Internet Plays Vital Role For Auto Dealers

Mike Sachoff — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:35:28 +0000

Auto dealers say the Internet has provided them with the highest return on investment (ROI) over the last five years, according to a new survey from Autobytel.

The majority (96%) of dealers predict the Internet will play a larger role in their marketing in the next five years. Internet leads continue to play a critical role, with 93 percent of dealers reporting that new and used third-party leads are an important part of their marketing mix.

One hundred percent of deal respondents reported their Internet strategies helped them through these challenging times, with the majority (79.5%) reporting the Internet has been their highest ROI. In contrast, traditional media (TV, newspapers and radio) only ranked first for 7.5 percent, 6.5 percent, and 2.5 percent of dealers respectively.

Dealers said being able to reach customers beyond their immediate market is a key advantage of the Internet, as well as the fact it is more cost-efficient and targeted medium than traditional media like TV & radio.

Ninety-three percent of dealers have increased their Internet marketing budgets in the last five years, with more than half (56%) boosting their Internet budgets by 50 percent or more.

Third-party leads continue to provide benefit to dealers for the following reasons, according to 93% of those surveyed:

Having control over what I spend/how many leads I’m guaranteed to get’
‘Because so many consumers use 3rd-party research websites I’m able to capture ready-to-buy car shoppers’
‘They’re cost-efficient and measurable’
‘They enable me to expand my reach across Web’

Autobytel, Kosmix Work Together On MyRide

Doug Caverly — Thu, 10 May 2007 16:47:56 +0000

For the 2007 model year, Toyota discontinued the Matrix XRS (the most powerful version of that particular model). Closer to 2000, the Ford Escort, a perfectly nice little car, was replaced with the Focus, which was then recalled 12 times. But things in the automotive world generally improve over the years, and so it was fairly exciting when Autobytel selected Kosmix to power its next-generation website, MyRide.com.

Autobytel’s current site is nice, but it’s not terribly special. It, Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book, and any number of other sites tend to blend together in terms of usefulness, even if their designs set them apart. MyRide.com should (if it lives up to a recent press release) showcase some true advances.

The site will offer “numerous search-based content features such as community-based blogs, road crash test reports, green car profiles, future car snapshots, and user car summaries in a set of smart, relevant and intuitive results,” Autobytel said. And in an email to WebProNews, a Kosmix spokesperson also mentioned sections for service and repair, parts and accessories, and racing and performance – on top of all the standard stuff.

Moreover, MyRide.com has been labeled “the world’s first fully-integrated automotive vertical search experience.” The site will “leverage Kosmix’s sophisticated web categorization technology,” and the result, dubbed Automotive SmartSearch, “aggregates automotive content from across the Internet and integrates it with comprehensive content relevant to consumers’ needs.”

Can MyRide.com live up to expectations and stand out from the crowd of other automotive sites? I don’t know. But so long as MyRide.com doesn’t drain cars of 50 horsepower or cause “the left rear wheel and brake drum assembly to separate from the vehicle,” it’ll easily avoid being the worst thing in the auto industry. Look for MyRide.com to launch next month.

WebProNews » Autobytel

Internet Plays Vital Role For Auto Dealers

Autobytel, Kosmix Work Together On MyRide