Norfolk, VA., August 26, 2010 – Dominion Dealer Solutions, a division of Dominion Enterprises, today announced that General Motors (GM) has approved recertification for both Autobase and AVV as Certified Lead Management Providers (CLMP). Autobase and AVV are premier CRM and ILM providers for auto dealers nationwide.   As part of this program, GM requires each of its US dealerships to use a certified lead management provider for receiving and responding to OEM-generated Internet leads. Based on criteria listed in GM’s Statement of Certification Requirements, over 70 technology standards were required for the recertification. These standards ranged from changes in performance reporting to lead processing, and training updates to lead handling.   Ed Braunbeck, general manager of AVV, noted, “AVV and GM together invested a significant amount of time working on these requirements. AVV is committed to providing GM dealers with a comp...

VinSolutions makes Inc. 500 as the 33rd fastest growing software company with three-year revenue growth of 672% Overland Park, KS  Aug. 27  Inc. Magazine ranked VinSolutions as the 33rd fastest growing software company in the US on its prestigious Inc. 500 list, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies.   VinSolutions grew by 672% in the three year period and was ranked #447 overall. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy - America's entrepreneurs. As an Inc. 5000 honoree, VinSolutions shares a prestigious pedigree with such notable alumni as Microsoft, Intuit, Zappos, Under Armor, Jamba Juice, Timberland, Visa, Cliff Bar, Patagonia, Oracle, and scores of other powerhouses. Other Automotive technology companies that were recognized on the Inc 5000 list were vAuto at #125 with 2044% growth, Dealer.com at #1056 with 286% growth and Dealer Socket at #1829 with 150% growth. ...

 


Leading automotive website instantly connects car dealers with buyers using chat.

ATLANTA, GA – August 27, 2010 – Contact At Once!, a leading provider of live chat software for car dealerships, today announced that Cars.com has extended their license of the ContactAtOnce! live chat software including a mobile chat application.  ContactAtOnce! has been powering the chat service available to all franchise and independent dealers advertising on Cars.com since January 2009.  The new mobile chat application will make it possible for dealers to answer chat leads from “smart phone” mobile devices, helping to convert more prospects into sales.

“Mobile chat allows salespeople to be more responsive to shoppers' inquiries, even if they've stepped away from their desk," said Michael Page, Cars.com vice president of advertising products. "Dealers can respond at shoppers' convenience, giving them the information they

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For additional information contact: Sara Callahan                                                 Susan Lovett Carter-West Public Relations                         Mobile Productivity, Inc. Phone:727-288-2159                                      Phone: (800) 997-1674 x2010 E-mail: scallahan@carterwestpr.com                 &nb...

Owyang Joins Line-up Focused on Innovating Dealership Profit Centers in Recovery Economy

Salt Lake City, Utah – August 18, 2010 – DrivingSales.com (www.drivingsales.com), the automotive industry’s largest car dealer social network, today announced that renowned social media analyst, blogger and web strategist Jeremiah Owyang will keynote the second annual DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES) presented with WardsAuto.com scheduled for October 18th through 20th, 2010 at the Encore Wynn Las Vegas.

“Jeremiah is renowned for his passion for helping companies communicate with the web and for his innovative and trail-blazing approach to social media – and the web in general,” said DrivingSales CEO and Founder Jared Hamilton. “He knows how to make new media relevant and actionable for businesses. His focus on integrating customer/community needs, business objectives, and technology is particularly relevant to the goal of the summit, which is to

August 13, 2010 –(Rumson, NJ) Internet sales and marketing professionals who are currently working at car dealerships and want to master powerful SEO tools and strategies to improve the search visibility of their website are invited to participate in a unique Automotive SEO Study which will be presented at the 2011 NADA Convention in San Francisco. 

The study is co-sponsored by PCG Digital Marketing and DrivingSales.com.

The Automotive SEO Study will be limited to 100 automotive dealers*. Registration ends on August 30, 2010. There is no cost to participate however members should budget approximately $100 for domain purchases, blog hosting and/or fees paid to third part marketing sites, directories and related sites as needed.

 

Study members will be trained and coached how to use content publishing, link building, social media, video, PDF brochures, and automotive networks to improve their Google Page One results for popular consumer search phrases. &nbs

Irvine, CA and San Francisco, CA — August 12, 2010 - Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq:ABTL), a leader in providing consumers with a comprehensive and positive automotive research and purchasing experience, and DriverSide.com, the leading online vehicle ownership experience and full service customer acquisition and retention program for the auto industry, today announced that DriverSide will power the relaunch of Autobytel’s MyGarage® within a personalized ownership section on autobytel.com. This is the first in a series of new innovative products and services addressing the entire vehicle purchasing and ownership lifecycle to be introduced by Autobytel. “Autobytel is committed to extending its role as trusted advisor to consumers from their vehicle research and purchase process throughout their entire automotive ownership experience and beyond,” said Autobytel President and CEO Jeff Coats. “I am especially pleased that we, along with DriverSide, can bring th...

Applications for the 2010 Automotive Search Marketing Architecture (ASMA) study, underwritten by PCG Digital Marketing (PCG), are now available to automotive website design companies.      The annual study and awards recognize the best automotive website platforms for automotive digital marketing strategies. Automotive website companies are encouraged to contact Carrie Hemphill, ASMA Award Coordinator, to request the application and data entry forms via email. Deadlines Announced   Participants in the 2010 ASMA Awards must submit their application by August 2, 2010.  The completed ASMA data form with all survey data completed is due by August 27, 2010.   The 2010 ASMA will be expanded to include survey data for mobile applications, chat, video technology and iPad applications.   The 2010 study results will be announced at the 9th Digital Dealer Conference which will be held in Las Vegas from October 12-14th.  A ...

  2010 Semi-Annual Report Shows Women rank Mercedes, Jeep, Lexus, BMW and Chrysler Highest PITTSBURGH- Women-Drivers.com has released its semi-annual 2010 report showing the Top Auto Brands as rated by women’s dealership reviews. Each year, the company tracks thousands of consumer reviews with regards to women’s Purchasing, Browsing and Service experience at car dealerships in the United States. The consumer review website connects women and families to women-friendly car dealerships by showcasing dealers in a respective zip code radius with the highest scores. Getting reviews from female consumers is free for all dealerships. On the site, individual dealerships’ scores range from 1.0 - 5.0. Dealers with Women Satisfaction Index, or WSI® scores between 3.80 – 5.0 are recognized and marketed as Certified Women-Drivers Friendly™. Dealers use this online reputation management tool to distinguish and leverage their busine...

izmocars Revolutionizes Automotive CRM with Social Media Integration   iCRM First to Enable Auto Dealers to Find and Proactively Communicate with Customers on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn via CRM   San Francisco, CA, July 19, 2010: izmocars (www.izmocars.com), the leading business solutions provider for the automotive industry, today became the first in the industry to fully integrate social networking into automotive CRM with a new release of its popular web-based iCRM system (http://www.izmocars.com/solutions/profit-maximizer.html).  The company also announced that social networking is now integrated into its innovative lead management product, iLM.   According to a new report by Experian Simmons, two-thirds of Americans now visit web sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, with 43% visiting them more than once a day. Significantly for the retail industry, and automotive dealers in particular, 68% have become a fan or friend of a product,...

Sidney Haider to Head izmocars iConsult; Institutes Performance-based Guarantee for Dealerships   President of izmocars’ expanding accessories/service division to integrate industry-leading sales performance consulting into portfolio   San Francisco, CA – July 13, 2010 --- Izmocars (www.izmocars.com), a leading Internet business solutions provider for the auto retailing industry, today announced that Sidney Haider will take the reins of the company’s industry-leading and innovative in-dealership sales performance consulting program, iConsult (http://www.izmocars.com/solutions/iconsult.html).  Haider will continue to head the company’s AOA program (which is currently generating average revenue -per-vehicle sold of $400-600), as well as its soon-to-be released iService program.  Since joining izmocars, Haider has spearheaded innovations to the iConsult program, including a new performance-based guarantee that ensures dealer...

Automatic Data Processing Inc., facing an auto dealer computing market beset by a 13 percent drop in U.S. dealerships over the past two years, said today it has agreed to buy digital marketing company Cobalt Group Inc. for about $400 million in cash. “Acquisitions that complement our core businesses are a key part of ADP's five-point strategic growth program,” ADP CEO Gary Butler said in a statement today. He said the deal is expected to close within six weeks. The companies said the combination would improve automotive retailing for consumers, manufacturers and dealers. “For over 15 years, Cobalt's mission has been to enable [manufacturers] and dealers to work together to use the Internet to influence prospects as they move from product awareness to purchase and provide more timely services to existing owners,” Cobalt CEO John Holt said in a statement. “By combining our offerings with ADP, we will be even better positioned to carry ...

June 7, 2010  – BURLINGTON, VT – Dealer.com, the global leader in online marketing solutions for auto dealers, today announced that it is one of 20 North American companies named a “Top Small Company Workplace” by Inc. magazine and Winning Workplaces. The “Top Small Company Workplaces” report, published today in Inc.’s June issue, recognizes 20 small to mid-sized businesses that have built exemplary and innovative organizations and demonstrated an ongoing commitment to maintaining the best possible workplaces. The organizations honored are independent (not part of a larger corporation); have no more than $500 million in annual revenues; 750 or fewer employees; and at least three years of business history. Winning Workplaces and Inc. narrowed down the applications to 40 finalists, which were judged by a national panel of experts in leadership and small business based on specific metrics and qualitative assessments of their success in ...

June 9, 2010 - BURLINGTON, VT - Dealer.com today named Rick Gibbs as its new president. Gibbs co-founded the company in 1998 and has since held the position of CTO, shaping and directing Dealer.com's technological vision, while spearheading its emergence as the global leader in online marketing solutions for the automotive industry. As President, Gibbs will help guide the company as it significantly increases employee headcount and accelerates product development and delivery volume over the years ahead. "Rick's appointment sends a strong signal to the industry that we are first and foremost a technology company that empowers auto dealers, dealer groups and OEMs. We see a growing trend of powerful Software as a Service business models being driven by technologists," commented Mark Bonfigli, Dealer.com's CEO, who previously held the title of President as well. "Rick's expertise and dedication have been critical in enabling us to nearly quadruple our ...

  AutoPilot Benefits Consumers with Guaranteed, No-haggle Pricing and VIP Service While Connecting Dealers with Pre-Qualified Car and Truck Buyers.   Irvine, CA and Chatsworth, CA, -- June 29, 2010 – Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL), a leader in marketing resources for car dealers and manufacturers, today announced the launch of AutoPilotSM, a new car buying service for consumers who receive financing from their local credit union or bank. Designed to enhance a positive car buying/selling process for both consumers and car dealers, AutoPilot provides consumers with VIP dealer service and no-haggle pricing, and car dealers with pre-qualified buyers. Autobytel also announced that Autoland, Inc., the nation’s largest credit union auto buying service, through its AutolandDirect program, will be AutoPilot’s premier partner and will also help power the program with its call center technology.   “Autobytel launched the industry&rsquo...

  Drivers Under 35 More Likely to Be in Accidents Caused by a Wired Device   Irvine, CA – June 28, 2010 – A new Autobytel “What’s Hot Now?” report, Wired-in-the-Car, released as part of National Safe Driving Month reveals that not only are phoning and texting while driving still serious issues, but distracted driving has the potential to exponentially increase as Echo Boomers (35 and under) increasingly hit the road with their iPhones, iPads and various other mobile Web-surfing devices. Furthermore, the report indicates that Echo Boomers have little interest in technology from auto manufacturers that improves the safety of having wired devices and built-in electronics in their new cars.   Wired-in-the-Car, based on a snapshot survey[1] of consumers who visit Autobytel’s network of sites, indicates that drivers continue to be conflicted between their desire to be “plugged-in,” with 40% overall wanting the Interne...

Leading provider of live chat software introduces the automotive industry’s first native iPad chat application that enables sales people to be mobile and productive.

ATLANTA, GA – June 29, 2010 – Contact At Once!, the leading provider of live chat software for car dealers that want to convert more of their website visitors into appointments, today announced a ContactAtOnce! iPad chat application. The ContactAtOnce! iPad chat app enables car dealers to answer chat leads from their WiFi and 3G iPads, making them more productive using the iPad’s mobility and unique user experience capabilities. Features of the ContactAtOnce! iPad chat app include:


Support for both WiFi and 3G iPads

Streamlined user interface, optimized for the iPad and designed to maximize productivity and ease-of-use

Rich contextual information about the shopper and the car in which they are interested is presented using the iPad’s high resolution screen


“We are ple

Automotive Social Media Marketing Summit in Las Vegas Focuses on Enhancing Dealership Profit Centers in Recovery Economy 

Salt Lake City, Utah – June 17th, 2010 – DrivingSales.com (www.drivingsales.com), the automotive industry’s largest car dealer social network, today announced the second annual DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES) scheduled for October 18th through the 20th 2010 at the Encore Wynn Las Vegas. The DrivingSales Executive Summit is a uniquely collaborative event modeled after the best practices sharing among dealership professionals on DrivingSales.com.  The event brings together the most successful and innovative dealers in the country, along with world-renowned speakers, all to focus on dealership innovations and profitability.

“The Second Annual DrivingSales Executive Summit finds us in a recovering economy but the world, and the car buyer, has changed,” says DrivingSales Founder and CEO Jared Hamilton. “With the

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For additional information contact: Sara West-Callahan Susan Lovett Carter-West Public Relations Mo bile Productivity, Inc. Phone: 727-288-2159 Phone: (800) 997-1674 x2010 E-mail: scallahan@carterwestpr.com slovett@mpifix.com MPI HELPS AUTO DEALERS IMPROVE SERVICE DEPARTMENT PROFITS WITH RELEASE OF NEW EBOOK “KEY SECRETS TO CUSTOMER PAY SUCCESS” Las Vegas, NV, May 18, 2010 — Mobile Productivity, Inc., (MPi) (www.mpifix.com) a leading provider of profitability tools for auto dealer service departments, today announced the release of a new eBook, “Key Secrets to Customer Pay Success”. A growing number of auto dealerships are embracing the challenge of improving their customer pay business in a down economy. The eBook highlights how these dealers are using technology and improved processes to help implement a world class inspection process that is driving fixed operations profits. The MPi eBook, “Key Secrets to Customer Pay Success,...

Management and attainment of internet leads  from OEM, Dealer and independent internet sites represent an area of great investment at most dealerships. But what is the perfect mix? Dealix Corporation, the provider of new and used car leads generated at independent internet sites, today released a white paper where three leading experts discuss that question in detail. The white paper is a transcript of a debate between David Kain, Founder and CEO, Kain Automotive, Brian Pasch, Founder, Pasch Consulting, and Anna Zornosa, General Manager of Dealix, which was moderated by John Holt, CEO of The Cobalt Group, Seattle, Wa. During the debate, the participants were asked to advocate on behalf of the role of different leads in the mix, with Kain representing leads generated at OEM sites, Pasch arguing on behalf of leads from the dealer’s site, and Zornosa speaking to leads from automotive web sites and consumer portals. Topics addressed include: ·   &...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For additional information contact: Sara West-Callahan                                                    Susan Lovett Carter-West Public Relations                                     Mobile Productivity, Inc. Phone: 727-288-2159                                                 Phone: (800) 99...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For additional information contact: Sara West-Callahan                                                    Susan Lovett Carter-West Public Relations                                     Mobile Productivity, Inc. Phone: 727-288-2159                                                 Phone: (800) 99...

Next Generation Dealer Services, an automotive industry leader in social media, has announced it will offer a series of free webinars starting Friday May 14th at noon EST. NGDS is dedicated to bringing social media training to auto dealers and has already held several two day seminars in different areas of the country this year.   Social Media Strategist for NGDS and author of PersuasiveConcepts.com David Johnson will be conducting the series with the first being entitled “Creating Customers who Create Customers – The Real Power behind Social Media”. Future webinars will tackle subjects such as Defining A Social Media Strategy and Social Media, The New Top Of Mind.   In this first seminar attendees will learn specific tips and technique that influences both loyalty and referrals. "Let's face it," Johnson says. "Brand loyalty in our country is out the window, unless of course we do something about it! In this first webinar ...

Dealers Using the ERA® DMS Will See Vehicle Inventory Changes Reflected Immediately on Their Websites   DAYTON, Ohio – May 11, 2010 – The Reynolds and Reynolds Company today announced the availability of real-time inventory updates for customers using the Reynolds ERA® dealership management system (DMS) and websites from Reynolds Web Solutions.   Now, with this advancement, when dealers add a vehicle to an ERA vehicle management screen or make changes to existing inventory records, the updates will be reflected immediately – and automatically – on their WebMakerX® 2.0 website. As a result of this innovation, consumers who are shopping for a car on the dealer’s website will be able to view the most accurate information about the dealership’s current offerings, including status, price, and option packages.   “Real-time inventory is one more competitive advantage we can offer dealerships as they work...

New York, NY (May 8, 2010) – The Automotive Advertising Network (AAN) leverages the power of member dealers to generate more exclusive consumer sales leads and increase the visibility of their websites on search engines.   The Automotive Advertising Network is the first dealer-centric lead provider that provides members with unlimited leads and online promotion of their inventory on national, regional and local websites that are strategically positioned to appear on top of the most popular search engines, social networks and blogs.     Members can also place their car inventory in front of consumer blogs, press releases and on Fan Page tabs inside of Facebook.   The Automotive Advertising Network, created by industry veterans Brian Pasch, Sean Wolfington and David Boice, help dealers generate more leads for less cost. The member dealers are using their collective power to compete with third-party lead providers who historically have had...

Clifton Park, NY (May 4, 2010) – Auto/Mate Dealership Systems, (www.automate.com) the highest ranked DMS in the 2009 NADA Annual Survey of Dealership Satisfaction, announced today it has completed two key integration points between its Automotive Management Productivity Suite (AMPS) and Mazda North American Operations’ (MNAO) dealership communication system. The integration improves administrative efficiencies in two vital areas: 1) The Mazda Vehicle Invoice Integration is a new Vehicle Merchandizing functionality that enables Mazda dealers to automatically import all vehicle invoices directly from Mazda into Auto/Mate, simply add a stock number and dealer specific entries, and then send directly to accounting.

San Ramon, CA – May 3, 2010 – MediaTrac, LLC (www.media-trac.com), a marketing technology company providing customized frequency marketing, customer loyalty, retention and media tracking programs, announced today that Gus Johnson Ford in Spokane, Washington has achieved measurable, significant success using its LoyaltyTrac® program. Since signing up with MediaTrac, Gus Johnson Ford’s service department revenue has increased 20%, customer defection has been all but eliminated, and the average customer spend per repair order is $50 higher for program members compared to non-members. During the first year on the program, the dealership’s service rewards members generated $15,000 per month in revenue for the service department. Today those members generate approximate...

 


Partnership increases dealer sales opportunities by letting shoppers interact with dealers using their preferred communication style – email, phone and, now, chat.

Atlanta, GA and Seattle, WA – April 27, 2010 – Contact At Once!, LLC, the leading provider of dealer chat software that moves online lookers into live conversations with car dealerships, announced today a partnership with Cobalt, the leading provider of digital marketing solutions to the retail automotive industry, to offer an integrated version of ContactAtOnce! dealer chat software with Cobalt’s dealer website solutions. Dealers adding ContactAtOnce! to their Cobalt digital marketing platform will be able to support more shoppers natural communications preferences, increasing total sales opportunities generated by their advertising investments. With this partnership Cobalt results reporting will now include chat-based opportunities as it does email leads, phone leads and walk-in in

While many auto dealers are still trying to kick start the road to economic recovery, others are implementing successful programs that continue to increase profitability in their service departments. Cascade Auto Group (www.cascadeauto.com) in Klamath Falls, Oregon is a GM, Honda and Subaru dealership that has been using MPi’s World Class Inspection™ program for more than two years. The system has greatly increased their vehicle inspections and service recommendations, resulting in more than $30,000 of additional service sales income per month. “We always had a mandate that every vehicle should receive an inspection,” said Brian Lepley, Service Manager for Cascade Auto, “but we were challenged because there was no way for us to verify if the inspections were happening or not, other than thumbing through every Repair Order (RO),” an onerous task for a large service department that repairs 1,500 vehicles per month. Since implementing MPi’s customized EDGE™ solution, Cascade Auto Group’s vehicle inspection request rate has increased to 96%. “As soon as the system went in, everyone became accountable because we had the ability to track and manage what they were doing,” said Lepley.

Check out the comprehensive state by state ranking from Insure.com just published. My state, Pennsylvania, ranks at 26th -- splitting the list in half. Wow, only $1420 a year to 'protect' ourselves. Don't get me wrong.... insurance is practical and necesary. I am simply a 'numbers girl', and can you imagine spending $71,000 in your lifetime or more for the mere pleasure of driving your car? Oh, yea, we all do. When was the last time you checked to get a new quote with your current insurance provider? If it’s been awhile, take a look at these tips to evaluate ways and areas where you can possibly save some money. Shop around. There are a number of insurance companie’s that provide car insurance, and gaining access to the parent company or to the agents is very easy by doing some simple searching on the internet. Get at least 3-5 quotes and compare. An extra $25 or $30 a month can make a real difference. Buy on-lin...