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In this issue
Dear Dealers, We are still busy programing some new things for the system that we will implement in the next couple of weeks so I dont’s have any major system updates other than just a few fixes. Last week we worked on implemeting a SMS Text message system in the magazine and it was printed on Tuesday (the good news is that it works!). Please email me with any questions. We hope this helps! Yago Paramo |
Free sites? Need dealer’s approvalTraditionaly we will always set up any free feeds requested by a website as we have belived these to be positive advertising and exposure for the dealers. We have recently encountered 2 issues that require a change of policy:
The first issue is hard to spot since it depends on each particualr dealer point of view. The second issue is easier to spot (usually requested on a by dealer basis) and it brought other problems such as flagging for duplication, different prices on Craigs List, etc. An easy fix is to require dealer authorization for any feeds, nothing fancy; just send me an email, click on the links we provide (like the one 2 articles below for Credit Kings), or sign something with the website you sign for so they can fax it to us. We that this measure will provide more control to the dealer and avoid feeds issues. Note: We don’t charge for feeds at all, so they are solely set up for the dealer’s benefit. We also don’t take money from any website company unless we decide to represent their products or merge our systems in which in that case we fully disclose it and present it as our product to sell/maintain/represent. |
Poll: Need your feedbackFrom now on I will try to get some feedback from a larger number of dealers before I make changes in the system so I don’t always focus on just a few opinions for changes. Please participate, all you have to do is read the question and click on one of the links. The issue: Marketting on sites like CL requires a different price strategy. You can’t have the same prices as what you have on Autotrader.com for example. CL is used in many cases as a “sure shot”, you can post a car right now for a certain price and the phone will ring inmediatelly. The benefits: It will give dealers more control on how the inventory shows on different sites and give more control over strategy. The bad things: You will have to manage another price field. You will have to check for those cars when you sell it for the higuer price to a client that came form your website for example. How does it work right now? The system grabs whatever price is on the Internet Price field and brings that to CL. Dealers have the abilty to change the CL price on the fly (just for that posting) but the system doesn’t store it. Should we have a specific field in the system for Craig’s List price? |
Craigs List accounts getting stolenWe had a few dealers complaining that they had cars that didn’t belong to them posted in their accounts so we checked the problem. Since CL installed security measures to avoid spam, having a working account is kind of a privilege for many people–it takes hard work to get things set and done. We found sites that will do a “pop under” so when you navigate thru the windows opened in your computer you may use one of this fake account log ins and think that you are getting in your CL account. We took screen shots, then Jim put together a nice page that shows the differences between the real one and the fake one, click here to see it. |
New FREE site: Please approveThere is a new free site called Credit Kings of WA. They specialize on working with dealers to create inventory specific leads by working with social media and networking web sites. They have allowed us to send inventory to their system for free. For more information abot their programs please call: Customer service: 1-866-906-7602 To approve this feed please click here, your inventory will not be otherwise sent to that site. PGI is not affiliated in any way with any free sites unless noted. |
TEXT Message technology implemented on PGILIST |
New distribution for PGILIST
This week we started distributing at Tully’s coffee, Seattle Best, selected Star Bucks, Hospitals, independent coffee shops, and the ferry system. PGILIST will be also distributed inside the Seattle Weekly as an insert in selected locations (they print 100,000/week and we “only” print 10,000/week, so not every Seattle Weekly will have our insert). Yago’s comment on the distribution: Dealer ask me why have 2 magazines? The short answer is that we felt that we could not reach everyone with just one publication. The same way we have the Seattle Times, The Herald, The News Tribune, etc, the dealers deserved having another outlet to reach customers in different parts of the Puget Sound as well as to be able to have a presence in areas where the automotive industry had never been before. The Auto Book team has done a great job covering the more traditional market with the most extensive distribution you can get as well as establishing the highest quality magazine in the market. I strongly believe based on what I see that we do (we bend the impossible to get more out TheAutobook for our clients) that it will be the only high quality magazine for dealers to consider when advertising. What I’m looking for PGILIST is to provide dealers that are successful with print the ability to reach more clients and augment their current print presence. I’m also interested on providing customers with a magazine that they may chose to grab for other reasons than just going after a car: Just to browse the market while they ride the ferry, drink a coffee, look for service information, etc and with that bring more eyes to your business and inventory. Not every person buys a car when they need it, in many cases they buy a car when they see something that catches their eye or that pushes them over that edge to make the decision. I want to be on those places and available to show them your inventory while at their leisure time. |
Internet Flag system incorporated in both magazinesWe are working on the feeds to give the system the ability to transfer the flags that you use on Diamondlot to the print team when they build the ads. What this means is if you flag a car in Diamondlot as “NAVIGATION” or “HEMI” it will be on your web site as well as in the magazine. One step takes care of two ads spaces; Internet and print. We are also working so flags like “Internet Special” transfer to the magazine as “Special Price” or “Managers’ Special” for example. The flags will be used by the magazines as “banners” in the lower right corner of the photo. This is just one more option that you have as you can continue providing the banners to your magazine rep that same way you have always done it should you prefer to do that. CPO data also transfers to print: We are also setting up the system to transfer CPO data into the print teams. First of all, it will make sure they don’t miss adding the CPO logos to the cars and second it will allow us to mark them properly in the classifieds section for PGILIST. |
System fixes & updatesBatch updating of Vehicle Comments This tool will show a different page when clicking to re- sort the comments. This is now fixed. Disclaimer added A new disclaimer for proper operation was added to the Batch updating of Vehicle Comments tool. Update comments button added We added a second “update” button to the top of the page to make updates easier. |
Craig’s List Top 20 cars
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Stephanie Armstrong moving to California
We will miss Stepahie as she was a great addition to our team for the last couple of years. I will get her email address once she starts with the Diamondlot team down there. |
Car of the monthWe don’t see many Rolls around here, of course this one is at Park Place LTD. With an original MSRP of $361,050, it looks good. |
Archive for February 9
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February 9, 2010
The goal for PGILIST is to offer an alternative and affordable media to advertise your inventory on places where auto magazines have never been before.
Stephanie decided that the weather wasn’t cutting it up here so she decided to move with her family down to CA where she will be working with the Diamondlot team down there.