AutoMotion Dealer App
Mobile Apps Continue to Dominate the Mobile Web
As a whole, the adoption of mobile devices continues at a staggering pace. The average consumer is now spending 18.9 hours per week on a mobile device.
New data reveals:
- Your customer is on a smartphone.
- They are primarily using apps.
Apps: Time Consumption
Apps now control 86% of the total time consumers spend on mobile.
Apps: 73% Growth in Automotive Shopping
2013 saw a 73% growth in the amount of consumers using automotive apps and websites in their vehicle shopping process according to J.D.Power.
Apps: The New Mobile Marketing Strategy
As apps have gained traction, brands have already established new priorities for how their mobile marketing strategy is structured.
Mobile web, mobile paid search, mobile retargeting, paid app installs, mobile social marketing, and mobile messaging now function as gateways to an app install.
More and more brands are utilizing these advertising channels to encourage an app install. This is not a minor advertising push. Brands are using strong tactics to promote app installs. The goal of these marketing efforts? Be present on the consumer’s mobile device. Being present on the smartphone now means apps. Mobile apps now account for 2.31 hours of the consumer’s total daily spend vs. 22 minutes on mobile web.
.
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Apps: Center Of The New Eco-System:
Mobile apps are becoming the central gateway for a host of future technology.
- Wearable Tech
- Nike Fuel (Wristwear), Google Glass (Headwear), Galaxy Gear (Smartwatch) all utilize apps as their center point.
- In-car Technology
- Apple’s Car Play, recently announced Google and Microsoft in-car systems are using apps to provide the next generation of features.
- Location Based Technology
- Major retailers, airlines, and even coffee houses like Starbucks are powering their location based services via apps. At the gate? Your airline ticket automatically pulls up. Arrived at Starbucks? Your scanable card is ready.
All of these features utilize apps at the center of the eco-system.
Apps: Tomorrow’s Website?
Today, as mobile becomes the dominate platform, apps are evolving as the primary smartphone medium. As future tech continues to utilize apps as the central gateway, major brands are focusing their mobile marketing strategies around the app install.
Do you think apps are the future website? Why or why not?
By: Ben Anderson, Josh Knutson - AutoMotion Dealer App
AutoMotion Dealer App
Mobile Apps Continue to Dominate the Mobile Web
As a whole, the adoption of mobile devices continues at a staggering pace. The average consumer is now spending 18.9 hours per week on a mobile device.
New data reveals:
- Your customer is on a smartphone.
- They are primarily using apps.
Apps: Time Consumption
Apps now control 86% of the total time consumers spend on mobile.
Apps: 73% Growth in Automotive Shopping
2013 saw a 73% growth in the amount of consumers using automotive apps and websites in their vehicle shopping process according to J.D.Power.
Apps: The New Mobile Marketing Strategy
As apps have gained traction, brands have already established new priorities for how their mobile marketing strategy is structured.
Mobile web, mobile paid search, mobile retargeting, paid app installs, mobile social marketing, and mobile messaging now function as gateways to an app install.
More and more brands are utilizing these advertising channels to encourage an app install. This is not a minor advertising push. Brands are using strong tactics to promote app installs. The goal of these marketing efforts? Be present on the consumer’s mobile device. Being present on the smartphone now means apps. Mobile apps now account for 2.31 hours of the consumer’s total daily spend vs. 22 minutes on mobile web.
.
.
Apps: Center Of The New Eco-System:
Mobile apps are becoming the central gateway for a host of future technology.
- Wearable Tech
- Nike Fuel (Wristwear), Google Glass (Headwear), Galaxy Gear (Smartwatch) all utilize apps as their center point.
- In-car Technology
- Apple’s Car Play, recently announced Google and Microsoft in-car systems are using apps to provide the next generation of features.
- Location Based Technology
- Major retailers, airlines, and even coffee houses like Starbucks are powering their location based services via apps. At the gate? Your airline ticket automatically pulls up. Arrived at Starbucks? Your scanable card is ready.
All of these features utilize apps at the center of the eco-system.
Apps: Tomorrow’s Website?
Today, as mobile becomes the dominate platform, apps are evolving as the primary smartphone medium. As future tech continues to utilize apps as the central gateway, major brands are focusing their mobile marketing strategies around the app install.
Do you think apps are the future website? Why or why not?
By: Ben Anderson, Josh Knutson - AutoMotion Dealer App
5 Comments
DrivingSales
I think the biggest reason apps are dominating over mobile websites has to do with the quality of the user experience. I think as more websites become responsive and move away from the third party platforms these numbers will start changing.
AutoMotion Dealer App
Totally agree Chris, user experience is more important than ever! With the digital world growing at huge rates each day, standing out from the thousands of apps and websites boils down to the experience they provide. It will also be interesting to see how the evolution of websites will affect web and hybrid apps.
DrivingSales LLC
Josh, what percentage of dealerships do you think have an app?
AutoMotion Dealer App
Mike I do not have a hard number, but we are seeing more and more large dealer groups making mobile apps mandatory across their rooftops, and with the huge number of automotive mobile app companies popping up everywhere its only a matter of time before every dealer has an app. It took a while for the mobile website to catch on with dealers and I feel we are still in the early phases with apps but moving extremely fast, so the future is looking bright :)
Haley Toyota Certified Sales Center
Our dealerships have had mobile apps available to our customers for over a year now. The adoption rate from our customers has been pretty poor. It is not from lack of effort on our part promoting the app. We have POP in all of the dealerships, a link to download the app in email campaigns etc. I am not "anti-app" but do not see consumers wanting one from car dealerships. I would like to see a list of the automotive apps that the JD Power study says consumers are using. I would think that they are shopping apps from the likes of ATC, Edmunds etc, and not local car dealer apps. The mobile app domination that I see written about in other articles is social media networks, news sources and other verticles.
AutoMotion Dealer App
Apple CarPlay : The Automotive Experience Hits The Gas.
CarPlay is Apple’s BRAND NEW in-car infotainment system which promises to give you “The best iPhone experience on four wheels.”
“Smarter, safer way to use your iPhone in the car. CarPlay takes the things you want to do with your iPhone while driving and puts them right on your car’s built-in display. You can get directions, make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music all in a way that allows yo to stay focused on the road. Just plug in your iPhone and go.”- Apple
The technology allows you to control your driving experience in 3 ways:
- Voice
- Touch
- knobs and Controls
The technology is adapted to fit a variety of vehicle formats and set-ups allowing Apple’s technology to work on various platforms and manufactures, allowing Apple to reuse its technology over and over. This is very similar to the model Apple already uses, focusing more on software and experience upgrades than the hardware itself. Automakers control the hardware, while Apple controls the interface. This will allow Apple to move its way into some of the largest automakers in the game, broadening their consumer reach exponentially.
The 2014 starting line-up includes:
- Ferrari
- Honda
- Hyundai
- Jaguar
- Mercedez-Benz
- Volvo
with committed partners including: BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Kia, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota.
What is one of the main reasons people have joined the ‘Apple Movement?” Experience. The iOS operating system is what draws people to Apple’s iPhones and you can easily see many cues transfer over to CarPlay. It looks as if Apple’s main goal is to enhance the in-car experience, but it is much more than this. Giving a tech company like Apple control of the consumers automotive interface allows them to directly influence the automaker’s consumers experience.
- How will giving a tech company control of your consumers experience affect your brand?
- Will the lines that separate manufactures and models now become much more blurry?
- What will distinguish top of the line models from low-end compacts if they all have the same infotainment system?
- How will the automakers and tech companies wants and needs correlate to conjoined goals?
The connected car is a revolutionary step that will change the entire automotive culture as we know it. Tech companies and automakers are partnering up all across the board with Google, Microsoft and Apple all racing to get their piece of the connected car cake. One thing is for sure, the automotive experience is about to take a hard right turn. So buckle up and hold on.
By Josh Knutson
Sources: https://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/
No Comments
AutoMotion Dealer App
Apple CarPlay : The Automotive Experience Hits The Gas.
CarPlay is Apple’s BRAND NEW in-car infotainment system which promises to give you “The best iPhone experience on four wheels.”
“Smarter, safer way to use your iPhone in the car. CarPlay takes the things you want to do with your iPhone while driving and puts them right on your car’s built-in display. You can get directions, make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music all in a way that allows yo to stay focused on the road. Just plug in your iPhone and go.”- Apple
The technology allows you to control your driving experience in 3 ways:
- Voice
- Touch
- knobs and Controls
The technology is adapted to fit a variety of vehicle formats and set-ups allowing Apple’s technology to work on various platforms and manufactures, allowing Apple to reuse its technology over and over. This is very similar to the model Apple already uses, focusing more on software and experience upgrades than the hardware itself. Automakers control the hardware, while Apple controls the interface. This will allow Apple to move its way into some of the largest automakers in the game, broadening their consumer reach exponentially.
The 2014 starting line-up includes:
- Ferrari
- Honda
- Hyundai
- Jaguar
- Mercedez-Benz
- Volvo
with committed partners including: BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Kia, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota.
What is one of the main reasons people have joined the ‘Apple Movement?” Experience. The iOS operating system is what draws people to Apple’s iPhones and you can easily see many cues transfer over to CarPlay. It looks as if Apple’s main goal is to enhance the in-car experience, but it is much more than this. Giving a tech company like Apple control of the consumers automotive interface allows them to directly influence the automaker’s consumers experience.
- How will giving a tech company control of your consumers experience affect your brand?
- Will the lines that separate manufactures and models now become much more blurry?
- What will distinguish top of the line models from low-end compacts if they all have the same infotainment system?
- How will the automakers and tech companies wants and needs correlate to conjoined goals?
The connected car is a revolutionary step that will change the entire automotive culture as we know it. Tech companies and automakers are partnering up all across the board with Google, Microsoft and Apple all racing to get their piece of the connected car cake. One thing is for sure, the automotive experience is about to take a hard right turn. So buckle up and hold on.
By Josh Knutson
Sources: https://www.apple.com/ios/carplay/
No Comments
AutoMotion Dealer App
5 Revolutionary Ways to Dominate Mobile in 2014
AutoMotionTV's President Ben Anderson asks "Are You Mobile Ready?" Discover how fast the mobile revolution is moving. Learn how much of your customer base is using mobile during the shopping process and learn the latest data around mobile and buyer behavior. Discover the effectiveness of mobile tools such as Location Targeting and Push Notifications to incentivize the customer at the moment of decision. Raise your mobile marketing game with the latest mobile strategies automotive dealers should be using to drive more sales and service revenue from mobile.
Link to webinar http://www.automotiontv.com/5-revolutionary-ways-to-dominate-mobile...
How is your dealership utilizing mobile strategies?
In which ways has mobile effected your dealership in 2013 and where do you see it leading into 2014?
How would you utilize location targeting and push notifications to your advantage?
No Comments
AutoMotion Dealer App
5 Revolutionary Ways to Dominate Mobile in 2014
AutoMotionTV's President Ben Anderson asks "Are You Mobile Ready?" Discover how fast the mobile revolution is moving. Learn how much of your customer base is using mobile during the shopping process and learn the latest data around mobile and buyer behavior. Discover the effectiveness of mobile tools such as Location Targeting and Push Notifications to incentivize the customer at the moment of decision. Raise your mobile marketing game with the latest mobile strategies automotive dealers should be using to drive more sales and service revenue from mobile.
Link to webinar http://www.automotiontv.com/5-revolutionary-ways-to-dominate-mobile...
How is your dealership utilizing mobile strategies?
In which ways has mobile effected your dealership in 2013 and where do you see it leading into 2014?
How would you utilize location targeting and push notifications to your advantage?
No Comments
AutoMotion Dealer App
That Was A BLAST : NADA 2014 Recap
This years NADA was definitely one for the books. Taking place in one of the best cities in America, New Orleans, LA. The times to be had were extremely fun and the information we gathered on the auto industry was insightfully eye opening.
The convention center was like a massive maze of everything auto with our friends being scattered everywhere like some sort of college town that was drinking the automotive punch and spitting a dictionary worth of industry knowledge until the clock struck Bourbon Street.
What we learned:
The effect of mobile on the auto industry continued to be one of the most influential and talked about topics. The digital connected consumer still paves the way for the industry with their dependence on technology continually adapting its way into every aspect of the market. Mobile drives search and has made the importance of seamless integration across all platforms necessary in order to give your consumers the best digital experience possible. Developing a mobile strategy in 2014 is a definite must, while we also saw a strong push on the topic of fixed ops as well. This industry is constantly expanding and adapting and with the added importance of technology in the public’s’ lives, the way in which we both interact and capture our the automotive shopper will continue to evolve.
Awesome mobile recap video from Driving Sales News
.
The never ending Twitter feed also revealed some interesting insights:
Car shopping continues to grow while drastically moving to the mobile sphere:
Digital strategies continue to be a focus area dealerships must utilize:
Hillary Clinton gave us a hopeful outlook on the future:
.
.We got some extremely helpful and outrageously funny tips from Mr. Arnold Tijerina, via #NADAtips:
Follow him at @arnoldtijerina
Overall it was an awesome conference and I suggest anyone who was not able to attend take a look at both the #NADA2014 twitter feed as well as this fixed- ops recap from Driving Sales.
The auto industry is headed in an awesome direction and I cannot wait to see what 2014 brings!
No Comments
AutoMotion Dealer App
That Was A BLAST : NADA 2014 Recap
This years NADA was definitely one for the books. Taking place in one of the best cities in America, New Orleans, LA. The times to be had were extremely fun and the information we gathered on the auto industry was insightfully eye opening.
The convention center was like a massive maze of everything auto with our friends being scattered everywhere like some sort of college town that was drinking the automotive punch and spitting a dictionary worth of industry knowledge until the clock struck Bourbon Street.
What we learned:
The effect of mobile on the auto industry continued to be one of the most influential and talked about topics. The digital connected consumer still paves the way for the industry with their dependence on technology continually adapting its way into every aspect of the market. Mobile drives search and has made the importance of seamless integration across all platforms necessary in order to give your consumers the best digital experience possible. Developing a mobile strategy in 2014 is a definite must, while we also saw a strong push on the topic of fixed ops as well. This industry is constantly expanding and adapting and with the added importance of technology in the public’s’ lives, the way in which we both interact and capture our the automotive shopper will continue to evolve.
Awesome mobile recap video from Driving Sales News
.
The never ending Twitter feed also revealed some interesting insights:
Car shopping continues to grow while drastically moving to the mobile sphere:
Digital strategies continue to be a focus area dealerships must utilize:
Hillary Clinton gave us a hopeful outlook on the future:
.
.We got some extremely helpful and outrageously funny tips from Mr. Arnold Tijerina, via #NADAtips:
Follow him at @arnoldtijerina
Overall it was an awesome conference and I suggest anyone who was not able to attend take a look at both the #NADA2014 twitter feed as well as this fixed- ops recap from Driving Sales.
The auto industry is headed in an awesome direction and I cannot wait to see what 2014 brings!
No Comments
AutoMotion Dealer App
Will Millennials Trade-In Their Cars As Fast As Their Phones?
"Did you see Megan's new car? "Cant wait for this summer! #Spain2014."
"I just got the new iPhone my life is now complete."
The millennial generation is obsessed with creating the life we want others to believe we live, from checking-in at fancy restaurants on Foursquare, to Instagramming the hell out of your recent trip to Vegas, we want not only to be accepted by our peers but also to impress them.
Phones have often been the standard for how up-to-date or “cool” we are ...but are cars the new standard of influence?
New Release, More Competition:
Its my big break! Many millennials feel like they're on cloud 9 after the receive their first “real” job out of college. No longer are we making $8 an hour working at the local coffee shop, or working with our college buddies we partied with till 4 AM.
We are now working with established professionals and they have two things we don't:
- More knowledge
- More buying power
This creates pressure for millennials to distinguish themselves while still keeping up with their peers and colleagues.
Getting a new vehicle is many millennials release from college and first step into starting their career in the “real world.” But society's need to be on top creates more and more competition, and it seems things like engagements, buying houses and having babies has now turned into a competition among friends. Boasting and bragging has become the norm and “look at my new car” is one of the loudest forms of social promotion one can exhibit.
Not New, Not Cool:
Cars and tech devices are some of the most progressive industries in our world and the speed at which new technologies come out makes it almost impossible to constantly stay up to date.
This constant progression creates the desire to compete.
Who has the latest phone or tablet has been the distinguishing "cool" standard in recent years but the trend will soon turn to vehicles.
Millennials want to be trendy and automakers have taken notice, offering everything from:
- Insane lease offers
- Extremely millennial targeted vehicles
- Mobile connectivity standard
All aimed at fulfilling the millennials need for the latest "it" thing. Automakers are also very aware that if they capture a millenial in their younger years they many times have them for life. Cars including the Mercedes CLA, Audi Q3, and Chevy Spark are all specifically targeted in this mannor with the goal of capturing the millennial. Millennials lives are extremely "online social" and this makes us want to feel connected with our friends even more. This need to feel socially up to date also benefits automakers, as they are getting free advertising from all ends of the social sphere.
Strong Voice, Expect Results:
Honda is a great example of adapting to the millennial voice. Honda completely redesigned its 2012 Civic for 2013 significantly due to peoples reactions. While the 2012 Civic still sold like crazy, doing a complete overhaul of a brand new model in just a year is unheard of.
.
This poses the question :
How quickly will automakers have to move to stay fresh with this generation?
New is attractive and creates excitement among millennials, and excitement creates massive social sharing which leads to lots of business to who ever holds the latest “it” trend.
First there was Twitter, then Instagram, now SnapChat.
Technology’s shelf life is expiring quicker and quicker and cars will be no different.
Expect automakers to put more and more effort into this generation. You know that new phone every 2-years contract most of us have, that structure may soon transfer over to vehicles. Millennials' desire to constantly be up to date and one-up their peers will cause programs like this to pop up everywhere. Automakers will thus have to keep their products fresher than ever, just like all that produce your neighborhood hipster is buying at the local co-op.
Here to stay and excited for the future:
Society and technology are now not only married but conjoined at the hip (literally tell me when your phone is not in your pocket) and are constantly being prodded by the Red Bull drinking “thats so 5 minutes ago” millennial generation. Automakers will continue to find ways to feed the technology crazed millennials constant desire for new.
The automobile has always been one of the loudest forms of expression, and the highly competitive, supreme social sharing millennial generation is turning the volume way up. #GetReady
- Josh Knutson
Civic Image: kbb.com
1 Comment
Car Wars
I think the practice of "new now" is very much here to stay, especially with millennials. I wonder if it will truly translate to auto purchases due to the price tag. $20K isn't $200 for a phone. However, I hope you're correct. How long before the OEMs push out new and cool stuff (which I'm all for) on more than a 4-5 year timeframe? If they do rush production to capture a trend that might only be a 6 month window, will that cause quality to go down? Either way, good post.
AutoMotion Dealer App
Will Millennials Trade-In Their Cars As Fast As Their Phones?
"Did you see Megan's new car? "Cant wait for this summer! #Spain2014."
"I just got the new iPhone my life is now complete."
The millennial generation is obsessed with creating the life we want others to believe we live, from checking-in at fancy restaurants on Foursquare, to Instagramming the hell out of your recent trip to Vegas, we want not only to be accepted by our peers but also to impress them.
Phones have often been the standard for how up-to-date or “cool” we are ...but are cars the new standard of influence?
New Release, More Competition:
Its my big break! Many millennials feel like they're on cloud 9 after the receive their first “real” job out of college. No longer are we making $8 an hour working at the local coffee shop, or working with our college buddies we partied with till 4 AM.
We are now working with established professionals and they have two things we don't:
- More knowledge
- More buying power
This creates pressure for millennials to distinguish themselves while still keeping up with their peers and colleagues.
Getting a new vehicle is many millennials release from college and first step into starting their career in the “real world.” But society's need to be on top creates more and more competition, and it seems things like engagements, buying houses and having babies has now turned into a competition among friends. Boasting and bragging has become the norm and “look at my new car” is one of the loudest forms of social promotion one can exhibit.
Not New, Not Cool:
Cars and tech devices are some of the most progressive industries in our world and the speed at which new technologies come out makes it almost impossible to constantly stay up to date.
This constant progression creates the desire to compete.
Who has the latest phone or tablet has been the distinguishing "cool" standard in recent years but the trend will soon turn to vehicles.
Millennials want to be trendy and automakers have taken notice, offering everything from:
- Insane lease offers
- Extremely millennial targeted vehicles
- Mobile connectivity standard
All aimed at fulfilling the millennials need for the latest "it" thing. Automakers are also very aware that if they capture a millenial in their younger years they many times have them for life. Cars including the Mercedes CLA, Audi Q3, and Chevy Spark are all specifically targeted in this mannor with the goal of capturing the millennial. Millennials lives are extremely "online social" and this makes us want to feel connected with our friends even more. This need to feel socially up to date also benefits automakers, as they are getting free advertising from all ends of the social sphere.
Strong Voice, Expect Results:
Honda is a great example of adapting to the millennial voice. Honda completely redesigned its 2012 Civic for 2013 significantly due to peoples reactions. While the 2012 Civic still sold like crazy, doing a complete overhaul of a brand new model in just a year is unheard of.
.
This poses the question :
How quickly will automakers have to move to stay fresh with this generation?
New is attractive and creates excitement among millennials, and excitement creates massive social sharing which leads to lots of business to who ever holds the latest “it” trend.
First there was Twitter, then Instagram, now SnapChat.
Technology’s shelf life is expiring quicker and quicker and cars will be no different.
Expect automakers to put more and more effort into this generation. You know that new phone every 2-years contract most of us have, that structure may soon transfer over to vehicles. Millennials' desire to constantly be up to date and one-up their peers will cause programs like this to pop up everywhere. Automakers will thus have to keep their products fresher than ever, just like all that produce your neighborhood hipster is buying at the local co-op.
Here to stay and excited for the future:
Society and technology are now not only married but conjoined at the hip (literally tell me when your phone is not in your pocket) and are constantly being prodded by the Red Bull drinking “thats so 5 minutes ago” millennial generation. Automakers will continue to find ways to feed the technology crazed millennials constant desire for new.
The automobile has always been one of the loudest forms of expression, and the highly competitive, supreme social sharing millennial generation is turning the volume way up. #GetReady
- Josh Knutson
Civic Image: kbb.com
1 Comment
Car Wars
I think the practice of "new now" is very much here to stay, especially with millennials. I wonder if it will truly translate to auto purchases due to the price tag. $20K isn't $200 for a phone. However, I hope you're correct. How long before the OEMs push out new and cool stuff (which I'm all for) on more than a 4-5 year timeframe? If they do rush production to capture a trend that might only be a 6 month window, will that cause quality to go down? Either way, good post.
5 Comments
Chris Halsey
DrivingSales
I think the biggest reason apps are dominating over mobile websites has to do with the quality of the user experience. I think as more websites become responsive and move away from the third party platforms these numbers will start changing.
Josh Knutson
AutoMotion Dealer App
Totally agree Chris, user experience is more important than ever! With the digital world growing at huge rates each day, standing out from the thousands of apps and websites boils down to the experience they provide. It will also be interesting to see how the evolution of websites will affect web and hybrid apps.
Mike Jeffs
DrivingSales LLC
Josh, what percentage of dealerships do you think have an app?
Josh Knutson
AutoMotion Dealer App
Mike I do not have a hard number, but we are seeing more and more large dealer groups making mobile apps mandatory across their rooftops, and with the huge number of automotive mobile app companies popping up everywhere its only a matter of time before every dealer has an app. It took a while for the mobile website to catch on with dealers and I feel we are still in the early phases with apps but moving extremely fast, so the future is looking bright :)
Bill Simmons
Haley Toyota Certified Sales Center
Our dealerships have had mobile apps available to our customers for over a year now. The adoption rate from our customers has been pretty poor. It is not from lack of effort on our part promoting the app. We have POP in all of the dealerships, a link to download the app in email campaigns etc. I am not "anti-app" but do not see consumers wanting one from car dealerships. I would like to see a list of the automotive apps that the JD Power study says consumers are using. I would think that they are shopping apps from the likes of ATC, Edmunds etc, and not local car dealer apps. The mobile app domination that I see written about in other articles is social media networks, news sources and other verticles.