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Is the We-Owe what it’s really all about? Sometimes buying a car can feel like the Hokey Pokey, but the We-Owe is what it’s all about. This one document is an invaluable part of the car-buying process.

History of the We-Owe

The “due bill” (We-Owe) originated from a need to protect both dealerships and customers from making false claims on a car sale. We-Owes date back to the beginning of the dealership world, when the industry had a less savory reputation for swindling people out of their hard-earned money. The ‘We-Owe’ process is fluid; there is no one-way to satisfy the laws.

For owners, the new car smell fades but the bond with their automobile doesn’t…at least not immediately. Unfortunately, their loyalty is still up in the air. What do you do before, during, and most importantly after the sale that will “nurture” loyalty? 

Back in my home country of Jamaica, at certain times of the year the caterpillars would go through the evolution process where they would conceal themselves in cocoons to be transformed into beautiful butterflies. During the final stage of this process, they would break the tip of the cocoon and squeeze themselves through a tiny hole and fly away. One year my friends and I found some dead on the ground because they were not able to pull themselves out of their shells. So, in our misguided attempt to help those we saw struggling, we made the holes larger to make it easier for them to get out. What we did not realize is that by squeezing themselves through the tiny hole, it removes fluid from their wings, which is the critical last step in their development process and necessary for them to fly. By us intervening, we condemned all those that we helped by stopping their development and they became food for the ants.

A couple of years ago, Chicago was riddled with potholes through a long winter.  After seeing customer after customer come in with blown tires and bent wheels we saw an opportunity-- and not just for the parts and service department. We saw an opportunity to better serve our customers.

Pinterest represents a great way to share photographs and collections of interesting objects online. Bookmarked pins and collections can be assembled through the social network, which can also be used as an app on iPads and iPhones. Many businesses use this platform as a way to allow customers to do some virtual window shopping. It’s also used as a way to spread ideas about how their products can be used by the buyer, and it’s a free form of advertising.

In the Insignia blog, we've discussed the growing automotive accessories market and the 4 main advantages of offering accessories. Now, we'll take a closer look at each of these advantages. Today--the financing advantage. 

In the first two posts of our three-part series, we discussed best practices around SEO and PPC Advertising.  In today's final installment, we'll take a look at email marketing and social media.

It’s that time again. We’ve started thinking about our resolutions for the upcoming year and the challenge is about to  begin. Maybe they’re personal, or perhaps professional.  Regardless of your role in the company it is important to always set career related goals. To start the year off with some fun and perhaps a little help, the Insignia team pooled some ideas on a list of 2013 New Year’s Resolutions for dealerships. I know what you're thinking-people are not very good at keeping their New Year’s resolutions. Four in five Americans fail to attain their New Year’s resolution, with a third giving up before the end of January. Well we just didn’t offer resolutions. We also left some tips on how to keep them obtainable.

In my last post, I discussed the benefits of SEO. Today, I want to take a closer look at Pay-Per-Click, (PPC) advertising. The key lesson here is that PPC advertising can be profitable…but it’s not simple.  Here are some tips that will help simply the process.

There are two ways to scale your online auto accessories business: reaching new customers, and retaining old ones. Find the sweet spot between these strategies, and you'll create a positive feedback loop that puts you on a continuous path toward success. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at SEO.