I had the pleasure of attending the JD Powers Automotive Internet Roundtable last week. It was a Who’s Who in the internet and automotive world. Executives from several major automotive groups shed their insights as well as most of the manufacturers were there as well. Add to that top brass from Google and Yahoo and you have a plethora of wealthy information flying around.

I learned a lot at this show but I must say that the thing that sticks out the most to me is how the internet has changed the car business. Having spent 17 years in a dealership and having the concept of the car business being a “today” business pounded into my head, I was astonished to hear research that a customers buying cycle was as long as six months now.

Here is how a typical customer buying cycle goes these days. First, they are hungry for information to help them make a decision on what vehicle are right for them and their family. At this point, a customer is not ready to look for price or engage with a dealership. They want information on crash tests, equipment packages, durability ratings, etc. For this reason, microsites have gained a lot of popularity. Microsites are designed to be informational portals that are a natural bridge to the dealership when the customer reaches the second step of the buying cycle.

Second step is when a customer is interested in looking at how much their purchase is going to cost them. They want to know specials and rebates that are available. At this stage, the microsites lead the customer to the dealer’s website so they can research this information.

The next step a customer can one of two ways. They could submit a lead and request information from the dealer on price or availability or they could just visit the dealership without making contact online. It is estimated that roughly 75% of customers won’t submit a lead but instead will visit the dealership. This is why a dealer’s website has to be up to date and inviting to a customer. People like a website that is personal.

A great example of that is Boch Toyota (http://www.boch.com/). Boch is one of if not the largest Toyota dealer in the country. Their website tells you a lot about Ernie Boch besides he wants to sell you a car. It even has games and invites a customer to not only browse the site but also stay for awhile and enjoy themselves.

In my next installment, I will tell you what was said about Social Media Marketing.