June AOA Accessories Trend Report shows auto dealers most impacted by tsunami generating 30% more accessories revenue, than in each of previous five months. 

San Francisco, CA, July 12, 2011

izmocars (http://www.izmocars.com) today released its June 2011 AOA Accessories Trend Report(1), which studied accessories sales data of dealerships whose inventory was the most severely impacted by the tsunami. The report reveals significant increases in accessories revenue for June, versus each of the previous five months, for these import-brand dealerships. This is particularly striking in a month that saw auto sales slow to their weakest pace in a year, impacted by low inventory, bad news on the economic front and post-Memorial Day sales slowdowns.

The AOA report studied over 150 Honda, Toyota, Lexus and Acura dealerships across the country and found that for the month of June – when vehicle sales for Honda and Toyota dropped by 21%(2) - these dealerships ramped up accessories revenue by over 30%, from an average of $400 per vehicle sold in the preceding five months, to over $525.

Accessories closing ratios also were on the rise at these dealerships, increasing from 50% to 58%, while the average number of parts sold per customer also rose by almost 22% -- from 1.8 to 2.2.

"While there is not a direct correlation between low inventory and increased accessories revenue, this report clearly indicates that dealerships are rising to the challenges of stifled inventory and compensating for lost revenue with new strategies, such as accessories sales which, we believe, are positioned to be a chief driver of increased profits by-car-sold in the months and years to come," said izmocars Vice President Sidney Haider. "Our AOA data over the past year shows that the ROI from accessories sales done the right way is undeniable. The results of this study underscore the importance - and benefits - of having an accessories sales strategy, not only in this economic climate, but also as vehicle stocks return and pent-up consumer demand for vehicles is released."

Top Five Accessories Categories by Volume and Revenue

June's top selling and revenue-generating accessories for the Japanese import-brand dealerships in the study showed some variation from the Top 5 of the overall market in Q1(3). Electronics and Body Side Moldings show up in the Top 5 by volume sold for these import-brands replacing Roof Racks/Cargo Carriers and Factory Interior which were in the Top 5s in Q1 among all brands. The only variance in the Top 5 revenue generators for these import-brands is the elimination of Body Side Moldings and the addition of Navigation, a high profit item and critical add on for summer road trippers.

Top 5 Accessories Categories (By Volume Sold and Revenue)
Jan – May 2011 vs. June 2011

By Volume of Parts Sold, June 2011 (Japanese-Import)
1. Floor Mats
2. Factory Exterior
3. Body Side Moldings
4. Electronics
5. Window Tint

By Volume of Parts Sold, Jan - May 2011 (All Dealers)
1. Factory Exterior
2. Window Tint
3. Floor Mats
4. Factory Interior
5. Roof Racks and Cargo Carriers

By Revenue, June 2011 (Japanese-Import)
1. Wheels/Tires
2. Upholstery
3. Electronics
4. Step Bars
5. Navigation

By Revenue, Jan - May 2011 (All Dealers)
1. Upholstery
2. Wheels
3. Step Bars
4. Electronics
5. Body Side Moldings

(1) All dealerships in the report sampling utilized AddOnAuto from izmocars.
http://www.izmocars.com/solutions/aoa
(2) Automotive News, Low Stocks Stifle June Sales, July 4,2011: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110704/RETAIL01/307049970/1448
(3) AddOnAuto 2011 Q1 Auto Accessories Sales – A Trend Report: http://www.izmocars.com

About izmocars
izmocars is a leading provider of Automotive Business Solutions including: Website and Online Marketing Solutions, Enterprise-level Automotive CRM, iConsult - Sales Performance Coaching and AddOnAuto - an In-Store Accessories Sales Solution.

izmocars is also the world's leader in Interactive Media Content for the automotive industry. Founded in 2002, izmocars services some of the most successful eDealers in the country.

izmocars is based in San Francisco, with offices in Long Beach, CA, Chattanooga, TN, Philadelphia, PA, and Brussels in Europe.

CONTACT: mWEBB Communications for izmocars, Melanie Webber, +1-424-603-4340, melanie@mwebbcom.com, or Angela Jacobson, +1-714-454-8776, angela@mwebbcom.com

Fort Lauderdale, FL – July 12, 2011 – AutoUSA (www.autousadealers.com) announced today the release of PowerListings^SM 2.0 for auto dealers, designed to drive traffic from online classified site Craigslist to dealerships’ Facebook pages. Linking directly to inventory on Facebook provides opportunities for dealerships to increase engagement with potential customers. AutoUSA’s fully managed solution is also time-optimized to automatically post inventory on Craigslist when the most customers in a dealership’s market are viewing the inventory.

“PowerListings^SM 2.0 delivers in-market customers to dealerships that are effectively using Facebook to engage with customers, greatly increasing sales opportunities,” said Phil DuPree, President of AutoUSA.

PowerListings^SM 2.0 expands on the success of AutoUSA’s original PowerListings. “The feedback we have from hundreds of dealers is that PowerListings is one of their best ROI tools, with many click-throughs from customers looking at inventory on Craigslist,” said DuPree.

PowerListings 2.0 provides dealers with the following benefits:

Ÿ - Links from Craigslist inventory take potential customers directly to a landing page on the dealership’s Facebook page.

Ÿ - Inventory tab on the dealership’s Facebook page increases customer engagement and “Likes.”

Ÿ - Videos of inventory on YouTube are generated and posted on Facebook daily, boosting dealerships’ SEO rankings and generating more leads.

Ÿ - Inventory postings and videos automatically keep Facebook content relevant and updated.

Ÿ - Postings on Craigslist are time-optimized to appear when the most customers in a dealership’s market are viewing inventory.

Ÿ - Live market monitoring and reporting provide visibility into customer habits, trends and effectiveness of dealership ads.

AutoUSA’s PowerListings 2.0 is available immediately to dealers nationwide. For more information, call 800-243-9935.

About AutoUSA (www.autousadealers.com)

AutoUSA Internet Sales Solutions brings the best-in-class tools to increase Internet sales and lower costs for automotive dealerships. Leading products include Leads&Listings^SM, providing the highest quality, new and used car email and phone leads; ShowPro^SM incentive program, proven to turn more leads into shows; PowerListings^SM 2.0, helping dealers increase traffic to—and leads from—their social media sites; and AVA Virtual Sales Assistant, helping dealerships manage more leads at a reduced cost, adding profit to the bottom line. AutoUSA products are currently benefiting thousands of active dealers all across the U.S.

AutoUSA has more than ten years of proven success built on a foundation of superior web-based technology, excellent customer service and partnerships that include 100+ independent automotive web sites. AutoUSA is owned and operated by AutoNation, America’s largest auto retailer. For more information go to www.AutoUSAdealers.com , follow us on www.twitter.com/AutoUSALeads and “Like” us on www.facebook.com/AutoUSADealers

The Reynolds Private Managed Network Prioritizes DMS Traffic to Help Keep Business Applications Running at Peak Performance in the Dealership

DAYTON, Ohio – July 11, 2011 – The Reynolds and Reynolds Company today announced the availability of the Reynolds Private Managed (RPM) Network for dealerships using the Reynolds POWER dealership management system (DMS). The RPM Network is a fully managed, private Wide Area Network (WAN) developed specifically for automotive retailers.

“In today’s highly digital environment, so much of a dealer’s business depends on the ability to seamlessly communicate over the Internet, between dealership stores, and with the OEM,” said Jon Strawsburg, vice president of Product Planning for Reynolds. “In response, we’ve developed the RPM Network to meet the specific and complex networking needs of automotive retailers. The RPM Network delivers the reliability, performance, security, and flexibility dealers need to run their business efficiently and effectively.”

The RPM Network helps automotive retailers:

• Keep business applications running at peak performance through a network designed to prioritize DMS traffic.
• Reduce risk with a centralized firewall and layered security.
• Eliminate network bottlenecks by monitoring traffic with an advanced reporting tool.
• Increase employee productivity by monitoring employee Internet usage.

The RPM Network is scalable to meet the needs of all dealers – from a single point store to large dealer groups with stores spread nationwide.

Strawsburg concluded: “This proven network solution has been delivering results for our ERA^® DMS customers for a number of years. We are pleased to now extend these networking capabilities to our POWER DMS customers.”

The RPM Network is available for both POWER in-house and POWER ASP (hosted DMS server) customers.

About Reynolds

Reynolds and Reynolds is the automotive industry’s leading provider of automobile dealership software, services, and forms to help dealerships improve business results.  The company is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, with major operations in Houston and College Station, Texas, and Celina, Ohio.  (www.reyrey.com)

# # # 

Following successful launch in CA, CarFinance Capital brings specialized non-prime financing services to auto retailers in nation's second largest car market 

IRVINE, Calif., June 28, 2011 -- CarFinance Capital LLC (www.CarFinanceCapital.com), a new, specialized provider of non-prime auto financing for automotive dealers, today announced that it has launched in Texas. Following a successful roll-out in California in May, CarFinance Capital is now making its service-oriented program available to Texas auto dealers to help them provide financing to the fast-growing ranks of non-prime car buyers.  Led by an experienced team that previously built Triad Financial, one of the largest U.S. auto finance companies, CarFinance Capital intends to have a broad and lasting presence in Texas, which is one of the nation's top vehicle markets.

"Just a few weeks after we launched in California, hundreds of dealers and their customers are already benefiting from CarFinance Capital's new, dealer-friendly non-prime auto financing model," said Jim Landy, CarFinance Capital's president and CEO. "Dealers want to work with a provider who offers consistency, flexibility and one-on-one support.  Our mission is to fill that role and provide premium service to Texas dealers so they can meet the needs of all their customers."

According to Landy, CarFinance Capital launches at a time when non-prime car buyers represent one of the auto industry's most powerful, future growth markets, but dealers still lack the right, specialized lending partners to tackle the vast industry opportunity.

The CarFinance Difference for Dealers

The CarFinance team's deep background partnering with auto dealerships means that they understand the importance of smoothly facilitating the dealership sales process, rather than inhibiting it, which is why the product is designed to eliminate any surprises in credit and/or cashing contracts and to be consistent across the board.  Benefits include:

• Credit for the mid-market non-prime spectrum: from 550 FICO, through 675
• Beyond black and white decisions: loan decisions preserve dealer flexibility and negotiating room, offering structuring options on an average approval, ensuring dealers can put together more profitable deals.
• Speed on contract funding side: so dealerships get reimbursed fast.
• One-on-One support: customer service experts available to answer questions and provide help.

About CarFinance Capital LLC

CarFinance Capital LLC (www.carfinancecapital.com) is a fresh new company focused on partnering with franchise auto dealers to provide credit to non-prime consumers. Dedicated to premium service for its customers, CarFinance offers one-on-one support, consistent, predictable credit decisions, fast funding, multiple lending options, and deal-structuring flexibility to help auto dealers meet the needs of today's non-prime car buyer.  Headquartered in Irvine, California the company is led by Jim Landy and a seasoned team of executives that have long histories working together in the non-prime auto market.  

Media contacts: 
Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, (424) 603-4340, melanie@mwebbcom.com
Angela Jacobson, mWEBB Communications, (714) 454-8776, angela@mwebbcom.com
 

Las Vegas, NV June 28, 2011 — Vehicle inspection programs can produce substantial revenue for auto dealer service departments. However, most fail because they are not a consistent and quality process and can't easily be measured. Mobile Productivity, Inc., (MPi) (www.mpi-edge.com) the leading provider of vehicle inspection tools, processes, and consulting for auto dealer service departments, today announced the creation of its EDGE 4G Certification Program. Through a combination of web based training videos and live, fully-interactive training webinars; auto dealers now have access to all the training needed to increase their parts and labor gross profits by creating a well organized, practiced and consistent vehicle inspection program.

“Here at MPi we take the needs of our clients and the feedback they provide very seriously.  We are constantly striving to improve our EDGE solution — World Class Inspection processes and EDGE software — by adding new features and improving usability.  By participating in our annual certification effort, auto dealers can be certain that all their staff will have the knowledge and skills necessary to extract the most value possible out of the EDGE 4G solution,” commented Les Silver, MPi Chairman/CEO.

MPi’s primary focus is providing dealerships the necessary tools, processes and training to successfully institute a comprehensive, World Class Inspection Program (WCI) in service departments across North America.  Since 2003, MPi’s proven results driven solution has been helping over 1,000 dealerships achieve a 4 or 5 to 1 return on investment by increasing the sale of legitimately needed service work. 

The WCI system focuses on the management of a “customer friendly” process which, when performed correctly, produces better results.  MPi’s complete and all inclusive vehicle inspection program includes its state of the art software solution, EDGE; customized customer friendly communication tools (Recommended Action Plan™ and Know Your Vehicle™ Reports); detailed management reporting and analysis tools; ongoing consulting and training services; and process and performance metrics.

The EDGE 4G Certification Program will do the following:

• First, new service staff hired after the initial implementation will have the opportunity to attend high quality training for the World Class Inspection program and EDGE software.  Through a combination of web based training videos and live, fully-interactive training webinars;  dealers can be certain that all new staff will have access to all the training needed to make them a proficient and effective member of the World Class Inspection team.

• Second, this initiative will allow dealers to certify all staff on the World Class Inspection program on an ongoing annual basis. 

This certification initiative will introduce the latest EDGE features and enhancements to the entire dealership staff while reinforcing best practices and providing a forum to have any questions they have answered by an expert in both the EDGE software and World Class Inspection program.  Annual EDGE Certification will help the dealership’s Service Department maximize its return on investment and perform at a truly World Class level.

            “With current market conditions, the key is to promote and sell all legitimately needed parts and service work to existing customers. Dealers using the World Class Inspection system uniformly see significant increases in recommendations per vehicle inspection; which translates to healthy increases in gross profit. With our certification program, dealers should see consistent increases in gross,” said Silver.

EDGE pricing is based on dealership size and number of users. A dealership can receive a no-cost price quote and business case by contacting MPI at (888) 335-5736, or visit MPi’s website at: www.mpi-edge.com.

About MPi:

For more information visit:

http://www.mpifix.com/company/overview.aspx

http://www.mpifix.com/Customers/Videos.aspx

http://www.mpifix.com/solutions/recommendation-videos.aspx

SAN RAMON, CA – June 27, 2011 – Auto retailers using a third-party loyalty program can achieve significant retention increases of 20 percent and more. MediaTrac™, a marketing technology company providing customized frequency marketing, customer loyalty, retention and media tracking programs for auto dealers, today released the new white paper “The Auto Retailer’s Ultimate ‘How-to’ Guide to Customer Loyalty & Retention Program Set Up, Management & Measurement.” This new white paper is a best practices guide to help auto dealers achieve such retention increases using loyalty and retention marketing. It can be downloaded for free at: http://www.media-trac.com/resources/whitepapers.shtml or at http://www.drivingretention.com/?p=661

“We had such an overwhelming response to our last white paper,  Driving Optimum Customer Retention and Profitability with an Effective Loyalty Program that we decided we needed to release a follow up that went more into the nuts and bolts of loyalty program planning and execution,” said Michael Gorun, Managing Partner at MediaTrac. “Well-organized, administered and marketed loyalty programs create a higher perceived and real value in a business. This earned loyalty builds longer-lasting relationships that convert to sustainable, repeatable business opportunities.”

The Auto Retailer’s Ultimate ‘How-to’ Guide to Customer Loyalty & Retention Program Set Up reveals how auto retailers using a third-party loyalty program can achieve significant results:

• Retention increases of 20 percent and more

• 50 percent return rate from customers engaged in the dealership’s loyalty program

• Increases of 0.5 hours per RO from repeating customers

However, despite such results, nearly three quarters of all dealers in America remain reluctant to adapt a loyalty program as part of their business practices.  MediaTrac has pulled from its experience working with dealers; this new white paper describes the “who, what, when, where and why” of successful auto retailer loyalty programs – and identifies some potential pitfalls of OEM loyalty programs.

The Auto Retailer’s Ultimate ‘How-to’ Guide to Customer Loyalty & Retention Program Set Up, Management & Measurement is downloadable in PDF format at: http://www.media-trac.com/resources/whitepapers.shtml or at http://www.drivingretention.com/?p=661

About MediaTrac™

Established in 2001 and headquartered in San Ramon, California, MediaTrac is a marketing technology company providing customized loyalty, retention, marketing, prepaid services, and media tracking programs for the automotive, retail, entertainment and hospitality industries.

June 27, 2011 – Salt Lake City, Utah – DrivingSales (www.drivingsales.com) today announced the call for entries for the second annual DrivingSales Innovation Cup Award
, which recognizes the most innovative dealership solution of 2011. The Innovation Cup Award will be presented at the DrivingSales Executive Summit
(DSES), held October 9th through October 11th, 2011 at the Bellagio Las Vegas. Finalists will have the opportunity to present their solutions to DSES attendees, and a panel of dealer judges, who then determine the winner. All dealership vendors may apply at www.drivingsalesinnovationcup.com/compete/application.


“The DrivingSales Executive Summit is designed to inspire dealers to push the envelope on innovation and to help them uncover, collaboratively, the actionable solutions and strategies that will move their dealerships forward,” said DrivingSales Founder and CEO Jared Hamilton. “The Innovation Cup, a centerpiece of the DSES, raises awareness of the vendor solutions that are moving the needle in dealerships across the country by allowing those who know best – auto dealerships – to decide the finalists and winner.”

Last year’s Innovation Cup Award was presented to eCarList who won for their TrueTargetTM Mobile product which makes it easy for automotive dealers to appraise, price and merchandise vehicles directly from their mobile phone.

“Our experience presenting TrueTarget to the DSES audience was a watershed moment for eCarList,” said Len Critcher, CEO of eCarList. “Having the opportunity to compete with other cutting-edge solutions in front of some of the most progressive thinkers in our industry - and to be judged by the very people we designed our product for - was not only a validation of TrueTarget, but further inspiration for us to continue to develop ever more progressive solutions.”

The Innovation Cup is part of an exciting DSES line up this year, which includes workshops and interactive roundtables featuring 2011’s top dealership success stories from each department, as well as a keynote from Gary Vaynerchuk, the renowned social media expert and New York Times bestselling author of The Thank You Economy. More speakers to be announced soon.

About The DrivingSales Innovation Cup Award
The Innovation Cup Award recognizes solutions introduced or enhanced in 2011 whose innovative approaches have produced significant results for dealership customers. Vendors can apply online and/or be nominated by a dealer customer. Five finalists will be selected from the online applicants by a panel of dealer judges, and will be invited to present their solution or product on stage at the DrivingSales Executive Summit. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A session with the panel of dealer judges who will score each solution. The highest scorer will win the Innovation Cup for Most Innovative Dealership Solution of 2011.

For more information about the Innovation Cup Award and to submit an application, go to www.drivingsalesinnovationcup.com/compete/application. There is no charge to apply.

The application deadline for the DrivingSales Innovation Cup Award is midnight PST, August 15th, 2011.

DrivingSales Executive Summit 2011

The DrivingSales Executive Summit is a uniquely collaborative event modeled after the best practices and information-sharing among dealers and auto industry professionals on DrivingSales.com. The third annual event will bring together the most progressive dealers in the country, along with world-renowned speakers, all focused on pushing the auto industry’s ‘innovation boundaries’ and translating the latest trends and business realities into solid 2012 action plans for every dealership department.

Unlike other automotive industry events, the DrivingSales Executive Summit is 100% dealer driven and designed specifically for the most advanced dealer principals and dealership executives in the industry. The exclusive event has a vendor-neutral policy, meaning no vendor influence on presentation selection and adherence to a strict dealer-to-vendor ratio.

For more information, visit www.DrivingSalesExecutiveSummit.com or contact dses@drivingsales.com. Follow DSES news as it develops on www.twitter.com/drivingsales using #DSES and on facebook.com/drivingsales.

About DrivingSales.com

DrivingSales is the auto industry's fastest-growing, most influential trade media property focused on delivering actionable profit-building information to auto retailers and industry professionals. DrivingSales' media network includes flagship property DrivingSales.com (www.drivingsales.com), the world's largest car dealer social network where thousands of dealership professionals collaborate and share best practices in a 20-group style setting; DrivingSalesTV (www.drivingsalestv.com), an interactive web channel which helps car dealers and auto professionals keep tabs on their industry and emerging technologies 24/7; DrivingSales University, an on-demand training platform where dealerships learn the latest web strategies from top e-commerce experts; DrivingSales Executive Summit (DSES) the industry's leading conference where progressive dealers collaborate and learn from world renowned experts, and DrivingSales Dealership Innovation Guide, a quarterly free publication featuring case studies of the industry's most innovative dealerships, solutions and best practices.

DrivingSales encourages innovation and excellence in the industry with its annual Dealer Satisfaction and Innovation Cup Awards, whose winners are determined solely by the dealer community. Founded by Jared Hamilton, a third generation car dealer, DrivingSales was named one of ten social media gambits for 2009 by Automotive News and one of the Top 10 Companies to Watch by Auto Success Magazine.


DrivingSales Executive Summit Media Relations:
Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 424.603.4340
Angela Jacobson (angela@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 714.454.8776

Chapel Hill, NC, June 20, 2011 – MotiveLogic Corporation, the leader in real-time service management solutions for automotive dealership fixed operations, today announced the appointment of Jay Baas as President and Chief Operating Officer.  In this role, Baas will focus on marketing and operational efforts to increase the company’s footprint with auto dealers and dealer groups nationwide. MotiveLogic’s low cost tools deliver real-time information about fixed operations to help auto dealership owners and managers significantly improve and sustain higher cash flow, revenue and profit targets.

“Jay’s leadership skills and in-depth knowledge of the market make him a wonderful asset and an excellent fit for this position,” commented Gregg Gerdau, Co-Founder and Chief Executive at MotiveLogic. “His passion for the industry will greatly enable us in our goal of growing auto dealer service department revenues and market share by providing real-time business intelligence to improve and sustain profitability, productivity and teamwork.”

Baas has comprehensive experience building solid performance teams, developing and implementing a vision, and delivering strong financial and operational results. Prior to MotiveLogic, he worked at Manheim as the Director of Operations, where he managed operational and financial performance for 14 Manheim auto body repair operations; responsible for development and delivery of customer service and technical training skills to auction and corporate team members. Previously, he served as Manheim’s Director of Special Projects, charged with establishing a retail collision repair business (Manheim Auto Body Repair) within the largest wholesale auto auction business in the US (Manheim Auto Auctions).

Before that, Baas served as Interim Vice President, Operations with True2Form Collision Repair Centers, where he provided leadership during integration of AutoBody America stores into True2Form, post acquisition. Prior to the acquisition, Baas served as President and General Manager at AutoBody America, Inc., where he increased same store sales by 28 percent; from $25.6 million to $32.8 million in a single year, leveraging existing store performance and relationships.

Earlier, Baas held several management positions at Ohio Casualty Group including roles of Assistant Vice President and Regional Vice President for their Claim Operation.

Commenting on his new position Baas stated, “With current industry conditions, auto dealers’ fixed operations is a definite bright spot with tremendous unrealized growth potential. MotiveLogic helps auto dealers tap this potential and break the barriers to profit. The MotiveLogic^sm software service platform targets automotive service with real-time business intelligence to improve and sustain profitability, productivity and teamwork. Its results are unequaled and I am very excited to be part of the future growth of the automotive service market.”

# # # # #

About MotiveLogic ^:
 

MotiveLogic Corporation, the leader in real-time service management solutions for the automotive dealership fixed operations industry, is the future of the automotive dealership service market.  It’s incomparable ‘Software as a Service’ (SaaS) business intelligence platform provides real-time tools to optimize, manage and track dealership service operations of all sizes.  MotiveLogic requires virtually no installation or up-front investment, is powered by an innovative user interface and based on a simple, predictable per-employee-per-month pricing structure. Innovative technologies enable fixed operations service teams and their management to monitor and manage fixed operations in real time, from anywhere, without discarding existing investments in legacy systems.

MotiveLogic^sm makes the conclusions derived via real-time analytics manageable, and delivers customizable solutions to a wide range of automotive dealership service businesses.

For more information call: 919-627-7871 or visit www.MotiveLogic.biz

Boca Raton, FL - (June 20, 2011) -- PSCars.com  today announced that it is now licensing three core components of its online vehicle shopping technologies to help dealers offer more compelling features for online shoppers on their own dealership websites.

“When we’ve shared our technologies with dealers, we inevitably hear the same question: ‘Can I get this for my website?’” says Dan Kodsi, PSCars.com CEO. “Our decision to license these tools provides an answer to meet this market need.”

A key component of the market need is dealer realization that their websites are more informational than transactional in nature—particularly when it comes to selling cars.

According to Mike Pitre, dealer principal at Carleton Ford, PSCars.com has taken his site to a whole new level of interaction and the dealership has enjoyed a substantial increase in business; “I’m so pleased that Turbo Marketing Solutions introduced us to PSCars.com. With our new website and the PSCars.com tools, shoppers are able to research and configure any vehicle they want, negotiate price and terms with us, all without leaving our site; it has opened up doors that were not previously available to us. We are a smaller dealership, selling around 300 new and used vehicles a year. Now, all of a sudden, we have the presence of a giant online; the metropolitan auto buyer views us as big as anyone else and business is booming.”

PSCars.com’s licensed tools—offered as packages or a la carte add-ons to a dealer’s website—provide features to help dealers use their websites and social media spaces to sell new and used vehicles:

New Car Showroom/Vehicle Configurator/Online Negotiator: These PSCars.com tools give dealers a franchise brand-specific showroom that blends 3D and experiential technologies to allow customers the ability to research and configure vehicles by the trim, colors, options and accessories they want. Dealers can customize the showroom to reflect their store brand and identity and integrate the tool into their current website or as a destination “micro-site” geared linked to online promotions and specials. In addition, the online negotiator tools provide a platform for customers and dealers to effectively negotiate and close deals online (including vehicle price, financing, accessories and other elements of a deal).  

Used Car Showroom/Vehicle Configurator/Online Negotiator: The used car showroom offers dealers a branded space to feature key units in inventory, as well as special promotions and pricing. Online shoppers to configure their used vehicle of choice and, in cases where a dealer lacks a specific unit, the PSCars.com tool offers a “we’ll find it for you” function to allow dealers to source a vehicle for the customer. The online negotiator feature gives consumers and dealers a platform to work out and close a deal.

Mobile/Social Media Applications: These applications give dealers a turn-key way to offer PSCars.com’s new and used vehicle showrooms, research and configuration functionality across Smartphone, tablet (e.g., iPad) and other mobile devices.

PSCars.com also offers a Facebook application that offers the configurator features and “gives consumers a reason to go to a dealer’s Facebook page,” Kodsi says.

PSCars.com will offer the tools to dealers who participate in its online vehicle shopping portal. The company is offering introductory pricing and multi-brand discounts for dealers who want the online shopping features for their own websites.   

“The licensing of these tools does not change our core mission, which is to transform how online vehicle shoppers can find, configure and purchase vehicles,” Kodsi says. “We realized, however, that dealers want to use their websites to play a larger role in selling vehicles. “The PSCars.com tools effectively turn a dealer’s website into a virtual auto mall.”

About PSCars.com (http://www.pscars.com): PSCars.com offers a revolution in online vehicle shopping for dealers and consumers. Blending the best of experiential and 3D technologies, PSCars.com provides research and shopping features to provide a self-directed, ‘no scroll’ shopping experience for consumers and a branded, no-clutter sales environment for dealers to serve customers and close deals. PSCars.com is part of the Practical Systems(TM) family of applications, which combines today's technology with real life needs to create a more positive experience for online consumers and retailers.

###