What happens when your dealership is spending $20K–$100K/month driving traffic… only to send shoppers into a digital storefront that's cluttered, slow, and quietly killing conversion?

In this episode of In Search Of, new host Dave Estey and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit down with Lance Boehmer of Motive to break down the real cost of outdated website platforms—and why "good enough" websites create conversion drag that bleeds both paid and organic performance.

It's a practical, no-fluff look at what a modern website should do (and stop doing), how to evaluate your current provider without getting lost in buzzwords, and why reducing clutter—online and in-store—might be one of the fastest ways to sell more cars with the same traffic.

Why Watch
• Stop conversion drag at the source — why your website isn't just a $30K/year expense, but the bottleneck for every marketing dollar you spend
• Cut the clutter tax — how too many CTAs and bolt-on tools create decision paralysis and lower lead conversion
• Speed matters more than hype — why load time and friction kill shoppers faster than any "bad offer" ever will
• Make your data usable again — how cleaner event tracking and better visibility into shopper behavior drives smarter decisions
• Merchandise like a pro (online + on-lot) — using search behavior and inventory insights to feature what shoppers actually want and move what's aging
• Fix the CRM blind spots — why knowing what else a shopper looked at changes the entire sales conversation (and close rate)
• OEM content shouldn't be a cage — how locked pages and duplicate content limit organic opportunity—and what modern platforms should allow instead
• Mystery shop your own website — the simplest gut-check that instantly reveals what your team has gotten used to ignoring

If you're a GM, Dealer Principal, or Marketing Director trying to get more out of your website without buying another shiny tool—this episode will hit home.

What happens when "being nimble" stops meaning clever marketing tweaks—and starts meaning leadership, discipline, and brutal honesty about what's actually changing week to week?

In this episode of In Search Of, Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit down with Andrew Ruck, GM of LaFontaine Automotive Group, for a real-world look at what it took to win in 2025—and what it'll take to build even bigger in 2026 and 2027. Andrew breaks down why his team chose to hit the accelerator when others tightened up, how over-communication with customers turned uncertainty (tariffs, inventory swings, EV whiplash) into opportunity, and why vendor relationships succeed or fail based on one critical factor: the person on the other end of the phone.It's a candid conversation about "bridging islands" inside the dealership, building a vendor bench that matches your operating personality, avoiding the trap of 30-day decision-making, and staying ruthlessly aggressive about learning—because in today's market, the dealer who stops learning gets left behind.

Why Watch
• Win through volatility — why 2025 felt like "a new problem every quarter," and how LaFontaine stayed profitable by adapting faster
• Get aggressive when it's tough — how "bulking up" inventory and leaning in (without fear-mongering) created real momentum
• Choose vendors by people, not pitches — why the account rep often matters more than the logo on the contract
• Stop reporting the news — what dealership leaders actually need from vendor meetings (and how to tell when engagement is dying)
• Bridge the islands — how parts, service, sales, and body shop interconnect—and why communication is the multiplier
• Avoid the 30-day trap — balancing today's urgent goals with the long-term moves that protect brand and market share
• Crawl, walk, run — how 2026 sets up 2027, and why disciplined planning beats constant "panic switching"
• NADA survival guide — how to shop smart, avoid shiny AI wrappers, and not leave with a cart full of stuff you don't need

If you're a GM, Dealer Principal, or operator trying to scale in a market that refuses to sit still—this one's for you.

• Cut through AI hype: learn why there's no "flip-the-switch" product for AI Overviews/LLMs—and what actually increases your odds of being cited
• Separate paid from organic: understand why "paid AI placement" isn't SEO, and how vendors blur lines to sell "new" solutions
• Get schema and fundamentals right: hear why "2013 SEO" best practices still matter—and how to sanity-check what's really implemented
• Own your data or stay blind: why dealers who don't control their analytics are forced to trust dashboards instead of truth
• Avoid panic changes in Q4: how market headwinds can make great marketing look "flat," and why changing too many variables at once breaks diagnosis
• Break out of OEM handcuffs: what's driving the surge in dealers exploring off-program solutions, dual-site strategies, and co-op tradeoffs
• Build real accountability: why leadership can't be the expert in everything—and the case for a trusted, objective partner who protects the store first