experience with NADA/Cobalt service

[sallen1]

Hello everyone!

What's your experience with the NADA/Cobalt service for dealer websites? I've hosted my own but have received some marketing material and wanted some input before switching.

Thanx.

Scott

[tbrowder]

I changed to Cobalt from Dealer Sites about four months ago and it has been a trying experience. They are huge and I think their growth has outpaced their resources.

My site is extremely slow to load, which is the kiss of death for a web site! They say they'll have another server up soon, so we'll see then. I have checked dozens of other Cobalt sites and they're all slow.

If, or I should say when, I change again, I think I'll go local, so at least I can get in my car and go srangle someone when they don't respond to my needs.

Feel free to email me if you need more info. on my trials and tribulations with Cobalt.

[prent]

Right on tbrowder! We too have a slow loading Cobalt site. I have extensive HTML mark-up, CGI etc. experience and find that my hands are tied when it comes to keeping the website content conguent with the day-to-day dealership business! Although, you could spend the extra $150.00/mo for the AdManager program that gives you some basic ad material....yeah right!

Granted, Cobalt is probably the way to go for dealerships that do not have anyone with website design/publishing experience.
My recommendation is to find a service that will provide you a low cost site package that allows inventory display with pictures and that allows montly edits with their monthly subscription charge. I am hoping to get our dealership online with this service as soon as our Cobalt contract is up!

[This message has been edited by peter J. perrotta (edited 08-02-2000).]

[stcrim]

Remember, whoever you go with for your site, they need to have a lot of experience with search engine placement and they need to be willing to work with you hand in hand.

The cobalts of the world work on volumn not quality. They do not build doorway pages, gates and bridges for search engine traffic and they wouldn't dream of running a "specials" program that changes everyday.

Your web site needs to be as individual and different as your company.

The other kiss of death is anyone who builds your site with flash. Search engines can't index it. Cute as it may be, it will run many of your customer off due to load time. Would you make them sit down at the dealship and watch a cartoon before allowing them to see you inventory???

Steve
stcrim@prodigy.net

[mbowers]

I agree about Flash.

The first time I tried to open a dealer site with Flash, I first had to download Acrobat Reader. That took a few minutes. Then my computer shut down and I had to restart it.

I was checking the site to research an article. If I had been a cusotmer, I'd have moved on as soon as I was told to download something else.