Running an effective business you now have to have a website to help promote it worldwide. However, creating a good website is not enough, you have to have it promoted in the internet’s search engines. This is something easier said than done. Creating a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy is very important on getting that desired traffic to your website. I thought this was a good basic article about some things to really pay attention to.

1. Most prospects to your website will be coming from search engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask etc).
2. Well known search engines work the best.
3. Most prospects use phrases, not single words, to do a search on the search engines.
4. Track the prospects experience on your website.
5. Optimize using more than just one search engine.
6. Check and analyze the results of your tracking/reporting.
7. Use results from tracking to update your site where needed.
8. Prospects rarely go beyond the first or second page of in the search engine results. Work to get on those pages in order to benefit from your SEO strategy.
9. Keyword density is a major part of the ranking of your website.
10. Successful keyword placement.

Having our website, and our publisher’s websites, ranked high in the search engines is key to getting the traffic to get leads. Leadpile Lead Exchange believes quantity is not necessarily the key to success, but quality is.

Ford is stepping up and taking action to assist parents in controlling the speed when their teenager are behind the wheel. Teenagers account for a large percentage of car accidents, mainly due to speeding.  Ford has just introduced a new feature called “My Key”.  My Key will play a major role in decreasing potential car accidents caused by teenagers. 
Parents will be able to limit teen drivers to a speed of 80mph, using a computer chip on the key. Parents also have the option of controlling the stereo volume, which has been known to also distract teen drivers.  In addition, there is a programable chip that can be installed to set off a six second chime, if the driver is not wearing their seat-belt.  Parents can even instruct to set up an annoying chime that will keep going off if they go over 45, 55, or 65mph. Safety first!  
My Key will be rolled out in the summer of 2010 in both cars and trucks.  It will debut in the new 2010 Ford Focus, but also become a part of both Lincoln and Mercury models. 

Ford will get a lot of attention with the My Key.  I’m sure it will quickly spread across other recognized brands.  Smart move for Ford to lead the pack on targeting safety and teens. Teens of course are not thrilled, but overall it’s a great feature that Ford created to promote safety.
What do you think about this new My Key? Is it a thumbs up or thumbs down? 

In recent news, GMAC announced it would only offer auto loans to consumers with a credit score of 700+. According to Reuters.com, GMAC is only wanting to extend credit to those with good credit, and is also saying it will be doing more shorter term loans. This is in direct response to the economy and what is happening to the auto industry. GMAC expects these changes to remain in place until the economy stabilizes. In addition to these changes that are affecting consumers, GMAC says, “it has increased the rate it charges car dealers for providing standard auto financing by 75 basis points.” Therefore, this is not only affecting the consumer who is getting the car, but also those that are selling the cars.
Leadpile Lead Exchange works a lot with auto finance and car purchase leads. Situations like this, in the lending world, are going to affect the average “joe” who buys a car. This is where the auto finance lead type could become more demanded because generally you are talking about consumers that don’t have the perfect credit like GMAC is wanting. These consumers still need funding and there are still options out there for them, even though their credit is not “perfect”. Those dealers being affected by the GMAC decision should look at joining our lead exchange. We have the ability to connect you with consumers that are looking for a car and want it now.

In today’s world there are many things that have changed in a advertising sense. One of the largest changes that has happened is in the way in which advertisers advertise towards women. There are more women in the career role, running a business and buying high priced items for their home. I found this article on Phoenix Business Journal very interesting. For instance, they stated:

*Women business owners spend $1.5 trillion on business purchases.
*In today’s world, age is less important than life stage, e.g., 60-year-old women are dating, 50-year-olds are starting new careers and 40-year-olds are having children.
*Women purchase (or influence the purchase of) 85 percent of all consumer goods including automobiles, investments and computers, which were traditionally viewed as male-domain items.
*Advertising that makes a woman feel uncomfortable about her looks or health will have a hard time reaching an audience willing to purchase its product.

More businesses are realizing these facts and starting to adjust how they market their products online, through television, and print media. In previous years, selling your product or service was something you had to appeal to a man, however as we can see things are changing.
With the Leadpile Lead Exchange we deal with all sorts of lead types and all sorts of demographics of consumers and advertisers. The key for our marketplace to be effective is not only diversify what lead types we are working with, but also understand that publishers doing effective marketing to generate the leads is really important. To do effective lead generation, you must know details about the product and service you are generating leads for, AND you must understand who are the potential people you need to attract in this market.

GM is speaking out and getting the facts straight to the public.  Check out this site: http://gmfactsandfiction.com it allows you to write the “myth” you heard and they will provide the “facts”.   

I was reading today that GM is closing four factories.  Although it has not been determined if that’s 100% accurate, many speculate that it is.  GM has announced that they are closing the Janesville Wisconsin factory.  Shutting down doors for approximately 1,200 workers, December 23rd 2008. The other potential factories, looking at their doors closing, are the ones located in Ohio, Ontario, and Mexico.  

Shares dropped horrifically for GM over the last few days. In an attempt to save money, GM is looking at a few avenues to save money. They are looking at closing down factories that focus specifically on GM’s big trucks such as the Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon. This is a way that GM believes will be lucrative in the long run.  GM has confirmed that they are not going to file for bankruptcy.

What do you think?  Do you think GM has an opportunity to come back from this nightmare?  

Ever wonder what search engine terms are used the most? I know I do, and search terms also tell a little bit about what is going on in the world around us. According to dmconfidential, eBay gets the award for the top terms (eBay and eBay.com)in the month of August. People trying to find bargains, or sell items they have I would say is partially responsible for this. Home depot was the next highest term used, followed by mapquest. The shopping/office supplies category received 43.15% of all paid search traffic. The fortunate thing is that this is an 8% increase from July’s 39.81%. Maybe people are staying home and doing more of their shopping online to try and get the best deal, without driving store to store. Business telecommunications and pharmaceutical & medical traffic was slightly up. However, travel and business/legal traffic was down for the month of August.
Another interesting fact, yet not surprising, is that Google accounted for 71% of all US searches in the month of August. In a distant second place was Yahoo with 18.26% followed by MSN (5.32%) and Ask (3.45%).
To truly be effective with lead generation, knowing this kind of information and detailed information about the verticals you are promoting is key to being successful. For instance, someone who is doing PPC for payday loan will loose a lot of money if they are not first aware of everything there is to know about payday loans, and also if they do not understand search engines.
Here at Leadpile, I am going to do everything I can to help publishers know what buyers are maybe looking for in a particular lead type. This helps with how the traffic is driven to the website and ultimately helps with conversions and payouts. Communication with your affiliate manager or account manger is key to running a successful lead generation campaign.

With all the demand for autos to become more eco-friendly, high performance AND attractive looking, Tesla Motors feels like they have what people are maybe looking for. This high demanded car is the Tesla Roadster. The battery operated car is a 2 seater sports car that you can customize fully. Unfortunately, the price tag is not affordable to most consumers at $109,000. According to their website, there is a 12 month wait to get one built. Their goal is to roll out a 4 door sedan at around $60, 000, which is much higher then the GM’s sedan (Volt)they will be rolling out in 2010. GM is estimating the cost of their battery operated sedan to be around $40,000. I will say there is a very interesting fact about the chairman of Tesla Motors, and that is that he was the co-founder of Paypal. Time will tell if this Silicon Valley start-up can get the auto world headed in the right direction towards a more eco-friendly world.
Leadpile Lead Exchange generates a lot of auto finance leads. Unfortunately, I am not sure we are going to come across advertisers/dealers in our marketplace able to provide this new beauty…..yet. However, we do welcome any company able to generate auto finance leads!

Now might be the time to go out and get your new GM auto. According to MSNBC, the employee discount promotion will not be extended past the end of this month. If you are wanting any type of GM, now would be the time to go out and get it and save some money! The discount was saving some consumers anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars on that new car. This promotion has been going on since mid August, however sales are still down from the year before. Fortunately, it has allowed GM to have less of a “slump” compared to Ford and Chrysler.
If you are a consumer who is wanting to get that new auto NOW.. Let Leadpile connect you with dealerships in your area. Go to my loan and debt website to get matched up with an auto dealer.
If you are a publisher or advertiser, we would love to work with you here at Leadpile Auto Lead Exchange to connect consumers with dealership near them!

A large portion of online advertising is done through search engines. However, getting ranked HIGH on the search engines is every company’s goal. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done to get ranked well.
According to onlineadvertisting.net, there are some facts regarding search engine ranking:

1. 80% of consumers click on the first 3 listing in the search engine listings.
2. 54% of consumers will only look at the first page of results.
3. 19% of consumers actually click through to the 2nd page of results.
4. 10% of consumers got to the third page of search results.

To really be effective you have to be listed well on the major search engines. However, businesses sometimes do not have the resources or money to get there. The key is to do your research. Search engine optimization companies are out there to help businesses understand how to get ranked higher. Unfortunately, like what makes up a credit score….. EVERYTHING that makes up your search engine ranking, is an unknown.
Search engine rankings are a key factor when dealing with lead generation and Leadpile Lead Exchange. The advertisers often times don’t want to deal with SEO (search engine optimization) or PPC (pay per click campaigns), so they turn to a more effective source for potential customers. They turn to Leadpile’s lead sellers. Many of our sellers are experts on getting ranked well on the search engines and other forms of online advertising. We are a common place for both sides to come together.

Companies in all industries are experiencing the pressure of having to come up with new ways to get consumers attention. Online lead generation has been a tool for helping companies find consumers needing a new home, a new car, or various types of loans. However, with the economy the way it is now, companies are working on trying to attract online customers to “new” types of products.
Gone are the days of focusing all your marketing efforts on high profit margin items such as home sales, new car sales and other high price ticket items. According to leadmarketwatch,“The time between major purchases is growing larger due to market pressures as well as improved quality and higher prices. Therefore, marketers need to capture the client in between purchases and it is through micro-needs like chrome wheels, new tires, paint jobs, etc.” This means that companies such as GM are focusing on bringing in leads of consumers wanting new tires and accessories, versus getting the new car. This is also in line with Leadpile Lead Exchange and the need for lead types such as car warranty, car refinance, and home security system leads that are becoming more and more in demand. Service providers could be the ones reaping the rewards of the slower economy… don’t buy a new car or house… fix up the one you already have!

Need AUTO FINANCE leads?
How about PAYDAY LOAN leads?
DEBT leads by chance?
What about CREDIT REPAIR leads?
No wait, how about BUSINESS CASH ADVANCE leads?

No matter what type of lead you are looking for, Leadpile is probably generating it…or can potentially generate it for you. Leadpile Lead Exchange is made up of buyers and sellers of real time web based leads. We are always looking for new buyers of leads to join our marketplace. Where else can you:

1. Get various leads types in one place?
2. Set your pricing you are comfortable with?
3. Define exactly what filters you want?
4. Get top notch customer service to answer your questions and provide support?
5. Work with a company that “does the right thing”, and is always wanting to have our buyers and sellers that are “doing the right thing”.
6. Have the ability to have leads posted to your website, redirected to your site, delivered on email or able to downloaded reports at any time!

What are you waiting for? Try out the Leadpile experience!
For those of you that are already buying or selling leads.. THANK YOU!!

According to DMNews Friday, Chrysler announces that it is going to be launching 3 different campaigns to excite female buyers to go out and purchase a new Chrysler. Chrysler realizes that the female has a large part in the final decision, when couples purchase a car. This new marketing plan is also a direct response to a down turn in sales through July. “Chrysler sales were down 23% through July (compared to 11% for US car sales overall) and Chrysler brands ranked at or below the industry average in a Uni­versity of Michigan consumer satisfaction survey, according to The New York Times. Sales for the Jeep Grand Cherokee fell 48% this July and those of its flagship sedan, the 300, slipped 39%,” according to DMNews.
Bottom line is sales for cars are down, and sales for SUVs are down dramatically. Chrysler is trying to maybe narrow down where there is some room to get some sales going, in this struggling car industry. However, can it work?
Chrysler is utilizing a direct mail campaign to millions of women in hopes of sparking some interest. Combining incentives from some partnering companies, in addition to pre approvals, this should hopefully spark some women to go out and get a new car, or at least sway the decision their spouse was looking at for their next new car. We shall see if this campaign is effective, and also if some other auto makers try to get creative on their marketing to lure in more customers.
Hey Chrysler… if you need some auto finance leads contact Leadpile Lead Exchange. We are generating a lot of volume in this arena and would love to help you get your sales up!