MyObsoleteParts.com Team at the SEMA Show
November 19th, 2008
Detroit - Stop Spending on Pointless Ads
November 18th, 2008
I was recently enjoying an evening at home watching the television when a commercial came on that made me think ‘GM if you don’t have money why did you make this commercial?’.
The commercial I am referring to is the new commercial for the Chevrolet Traverse that has the mythological Minotaur. As I watched I pondered in my head ‘What is the point of this commercial?’.
I started thinking about the struggling auto industry and the fact that GM is wondering if they will even make it to year end. Then I thought this ‘How many millions of dollars could be saved if they made a simple and to the point commercial?’
Detroit, you are hurting and need to stop this wound of of overspending on pointless ads. I for one would like to see a CEO of one of the big three in a commercial saying to the American people something like this:
America, as you are aware the US auto industry is in trouble. This is why our engineers have designed a car with you in mind. The new Chevrolet Traverse, it seats up to 8 and gets an EPA estimated 24 MPG. Do America a favor and buy an American automobile.
Now that is a script I can enjoy, no mythical creatures hopping through the forest looking at a family car. A real American selling a real car to a real person, family, or group.
Well, that is my 2 cents for the day. If you agree or disagree or simply have a comment please select comments and submit your 2 cents.
Car Care Tips for the Computer Geek - Winterizing
November 17th, 2008
Winter is upon us and for those of you that are savvy with computers but not savvy with cars we have thrown together some winterizing tips:
Today we will hit ‘Checking Belts and Hoses’:
Pop the hood (typically you can find the hood latch under the dash on the drivers side it usually a black handle or lever that says hood or has a picture of a hood on it) and lets check them out:
Belts should be free from cracks and splits. To check the Belt make sure your vehicle is not running. Grab the belt between your thumb and fore finger and twist to look at the underneath side of the belt. If the belt has cracks or excessive ware it will need to be replaced. Typically a serpentine belt should be replaced every 50,000 to 60,000 miles Will should also make sure the belt doed not have too much glaze. (if you can see your reflection in the belt it has too much
Hoses should be firm and not cracked or worn. The best time to check the hoses are when the vehicle is at operating temperature. Let your vehicle idle for 10 mins or wait 10 mins after you have driven your vehicle. To test the hoses make sure the hoses are not to hot to touch. You will want to start with the upper radiator hose and then check the lower radiator hose. Then grab the hose and squeeze. The hose should feel firm and pliable. Check for cracks and leaks especially by the clamps. If you see a crack a leak or a bulge in the hose replace immediately. If the hose was pliable and no leaks or cracks are present your hoses have passed.
Most people will fail to check heater hoses wich are smaller than the upper and lower radiator hoses. The same process you did when checking the radiator hoses will be used also for the heater hoses.
More tips will follow later on so stay tuned to blog.myobsoleteparts.com.
Anybody who doesn’t cut his speed at the sight of a police car is probably parked.
Anonymous
Auto Dealer Improvements CEO will be on the radio.
November 14th, 2008
The Myobsoleteparts.com team will be live on the radio with Car Concerns With Harry Douglas Saturday 11.14.08 at 4 p.m. EST. Listen in to here CEO Adam Judson talk about what Auto Dealer Improvements has in store with their products.
To listen click on play below.
Getting Started on the Internet - Content
November 14th, 2008
Today we are going to talk about content, and what a consumer is looking for when they come to your site. Put yourself in the spot of the consumer as you think about what it is they may be looking for.
Let us say that you have a site where you have the latest and greatest widget for sale. You are 100% sold that your widget is better than the leading widget companies. What are some ways that you can pass this along through content that your widget really is superior for your customers? Let’s look at the following:
- List on your site that it is the best widget available - While to you as the seller believes that you are telling the truth, the consumer thinks you are just feeding them a line.
- Allow customers to rate your widget and post that on your site - This allows the customer to read the rating and the reviews of people who have purchased your widget. This in turn will give your customer more confidence in the purchase. Well unless it has bad reviews and the product stinks!
- Start a blog - A blog is something that you should be familiar with if you made it to
this article or post. A blog is a good place to build credibility. A company can blog about anything and it does not need to be related to what the company does. If a consumer can get a non biased opinion on subjects, or just enjoys your style of writing it will give you credibility. They will then return to the blog often and they will have exposure to your company.
A blog is merely a tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list. - Unknown
These are a few ideas that should help you get started. If you attend any web 2.0 training they will tell you that content is king. In a later post we will talk about free or low cost ways to advertise your site and get your name out there.
Will Obama help the US Auto Industry or is he too late?
November 12th, 2008
We are in a very time sensitive and scary economic situation with the US auto industry. Every day we hear talk about bail-outs and solutions that may or may not happen to assist the big three, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler.
Among the top news stories in the country are General Motors and their chances for survival. Today the headlines read that “GM stock is at a 65 year low“. Further research into the news shows us that if change does not happen soon GM may not survive till the end of the year.
This brings me to my question and the headline of this post. Will Barack Obama be able to make a difference in the US auto industry? Or is the path of the industry on an unchanging course and headed for certain disaster? I for one think that something needs to happen and fast. There are whispering in the winds that they should just file for bankruptcy protection much like the airlines. Others say that they should part of the 700 Billion dollar bailout. The fear for many of those involved in this decision is that it will act like a band-aid. When the band-aid comes off the wound will open back up and will fall into the same course.
It seems that in a recent article discussing talk between Obama and Bush, which
Obama is entertaining the idea of having someone appointed to be over the auto industry. Bush while not opposed to this idea is behind giving the auto workers help now. (to read about this click here)
I think that waiting for someone to be appointed in January under the Obama administration is a great idea that will do a lot of good. This author however feels that it would be in the best interest of the country to give the big three a loan. What I mean by this is let the government step in and help the auto industry become solvent. Then instead of a bail out let the auto industry pay it back. This has worked in the past just ask Lee Iacocca! For those not familiar he was the President of Chrysler Corporation and brought them back onto the playing field in the early to mid 80’s. One impressive note here is that he did not draw a salary from the corporation until they were profitable.
Myobsoleteparts.com announces new wholesale solution and blog site.
November 11th, 2008
Saratoga Springs, Utah (PRWEB) November 13, 2008 — Auto Dealer Improvements, creators of myobsoleteparts.com announced today that they are going to be offering wholesale alternatives for those that want to liquidate their inventories as soon as possible. “We have been doing this on a small scale and have had a 100% success rate” stated Dallas Allen, President of Auto Dealer Improvements. This is big news coming in a time when the auto industry is looking for a way to stay solvent. Their current product www.myobsoleteparts.com is still the flag ship and is on the cutting edge of web technology. This service allows those with slow moving or idle inventory to broaden their market and make money off of those parts. This is an awesome solution if you are not looking for the quick 50 cents on the dollar deal.
A second announcement for the company is the increasing popularity of their blog site located at http://blog.myobsoleteparts.com. This blog helps keep people informed of news in the market and tips and tactics to help dealers turn a profit. It offers a non biased opinion about the fixed operation departments’ opportunities to increase profits. “This blog is here to help generate ideas and opportunities for dealer to find new profit centers” Stated Adam Judson, CEO of Auto Dealer Improvements.
Myobsoleteparts.com is the industry leading solution to sell your obsolete parts inventory. It is an easy to use online system which provides a new revenue stream for your dealer. Because there is only a one time setup fee there is no worries that you will not be able to cover the expense.
Auto Dealer Improvements, the premier provider of obsolete parts inventory solutions, is comprised of auto dealership professionals with technology and marketing experience. The founding principals have many years of experience in dealership fixed operations and DMS systems. The development team has many years of experience in web development using many advance technologies. Anyone interested in becoming a client should go to www.myobsoleteparts.com.
Getting Started on the Internet - Setting Up
November 11th, 2008
They say a year in the Internet business is like a dog year.. equivalent to seven years in a regular person’s life. In other words, it’s evolving fast and faster.
Vinton Cerf
History has shown us that the automotive industry is usually last to the table for new technology in the dealerships, especially in the areas of parts and service. This coupled with the speed of internet evolution has left us in an area where we are playing catch up. Here are some things that will help you get started if you are looking to begin selling on the internet.
Hosting
There are many options available out there for both getting domains and hosting a web site. The most common and cost effective method is to find a service that will allow you to purchase your domain (if you do not already have one) and host your website.
These hosting sites usually have 2 main options: 
1. Get a dedicated server. (More Expensive)
2. Get a virtual server. (Less Expensive)
The dedicated server is nice but tends to get a little pricey depending on the size of server and the specs that you need. If you are not sure what you need most of the hosting companies have a sales staff that will assist you in determining them.
The virtual server is quickly becoming the new server of choice for many companies. Basically it is a shared server that is portioned into multiple virtual servers. It is more cost effective and you as the web site owner are not going to notice the difference.
One of the Internet’s strengths is its ability to help consumers find the right needle in a digital haystack of data.
Jared Sandberg
Tomorrow we will start to talk about content and what a consumer is looking for when they come to you site.
If you would like to contribute content please email us.