The concept of “owner marketing,” which means marketing and doing business with your existing customers, has been around for a while, but with the advent of the Internet, email and CRM tools, it’s taken on a life of its own - with amazing potential. Today, owner marketing is more affordable and measurable than ever, with services, such as Redwood City, Ca-based OnStation, that specialize in helping dealers do it efficiently and effectively. This month we’ll cover some goals you should strive for in using email in your owner marketing efforts. Next month, we’ll look at some of the challenges of owner marketing - and how to overcome them.

Bergstrom Automotive is a 22-store Wisconsin dealership that has the state covered, both geographically and virtually: corporate Internet sales director Ted Gessler estimates that bergstromautomotive.com is one of Wisconsin’s most-visited automotive websites. We recently spoke with Gessler about his approach to Internet sales and the best practices that have helped Bergstrom rise to the top.

Last month, in “Stop Internet Leads from Slipping Away,” we looked at some data suggesting that, in the world of Internet lead-handling, the lost opportunities are huge. Specifically, we noted that, although people who submit an Internet lead wind up making a purchase most of the time, the likelihood that they will buy a different vehicle from a different dealership is very high. We also identified one big reason for this: misunderstanding the Internet prospect’s place in the buying process and, consequently, failing to respond appropriately.

This month, we dig deeper into this issue, examining some specific things you can do to correct this tendency and convert more of your leads.

People started talking about Generation X back in the early ‘90s. Now we’re hearing a lot about “Generation Y.” What will demographers talk about after Generation Z comes and goes? We don’t know, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Generation Y is just now coming of age, and they're primed to have a big impact on your online used car business.