FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
BALTIMORE, MD - October 15, 2008 - XIGroup proudly announces the release of Elite SEO. The company’s newest solution utilizes the power of multiple micro-sites and content pages to accelerate search optimization results.  As part of the package XIGroup offers dealers dedicated single page websites (with a unique URL) for all models any one manufacturer offers. Dealers will also receive dedicated model landing pages for their inventory and five additional SEO friendly content pages. The Elite SEO package will give dealerships the ability to make use of this entire showcase for a very manageable monthly price.

XIGroup’s Search Engine Specialist Kevin Doory explains; “targeted content will assist dealers by increasing rankings for specific geographic and model searches. It will also provide helpful content to prospective car buyers.” 
 
For more information about how you can add the Elite SEO package to your current website please contact XIGroup today at (410) 276-0010 or bmulcahy@xigroup.com. Through October 24th we will waive all setup fees! 

Additional article here – http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20071024/BUSINESS/710240690

CarBiz Inc. (OTCBB: CBZFF) (“Carbiz”) announced a partnership with XIGroup to provide professional websites to independent automotive dealers. The websites will integrate seamlessly with the CarBiz DMS system, allowing dealers to easily market inventories online and readily update site content, eliminating the need for costly programmers. More than 35 third-party data distribution channels – such as AutoTrader, Cars.com and EBay Motors – are included with the package.

“XIGroup offers a solid, scalable product at a price point that will appeal to our entire customer base,” says Carl Ritter, chief executive officer of CarBiz. “This service expands our efforts to be a solutions provider for the independent dealer market.”

“XIGroup is extremely excited about this partnership,” says Bill Mulcahy, sales manager of XIGroup. “CarBiz has an excellent reputation in the automotive industry and they bring a tremendous knowledge of the independent market to the table. The integration of our services will provide dealerships of all sizes with more exciting options.”

About XIGroup

XIGroup based in Baltimore, Maryland, specializes in building automotive websites for franchise and independent car dealers. Founded in 1998 and then acquired by Dominion Enterprises in 2005, XIGroup has earned a strong reputation providing quality products and a top level customer service. The company’s websites have been developed by using the requests and feedback of actual automotive dealers and allows dealerships to show a professional presentation of their inventory on-line. Using this winning combination of products and service, XIGroup continues to be well-respected for providing engaging websites, personal service & proven technology at an unmatched value to the automotive industry.

About CarBiz

Based in Sarasota, Florida, CarBiz owns and operates the nation’s fourth-largest chain of “buy-here pay-here” dealerships through its CarBiz Auto Credit division. The company is also a leading provider of software, training and consulting solutions to the United States automotive industry. CarBiz’s suite of business solutions includes dealer software products focused on the “buy-here pay-here,” sub-prime finance and automotive accounting markets. Capitalizing on expertise developed over 10 years of providing software and consulting services to “buy-here pay-here” businesses across the United States, CarBiz entered the market in 2004 with a location in Palmetto, Florida. CarBiz has added two more credit centers since – in Tampa and St. Petersburg – and recently acquired a large regional chain in the Midwest, bringing the total number of dealerships to 26 in eight states. For more information about CarBiz and its services, visit CarBiz’s web site: www.CarBiz.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, statements regarding the future growth plans and objectives of CarBiz. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements as a result of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors that could cause actual results and future events to differ from those anticipated in such statements include, but are not limited to, the market acceptance of CarBiz’s Auto Credit Centers, CarBiz’s ability to measure the default rate of its borrowers, competition, the impact of any changes in applicable government regulation and general economic conditions. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. CarBiz assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions change.

Contacts:

Jennifer Downey

1-800-654-4955 ext 1203

Website: www.CarBiz.com

Yet all too often, with months of implementation, dealers get frustrated because they are not seeing the return on investment they had anticipated. In these cases, it’s easy to blame the product or vendor. It’s not uncommon for dealers to approach XIGroup , unhappy with the relationship that they had with a previous web solutions provider.

Although we are always happy to help dealers identify ways to improve their web strategy, the first step is try to help dealers understand the reasons for their past frustrations or perceived lack of success. Selling products and services to a frustrated dealership that doesn’t have an internet sales strategy is a recipe for failure.

To keep an internet marketing program competitive, regular maintenance is required. If a dealer becomes frustrated with his results, the first thing he should do is check to see if the person responsible for maintaining the web site performs the following daily, weekly and monthly maintenance:

Daily Maintenance

• Update Inventory – Monitor inventory and make sure that information in the DMS matches with the information displayed on the web site. If the reports don’t reveal a 100% match, identify why. Ensure that all new cars coming onto the lot are entered into the DMS immediately. Also, if there are specific cars or brands you want to focus on trying to move, spend time creating specials around them. The primary goal is to make sure all inventory is matching, accurate and displayed for the customer in an appropriate manner.
• Ensure Vehicles are Competitively Priced – For dealers who display vehicle prices on the internet, it’s critical to make sure that the listed price is very competitive. Price them to sell on the internet, or don’t price them at all. To keep abreast of competitive pricing information, check out competitors’ web sites in your area, track leads submitted on a vehicle versus the number views a particular vehicle has gotten and look at the various reports available in the administrative tools section of your inventory software. If a report shows that a vehicle has been viewed 70 times but no leads have been submitted, that’s probably a good indication that the price is too high.

Weekly Maintenance

• Analyze Sales Trends – Every week, dealers should spend some time in the administrative section and analyze which cars are being looked at the most, whether the majority of leads received were new or used, and what types of vehicles were sold that week. With just minutes of due diligence every week, trends will start to emerge that dealers can then take advantage of by creating specials or other marketing campaigns.
• Analyze Traffic – Dealers should also be aware of where the traffic on their web site is originating from. Reports reveal whether leads are received as a result of print advertising, search engines, third-party lead sites and more. Also they should take note of whether leads were submitted through the inventory page or the Contact Us page on their web site. This knowledge is invaluable when it comes to deciding where to spend the majority of marketing dollars, as well as responding to consumer shopping trends.
• Change/Update Web Site Content – If a car buyer returns to a web site several times in the course of a month-long buying process, and the web site has not been updated in any way, it conveys a subtle message that a dealership is not actively engaged and the consumer may chose to shop somewhere else. Content changes do not have to be drastic. If a dealer is placing an ad in the newspaper that week, upload the ad to the web site. Update dealer events such as holiday extravaganzas. Include recent articles on car buying trends from automotive publications. Informative content updated on a regular basis will keep consumers engaged and returning to the site again and again.

Monthly Maintenance

• Analyze Competition – Most dealers are somewhat aware of what their competition is doing, but every month they should do a comprehensive analysis of not only their local competition, but dealerships in other locations around the country. Find out who the most successful dealers are that represent the same OEMs. Analyze their web site and marketing strategies. Talk to dealers at conferences and pick their brains about their marketing strategies, both positive and negative, and don’t be afraid to ask what hasn’t worked as well as what has worked. Over time, dealers will begin to recognize marketing trends and get a feel for what works and what doesn’t. By learning from others’ mistakes, dealers can avoid a lot of wasted time and expense.

By: Bill Mulcahy, Sales Manager

By Bill Mulcahy, Sales Manager 

In the new world of Internet marketing, one of the most challenging aspects for many dealers to embrace is the huge paradigm shift from traditional advertising campaigns to the ever-changing requirements of effectively selling cars on the web.

When developing ads for radio, television and newspapers, the number of “buys” was often set, with only the content of the ad changing on a weekly basis depending on what specials the dealer was running.

Today, Internet marketers at dealerships need to be aware of a constantly evolving Internet where a program that works one day may not be achieving the same results two months later. Unlike traditional media outlets, new web sites are launched every day, and a site that’s attracting car buyers one month may be an online ghost town three months later. Marketers must keep a close pulse on the industry in order to understand the online market and the latest technologies available.

In short, Internet marketing is a full-time occupation. For many dealers, it’s difficult to justify allocating resources to hiring one individual to focus solely on marketing. Often, an Internet salesperson or other unsuspecting employee will get burdened with—or perhaps even volunteer for—the tasks related to a dealer’s web presence; blithely unaware that once implemented, the Internet marketing program will mushroom into an endless, demanding maw of responsibility.

Take a look at the following elements necessary for an effective Internet marketing program, and imagine it as a job description.

Dealership web site: Work with vendor to develop and implement lead generating specials such as coupons and vehicle specials to be updated on a monthly basis. Keep welcome message on home page fresh and appealing. Monitor web traffic including bounce rate, and tweak appropriate web pages accordingly to increase click-throughs. Since there is no one magic formula that works for every dealer and regional differences require different marketing approaches, and Internet and market trends are constantly evolving, this will be an ongoing task. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Analyze marketing efforts of major competitors with the goal of finding out what works, what doesn’t, and why.

Vehicle inventory: Update on a daily basis to include specs and photos. Ensure that what appears on the web site matches what is in the DMS. Work with a full service or do-it-yourself inventory company to make sure all inventory is updated and distributed to inventory web site partners. Most importantly, keep your pricing up-to-date, accurate and competitive.

Search engine marketing: Monitor SEM reports and work with vendor to develop and update search terms that result in effective search engine optimization. Ensure SEM vendor is keeping your site optimized for search engines on a regular basis. Monitor performance of your site on search engines and tweak SEM marketing program accordingly. Work with vendor to develop paid search programs based on specials, holidays, and inventory changes at the dealership. The more competitive your target market or a time of year is for your dealership, the more you might want to consider an aggressive pay-per-click campaign.

Classified automotive web sites:  Classified sites are highly advertised and attract many buyers. Your dealership needs a web service that distributes your inventory seamlessly and accurately. The idea is to get your inventory in front of as many qualified buyers as possible. Remember, on the Internet, buyers are searching for a specific vehicle and you need to make it available to them.

 Constant change:  If there was a proven scientific formula to selling cars on the Internet, every dealership would be using it.  Even if you are selling cars effectively on the Internet today, is it important to be comfortable with the idea that it will be necessary to adapt tomorrow. The most successful dealers on the web constantly adapt their strategy to what works, so no single change will be your last. 

If you want consistent results and an Internet department that will enjoy long-term growth, you must commit to an ongoing process and a plan that embraces technology changes and stay ahead of the competition. If your dealership is like most, it is constantly being solicited by vendors offering a “magic pill” that will revolutionize the industry. They might even tell you some nonsense like nine out of 10 of “their” dealers sell every car on the lot every month. Don’t be fooled by false promises of quick effortless results. Selling cars on the web is an ongoing process, but will ultimately come down to the dealership’s relationship to a prospective buyer.  Take the television commercials that claim to help people lose 35 pounds in three hours as an example. If you want to lose weight you have to commit to a diet and exercise plan. If you want to sell cars on the web you have to commit to a dynamic sales strategy that creates the best possible online experience for buyers. 

The Internet as a medium provides incredible opportunities for dealers who dedicate the necessary resources to take advantage of it. Ever-shifting and never static, the Internet requires a similar marketing mentality. Keeping up with what’s current is challenging enough, let alone trying to stay one step ahead of competitors. But for dealers who embrace this paradigm shift, the rewards will be the attention and dollars reaped from today’s online car shoppers.

Bill Mulcahy handles sales and business development for XIGroup, a provider of web solutions that help dealers connect with Internet buyers. The company’s four core product offerings can be purchased separately or integrated together. Services include web site design, search engine marketing, inventory promotion, and do-it-yourself inventory management.