June 19 last year was a dark day for one of the largest software providers in the automotive retail industry in the U.S. On that day, everything at CDK came to a standstill. Criminals managed to breach the systems, lock everything down, and effectively hold the company hostage. Due to the system blockade, more than […]

Today, David Kain is giving a presentation at the Automotive Dealer Seminar about Amazon Auto’s plans. The e-commerce giant, one of the largest companies in the world, is now seriously entering the online automotive retail space after years of running small pilot projects. Amazon is currently making these efforts in collaboration with Hyundai. What does […]

Now that I work daily in Doesburg, I see more and more the importance of online leads. As a young company – 30 months old – I need new opportunities every day to close deals. My existing customer base is still too small and too young to generate repeat purchases, which could contribute to, for […]

NADA 2025 in New Orleans is about to begin, and as I have done for years, I am writing my first blog about NADA on the plane en route to the U.S. Although we have only just departed, I am already tired! The night before departure, at 11:30 PM, I received a message from our […]

I am writing this article on January 15, 2025, and how grateful I am for the past ten years! During this period, I have worked in various roles at Marktplaats. Today marks exactly ten years since I sold my company, Nieuweautokopen.nl, to the eBay Classified Group, and suddenly, I was successful online. The ten years […]

Just a few more weeks, and then it’s time again for the pinnacle of retail automotive: the NADA, a conference organized by the American National Automobile Dealers Association. This time, the event will be held in New Orleans. I’ve lost count, but it must be at least the fifteenth time I’m attending. I never skip […]

The first blog of the year – 51 more to go before we can evaluate 2025. Then we’ll see which New Year’s resolutions were achieved and which ones were quickly forgotten… 2025 is starting in a strange way for me! At the Ligier Store Doesburg – Experience Center, I’ll be working alone this month. The […]

It’s the second day of Christmas, and like every Thursday, it’s time for a new article. I’ve been posting these articles on Thursdays for years, but publishing on a Friday once in a while is fine too. Finding a topic remains a challenge at times. After more than 200 articles on lead follow-up, each with […]

Okay, this year has been quite turbulent, and next year will be even more exciting when it comes to automotive leads, especially in new car sales. In the past few weeks, I’ve visited three major dealers and OEMs, and they’ve all raised the storm flag. Despite this, the right questions still aren’t being asked, and priorities are being mishandled. You don’t need a new lead management system to process extra online leads if the process for handling those leads doesn’t exist or isn’t being followed!

December is a time for recalculating and reflecting: what went well, and what could be improved? At Ligier Store Doesburg – Experience Center, it’s no different. With access to the beta version of Google Vehicle Listing Ads (VLA), we must rethink our marketing strategy. Although the beta version is not yet optimal and generates few […]