Auttr.com, the social network for the auto industry, hit another milestone today by signing up its 1,000th member. Auttr.com is the place to go for the latest online resources. Auttr members can network with other members, form groups, review industry news and find valuable answers from Keith Whann, the Car Counsleor, on Auttr TV. Stay tuned for exciting new ideas!

In many ways, the websites for independent auto dealerships tend to resemble one another quite a bit. After all, there’s only so much you can do when it comes showing car buyers what you’re all about. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things you can do to get a leg up on the competition. Here are three things you should make sure you have on your auto dealership website:

Quality photos. This should go without saying, but it’s worth the extra little bit of time and effort to ensure that every automobile you show is portrayed in the best light possible. Sometimes, that means snapping photos of them more than once, taking shots from different angles, or waiting for a little bit of good weather. It might be a little extra effort, but the better your photos look, the more likely a customer is to decide to come and take a closer look.

Testimonials from happy customers. These are overlooked a lot, since they can tend to seem a bit redundant. Still, having a couple of nice quotes shows that you’d been in business a while and have customers who were happy with their purchases. Those reminders go a long way towards reassuring nervous buyers.

A professional staff. Speaking of nervous buyers, don’t forget that a lot of the population is still nervous about the car buying experience. Try to include professionally shot photos of your friendly, helpful staff – sales and otherwise – to reduce the anxiety some people might feel about coming to your lot or showroom.

If you want to build an independent auto dealership website that will end up looking as good on your bottom line as it does in your web browser, contact Marcy Design today to see how we can help.

Do you think any of your customers would do this while waiting in the customer lounge? Just an idea. http://www.jessepappas.com/5/post/2010/08/turn-a-waiting-area-into-a-lead-creater.html

Facebook continues its move towards market domination, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying it could be the first social networking site to reach 1 billion users.

The website currently has 500 million users, but Zuckerberg is confident Facebook can reach 1 billion once it conquers the relatively small number of countries that are yet to fully embrace the site, the New York Post reported.

Zuckerberg told the audience at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival in France that China, Japan, Russia and South Korea were the only countries where Facebook wasn’t the social networking site leader.

“While Facebook has fewer than 1 million users in Russia, the growth rate is doubling every six months,” he said.

Facebook opened an office in Moscow in April and opened discussions with local mobile phone operators as part of a project to expand in Russia.

Zuckerberg said Facebook wouldn’t reach the 1 billion mark this year but it “has a decent shot” down the line, the New York Post reported.

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On January 30, 2010 James Mitchell said:

LJ,  I recently had one of our members submit this question to me and as always I would you to please answer this yesterday so that I can get back to them. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

I have an hourly Service Advisor and I think they are exempt from overtime pay in the State of Ohio because they are considered salespeople.

Bloomberg Reports:  The U.S. Transportation Department didn’t object to a remedy Toyota Motor Corp. proposed for flawed gas pedals, a department official said, clearing the way for the company’s plan to fix millions of recalled vehicles.

The government didn’t balk at Toyota’s approach during a meeting last week, according to the official, who declined to be identified discussing the session with company representatives. The department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees recalls, doesn’t formally approve specific remedies, the official said.

Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, recalled 2.3 million cars and light trucks in the U.S. on Jan. 21 after finding a part defect that could cause accelerator pedals to stick, leading to unintended acceleration. Toyota accelerator defects have been linked to 19 deaths in the past decade, Representative Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, said in a statement last week. Toyota has said it will give customers information this week on a fix to the pedals. Read the rest of this entry →

Keith Whann The Car Counselor on ‘Can we put logos on the FTC window stickers?’

Keith Whann The Car Counselor on ‘Are starter interrupt devices used at every dealership, and are they something that I can take out?’

Keith Whann The Car Counselor on ‘Are there any special finance programs dealers have for new college grads?’

Keith Whann The Car Counselor on ‘Is it better to purchase or lease a vehicle?’