases in leads and reductions in cost per lead can be achieved.

An intelligent marketing strategy is key for the survival of any business in this tough climate. Mobile advertising is only part of the constant evolution of the internet. A web marketing strategy that embraces convergence will give automotive dealers the advantage they need to see off competition in these trying times.