A World of Reviews - Love 'em and Leave 'em

http://www.AutoSaver.com by Kimberly Ann

How many of us leave reviews?  Personally, I have to be extremely upset or elated to leave one, but in today’s social media frenzy, everybody’s dirty laundry is out to dry.  We can post just about anything we like or dislike.  It’s our 1^st amendment right on steroids.  Review this company, review that product…it truly is endless.  But how much can we really believe?

From a business standpoint, we obviously love and need the great reviews we receive, but really have no control over what consumers write.  There are companies out there, like Reputation.com that have been established to help businesses keep some sort of control.  Simply because anybody can post false information…just to be a jerk.

On the flip side, there are most definitely companies who pay people to post ‘false positive’ reviews as well.   Shame Shame!  As a consumer, I want to be assured the hotel I’m staying at is actually clean, or the restaurant I’m going to is worth the money or the dealer I purchasing a car from is trust worthy.  And I want those reviews to be honest…good or bad.

According to the 2011 Cone Online Trend Tracker, 89% of consumers said they found online sources of product and service reviews to be trustworthy, and that 80% of consumers have changed their minds about a purchase based solely on negative information they found online. That figure is up from 67% in 2010. Keep in mind however, good product reviews carry their weight as well, with 87% of consumers stating a favorable review has confirmed their decision to go through with a purchase.

People are leaving reviews and they are certainly reading them! There will never be the perfect review process, but if there was, this is all I'd like to see.

As a business owner, a consumer can post a review and ME, the business owner can respond regardless of whether the review is good or bad.  For example, as a business owner I can respond “hey thanks for that awesome review” or “I’m sorry Mr. Jones, how can I make this right?” Maybe even 'thumbs up' and 'thumbs down' buttons.

As a consumer, I simply want the flip side.  I would like to be able to leave a positive or negative review and know that the review will stand and be seen.  I definitely want to get the business owner’s point of view and LET THE CONSUMER DECIDE!

There I said it!  What’s your say?

Check out some of the best reviews on dealers at http://www.AutoSaver.com

Resources: www.digitaltrends.com

2013 NADA and ATD Conventions

by Kimberly Ann

This year’s NADA and ATD Conventions, held concurrently, hosted close to 600 exhibitors.  Companies from ‘Balloon Innovations’ to ‘Vin Solutions’ made sure there was plenty to see.  And once you suffered from exhibitor overload, NADA University organized and sponsored close to 150 workshops you could attend.

AutoSaver.com’s CEO, Derek White, and VP of Sales, Aaron Brinsko attended the annual event and offered up some insight.

Q: If you could take only one thing away from this year’s convention, what would that be?

A:  White: I was surprised to see that many major players were MIA this year.  

A:  Brinsko: From walking the convention floor to being present at the break-out sessions, I feel there was definitely a positive outlook towards 2013 in terms of new and used automotive sales.

Q:  What new technology most impressed you?

A:  White: Pineapple Advertising's Surf-N-Fusion… a very interesting marketing and social media tool.

Q:  Did you see anything you thought could benefit your sales plan? 

A:  Brinsko: We are thinking about incorporating video follow-up into our dealer drip campaign with our inside sales team.

Q: What work shop do you feel was most beneficial?

A:  Both overwhelmingly agreed that ‘Guerrilla Marketing’ using FaceBook and YouTube, presented by Jim Ziegler was by far the most informative.  Ziegler discussed up and coming social medians like Pinterest which is increasingly taking shape as a marketing tool.

Q: What’s in the near future for AutoSaver.com?

A: White: We are working on a mobile app that will give consumers the ability to appraise vehicles from their smart phone using our innovative value range pricing service.

Did you miss it this year, the ‘one stop shopping’ experience the NADA convention is known for?  There’s always 2014 or the 2013 NIADA that’s being held in Vegas this June.  Or check it on the web:  http://www.nadafrontpage.com/NADA_ATD_Convention_Workshops_2013.xml