Why Most Dealer Websites Are Failing to Convert—and What You Can Do About It
Not all dealer websites are created equal.
Sure, the foundation might be the same—a collection of words and images formatted into a layout on a screen. But what happens after that is where the trouble starts.
Car dealer website providers love to boast about having the “best platform in the industry.” Yet, when users log in to the control interface, it often feels like stepping into the cockpit of a Soviet-era space rocket: complex, clunky, and outdated.
The Reality Behind Dealer Websites
Here’s the issue: with the amount of venture debt many website providers have taken on, they can’t afford to invest in the kind of cutting-edge updates needed to stay competitive. Every deployment of development resources is a calculated risk, and more often than not, dealers end up with the short end of the stick.
But there’s hope.
Kyle Mountsier and AutoGenius have been quietly working on a solution called “Speed Layer.” This revolutionary snippet of code promises to turbocharge any dealer website, addressing one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: site speed.
Kyle recently appeared on the podcast Disruptive Forces with David Spisak to unpack the issue further. The big takeaway?
Speed matters.
And not just for loading times—speed impacts everything from user experience to conversion rates.
What’s Slowing Your Website Down?
If your website is struggling to keep up, here are three common culprits that could be dragging it down:
1. Image Size and Embedded Video
Large images and embedded videos are among the biggest offenders.
Vehicle Photos: These are often optimized by inventory managers, but other images on your site might not be.
Embedded Video: While video is great for storytelling, it’s a resource hog. Google’s site speed tests consistently flag it as a major issue. Those flashy video hero backgrounds dealers love? Ditch them. They’re not helping your marketing or your speed.
Carousels and Sliders: Oversized images in homepage sliders and carousels can also bog things down.
2. Google Tag Manager Overload
Google’s own tools can be a double-edged sword.
Own your Tag Manager account.
Limit how many third-party scripts are added to your site. The more scripts, the slower your site.
3. Third-Party Widgets
It’s tempting to install every gadget and gizmo promising to improve conversions. But remember: not all that glitters is gold.
Before adding a new widget:
Test your site speed before and after installation.
Ask tough questions about how it impacts performance.
Time for a Digital Detox
The bottom line: your website needs to go on a diet.
Unnecessary features are like cholesterol clogging up your tech stack, slowing everything down and costing you leads. By cutting the fluff and focusing on efficiency, you can achieve the real goal: better conversions and more workable leads in your CRM.
Practical Steps to Lean Up Your Website
Audit your current site speed using free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
Optimize image sizes and remove non-essential embedded videos.
Review your Google Tag Manager and third-party widgets—less is more.
It’s time to trim the fat and give your website the tools it needs to perform. A faster, leaner site isn’t just better for your customers—it’s better for your bottom line.
