Jim,
Our experience is, most automobile web sites are run by companies like "Cobalt" that don't have time to participate in the marketing part (or for that matter even keeping the site fresh and new) or by mom and pop site builders who don't know how to deal with online marketing.
An automobile site needs to be ever changing, offer printable coupons for service and internet sales, have a mailing list where service specials can be offered at the drop of a hat. Going to do an off site sale, got 10,000 people in your e-mail list - mailing them is free - "FREE"
The internet customer already knows how vehicles are priced - treat him or her with the old school of thought and you might as well just ask them to leave, they won't be as insulted as they are with the pricing game. Remember, they already know how it's played.
Lead Providers are very good at networking like amazon.com did and does. They pay sites a bounty for quailfied leads and turn around and sell them to dealers.
A dealer can easily do the same thing in their own area without paying for it - through a link or banner exchange with local, non-competing web sites. The lady who looks at the web site for your local quilt shop drives a car, doesn't she?
Every envelope you send out needs to have your web address on the back of it (where it's opened). Your company shirts "must" have your web address on them. (they will be seen everytime someone wearing one goes anywhere...)
And this is just the tip of the iceberg for what you can do to market your site with little or no cost involved.
Local radio and TV web sites love link exchanges - it cost nothing and provides you both with traffic...
Sit down with your team for an hour and brainstorm.
Steve
stcrim@prodigy.net[This message has been edited by stcrim (edited 07-12-2000).]
[This message has been edited by stcrim (edited 07-12-2000).]