Ep. 662 - AI, Accountability, and the $30 Leak in Your Marketing, with Matt VanDyke

The Dealer Playbook

In this episode of The Dealer Playbook, I sit down with Matt VanDyke, President of Shift Digital, to unpack some of the most pressing—and overlooked—topics in automotive marketing right now. From mobile-first lead strategies to AI-powered insights, Matt brings a rare, high-altitude perspective that cuts through the fluff and actually makes sense of what’s happening in the trenches.

We talk about:

• Why phone calls and text messaging are quietly dominating lead conversions
• How to rethink click-to-call and ditch the outdated obsession with form submissions
• The $30 out of every $100 you’re losing due to poor website performance (yes, it’s that bad)
• The AI conversation everyone’s having—but few are applying correctly
• Why accountability isn’t a buzzword—it’s the hidden driver of innovation

Matt also drops a sobering stat: fewer than 1% of dealer websites in North America pass Google’s Core Web Vitals. Which means most are unintentionally sabotaging their own ad budgets. If you’re tired of wasting money, or just want to know where the puck is really heading, this conversation is a must-listen.

Whether you're running a store, managing an OEM program, or working at an agency, there’s something in here that’ll shift how you think about performance.

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This Episode's Sponsor
FlexDealer Need Better Quality Leads? FLX helps car dealers generate better quality leads through localized organic search and highly-targeted digital ads that convert. Not only that, they work tirelessly to ensure car dealers integrate marketing and operations for a robust and functional growth strategy.

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Chapters

1. Episode Introduction with Matt Van Dyke (00:00:00)

2. Lead Handling and Mobile-First Optimization (00:01:06)

3. Media Trends and Traffic Patterns (00:03:27)

4. Phone Calls and Text Messaging Strategy (00:06:18)

5. AI Applications in Automotive Marketing (00:09:04)

6. Accountability in the Automotive Ecosystem (00:15:06)

7. Website Performance and Core Web Vitals (00:20:02)