The news that Hyundai’s Dealer Website Certification Program has selected Dealer.com as a website and digital advertising provider means that for more than 600 North American Hyundai dealers, Dealer.com will remain an endorsed website provider.
Dealer.com, a Cox Automotive brand, also said the agreement continues a long-standing partnership that it says is “rooted in driving the success of Hyundai dealers.”
The companies said the partnership extension follows Dealer.com’s recent digital storefront redesign. Through the redesign, according to Dealer.com, dealers can deliver more personalized experiences for consumers by creating a faster path to customer engagement.
“Dealer.com looks forward to continuing our successful relationship with Hyundai and supplying their dealers with premiere automotive industry technologies and services,” Dealer.com vice president and general manager Wayne Pastore said in a news release.
Pastore continued, “Our digital solutions offer groundbreaking mobile and desktop flexibility, comprehensive inventory merchandising, personalized shopper experiences, and unmatched connectivity with Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, and other Cox Automotive solutions.”
Dealer.com says its platform provides data-driven website design and a strong user experience through automotive-centric back end dealer configuration tools.
The company said its platform also provides performance analytics. Those analytics measure quality scoring, benchmarking and sales, which the company said helps dealers understand what brings the most results for their business.
Also, according to Dealer.com, the platform provides automated creation of personalized website content and offers powered by Cox Automotive consumer data. That content includes relevant inventory recommendations and content targeting that the company says result in a 2 to 2.5 times higher click-through rate and 12% lift on inventory leads, according to a Dealer.com A/B Shopper Engagement Study, December 2016 to January 2017.
Dealer.com also said the platform offers a strong digital retailing experience. That produces engaging experiences that keep shoppers on the site longer, the company said. That retailing experience is also three times more likely to result in lead form submission, according to a comparison of visits with versus without digital retailing activities, Dealer.com-hosted websites, from January to June 2019.
The company also sourced a Cox Automotive Accelerate Platform Close Rate and Profit Analysis from August 2018 to January 2019 in noting that leads created from digital retailing experiences close more often and result in a higher profit than average internet leads.
Dealer.com also noted that its new digital products have earned several awards, including two consecutive Automotive Website Awards, the Highest Rated SEO Provider, and Driving Sales Dealers’ Choice Award for Top Rated Website Provider.
Insurance marketplace DealerPolicy recently conducted a study showing that more than 80% of car buyers would prefer to complete everything relating to their car purchase, including insurance, while they are buying their car at the dealership.
DealerPolicy allows customers to purchase insurance by connecting them with licensed insurance agents while at the dealership or after they arrive home with their new vehicle. With the company’s technology platform, car buyers while at the dealership can review competitive auto insurance quotes from DealerPolicy Insurance Agency and speak with a licensed insurance agent.
Now, Herb Chambers Companies, which DealerPolicy says is one of the largest U.S. automotive groups, has chosen DealerPolicy as its auto insurance services provider.
DealerPolicy vice president of business development Ryan Fitzgerald said that car buyers who use DealerPolicy’s Marketplace platform and then purchase insurance through DealerPolicy Insurance Agency average $60 per month in insurance savings.
“We’re thrilled that The Herb Chambers Companies has chosen us to partner with, and to share our platform with their customers,” Fitzgerald said in a news release.
Digital Dealer Agency is a DealerPolicy enterprise program that allows dealerships to work with an affiliated licensed insurance agency. Those agencies can then benefit from recurring insurance commissions, DealerPolicy said.
“DealerPolicy was attractive to us for three main reasons,” Herb Chambers chief executive officer Alan McLaren said. “The first is that it offers real benefits for our customers and helps improve their in-store experience — we can now truly provide them with a one-stop shopping experience.”
McLaren added, “The second is that we believe the auto insurance savings generated by this program could increase affordability for additional protection products. Finally, the Digital Dealer Agency program will provide an additional income stream through our licensed agency.”
Dealers should think of their customers’ service experience as a way of achieving more customer loyalty and retention, said Xtime vice president and general manager Tracy Fred.
An efficient check-out process, the technology company adds, is also important in keeping consumers happy and coming back.
To help with that, Xtime is partnering with CenPOS, which is now part of Elavon, to help customers improve their experience through faster online and in-lane payment options.
With the CenPOS payment product, which integrates into Xtime’s Spectrum Platform, dealers can more easily capture and report customer payments either in the service lane from a tablet device or any service department workstation.
“The powerful combination of CenPOS and Xtime’s single platform gives both service management and advisers a more streamlined and easy-to-use solution that meets consumers’ demands and saves them time and energy throughout the entire service experience, from write-up to payment,” Fred said in a news release.
All U.S. and Canada-based franchise dealership customers can immediately use the CenPOS payment functionality, Xtime said. That, according to the company, creates more convenient, reliable payment options without the need for a large investment or significant process change.
“Giving our service advisers the ability to own the experience from start to finish on one platform is pivotal in the way we intend to do business in the future,” said Del Grande Dealer Group fixed operations trainer Chance Wiseman. The group is based in San Jose, Calif.
Wiseman continued, “This one key change in technology will drastically streamline the active redelivery process. Another opportunity Xtime is providing us to exceed our customers’ expectations.”
Xtime says that with CenPOS, dealership customers gain more control over their experience. Customers have the choice to make payments remotely thorough their computer and smartphone. Or, they can pay onsite at the dealership with the Xtime Engage Tablet Reception application.
The company sourced the 2019 Cox Automotive Service Industry Study in noting that consumers who are most satisfied spend two and a half hours or less at the dealership for service. Through Xtime’s new integration with CenPOS, dealers considering Xtime’s Engage payment product will soon be able to choose between multiple merchant processing providers.
“With extensive expertise in providing payments for the auto industry, together with Xtime, we can offer rich, secure solutions that are specific to the needs of this industry,” said CenPOS director of business development Joey Orozco. “By streamlining service check-out, dealerships can increase customer satisfaction and save their customers valuable time.”
Bill Nash says that with its new personalized car buying experience, CarMax is providing a service that is flexible, convenient, and tailored to each customer. Before Monday, CarMax offered the service in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina and Oklahoma, in addition to select cities in Mississippi and Virginia.
“This is the future of car buying,” said Nash, who is CarMax president and chief executive officer.
On Tuesday, the company announced the experience is now available to select New England customers, with Boston and Hartford, Conn. customers now able to complete the entire car-buying experience from home. Prior to purchase, they can get delivery of the vehicle, including the ability to test drive.
The new personalized experience is now also available without home delivery in Manchester, N.H.; Portland, Maine, and Providence, Rhode Island. Customers in those cities can visit their local CarMax for expedited pick up of the vehicle.
CarMax said the offering is part of its efforts to continue improving the car buying journey in a world where consumers “can buy almost anything from anywhere.”
The company plans to offer this new capability nationwide and hopes to make it available to the majority of CarMax customers by February.
Specific offerings can vary by city, but CarMax customers in those New England areas can now do some or all of the following:
— Complete the entire car-buying process from home. That includes financing, trade-in and paperwork. Customers can do that without visiting the store, and with the ability to test drive before purchasing, they can get the vehicle delivered directly to their home or workplace.
— Complete a combination of online and in-store shopping. For customers who choose to complete some of the car-buying process from home, that includes expedited pickup at the store.
— Get help from CarMax associates. At any point in the purchase and financing process, they can receive that assistance in-person and by phone, text or email.
Dealer.com describes video advertising as a “consistently undervalued channel.” The company noted a 2017 Business Insider Intelligence Future of TV Report showing that 20% of the population is no longer reachable through television as people get their information from other sources.
A new partnership between Dealer.com — a Cox Automotive brand — and digital marketing technology provider Cartender can provide a new opportunity for dealers that Dealer.com and Cartender say help those dealers use video advertising to communicate and engage with their car shoppers more effectively.
Dealer.com says the enhanced technology provides details that dealerships want to highlight, such as their incentives, vehicle imagery and branding. Then, Cartender transforms that information into what Dealer.com describes as compelling video templates.
As users continue shifting from television toward smartphones and tablets, Dealer.com and Cartender deliver video advertisements to what they describe as “an engaged audience at scale” for dealers across those digital platforms.
Dealer.com says it alleviates the time burden for dealers managing video assets by working with dealers to identify their specific goals, build creative and automate monthly video updating.
Cartender chief executive officer and co-founder Collin Davis described video advertising as a strong method of communicating with and engaging with customers. But Davis noted that getting the content to market in a timely fashion has been challenging until now.
“Working with Dealer.com is the perfect combination of video production expertise, technology solutions, and the most comprehensive vehicle dataset in the industry,” Davis said in a news release. “Dealers can now target automotive shoppers with a video solution that saves them time and resources by getting their brand to market ahead of the competition.”
Dealer.com sourced a 2018 Ipsos/Google U.S. study titled, “Digital’s Influence on In-Market Auto Consideration” in stating that nearly half of auto shoppers using online video for research said that the video helped them find a vehicle they weren’t previously aware of or were not considering.
But many automotive dealers have been slow to invest in digital video, the company said, adding that the typical dealership does not have adequate digital video assets for content. Or, because of its high cost of entry, the dealership has not previously invested in television or video advertising.
“Dealer.com takes pride in finding undervalued modes of advertising channels for our dealers and removing barriers of entry to those channels,” said Dealer.com associate vice president of advertising Mark Bernstein.
Bernstein continued, “We’re thrilled for this new venture, as video advertising gives dealers the ability to build brand and inventory awareness by connecting Facebook and YouTube audiences with their dealership in a dynamic and engaging format.”
Chris Walsh says consumer engagement with video content is growing. Along with that, advertising dollars are moving to digital video ad formats, said Walsh, who is vice president and general manager at Naked Lime Marketing.
“However, too often dealerships simply repurpose TV video content without considering the best practices for online digital videos,” Walsh said in a news release.
With that in mind, Naked Lime Marketing has added video production services for online advertising for dealerships. The company, which offers marketing, advertising, and web services for automotive retailers, says it unveiled the new video service with a goal of meeting a growing need for high-quality video content in dealership online advertising.
The program’s package choices will include pre-set video themes, custom videos, and voice-over videos.
Naked Lime says its creative teams produce the video online ad by combining custom graphics with video content and imagery. The company says it designed the videos to fill what it describes as a gap for dealers who might not have another practical avenue for producing video content.
The service includes videos such as vehicle model-based promotions, dealership branding and custom content.
“Existing content isn't always a good fit ‘as is’ for all the various channels and platforms out there, which is where our service comes in,” Walsh said.
Walsh added, “Advertising on Facebook, Google, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter all require different considerations, analyses and strategies. We have the knowledge and experience to tailor dealership content specifically to fit the strengths and expectations of these disparate platforms and to reach consumers effectively."
Americans watch 38 hours of video content each week, said Walsh, who noted an additional statistic showing that online content could consist of 80% video marketing in 2019.
“Combining video production with our digital advertising and social media advertising services adds a new dimension that demonstrates our ability to meet all of a dealer's digital marketing needs,” Walsh said.
With Lithia Motors’ new sell-from-home experience, a customer first inputs a few vehicle details. Then, the algorithm shows an immediate offer.
After that, the seller meets at his or her chosen location with a concierge who picks up the car. Then, funds are deposited into the seller’s bank account.
“It was the best experience we ever had selling an automobile,” said Rana Mahfood-Levenderis, in a news release. She and her husband Emanuel Levenderis were the first customers to use the technology from Lithia.
Lithia said a proprietary technology powers the sell-from-home experience, and the company’s senior vice president, chief innovation and technology officer George Hines said in a news release that with the technology, “We’re meeting customers on their terms.”
“Now they can sell a car in minutes, within the comfort of their own home,” Hines said.
The company describes the technology as being part of “a multi-faceted expansion of digital conveniences.” It builds upon buy-from-home technology that the company launched earlier this year.
A pilot program with the technology is taking place in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. The technology is available at Baierl.com, reflecting Lithia’s Baierl division.
“The site utilizes a proprietary valuation algorithm that has many applications throughout our business model,” said Lithia president and chief executive officer Bryan DeBoer.
He continued, “It’s a scalable solution that our leaders will ultimately activate throughout all of our stores, which will better enable us to serve customers wherever, whenever and however they desire.”
As for first customer Mahfood-Levenderis, she is happy with the “experience.”
“I went online, filled out the questionnaire, and it was truly as easy as 1-2-3,” she said. “I sincerely mean that. I have never encountered a more courteous and kind experience in selling a car.”
Sean Goodman has provided notice of his intention to resign from his position of senior vice president and chief financial officer of Asbury Automotive Group.
Asbury announced the news on Friday, stating that the resignation would take place effective Nov. 15.
Goodman has accepted the position of chief financial officer for another publicly traded company outside of the auto retail industry.
The company also announced the appointment of company vice president, corporate controller and chief accounting officer William Stax as interim principal financial officer. That appointment takes place effective Nov. 16 while the company seeks a new chief financial officer.
“We thank Sean for his service to Asbury and wish him well in his next endeavor,” Asbury president and chief executive officer David Hult said in a news release.
Hult continued, “We are pleased that Sean has agreed to remain with the company until after we file our quarterly report on the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2019.”
“I would like to thank David for the opportunity to serve as CFO of such a great company,” Goodman said. “I will miss Asbury and wish the team every success in the future.”
In 2011, OfferUp started out and promoted itself as paving the way for a simpler, more trusted way to buy and sell locally. It launched OfferUp Autos in 2018, with a goal of reducing the “friction in the car buying and selling process” and allowing customers to browse local inventory, and for sellers to post their listing for free.
On Thursday, the company said more than 2,000 paying dealers are now participating in its auto sales program, which is five times the number of participants it had a year ago.
The company estimates that nearly 10% of U.S. used car sales took place on OfferUp's marketplace last year, and it says that has resulted in billions of dollars in auto sales. Millions of listings from U.S. private sellers get an audience of buyers looking for pre-owned vehicles.
OfferUp’s Verified Auto Dealers program aims to provide digital tools to help dealers to buy and sell cars locally. The company says more than 30% of cars sold on OfferUp sell within two days, and more than half sell within a week.
"More than 44 million people use OfferUp annually to buy and sell locally, and we see millions of views every week from people looking at listings in our Cars & Trucks category," OfferUp co-founder and chief executive officer Nick Huzar said in a news release.
He continued, “We created the Verified Auto Dealers Program after realizing many dealer sales reps around the country were posting vehicles in our marketplace as their ‘secret weapon’ to generate more leads. Our tools help dealers find car buyers who are ready to buy and respond well to digital customer service."’
OfferUp’s Verified Auto Dealers program gives dealers access to digital tools to broaden their exposure and manage leads coming from OfferUp’s marketplace. The company says that includes the ability to
—Automatically list their vehicles by connecting to their inventory feed
—Show a vehicle's Carfax report
—Enable instant communication with car buyers via chat and Click-to-Call
—Access the Top Lead Indicator that provides visibility on leads that demonstrate high intent to purchase given their shopping behavior
—Increase their visibility through advanced advertising
—Take advantage of custom services for buy-here, pay-here dealers
OfferUp announced new partnerships earlier this year with inventory management vendors such as Hammer Corp, AutoSweet, TapClassified and DealerFront. Through those partnerships, the company says dealers already taking advantage of these partner services can list their inventory on OfferUp’s marketplace.
A new partnership could help retailers “evolve their businesses to effectively compete and win in an increasingly digital world," said Digital Motors chief executive officer Andy Hinrichs.
The partnership is between automotive retail and financial technology company Digital Motors and Orange Coast Auto Group.
Hinrichs said in a news release that the partnership "underscores our commitment to building value for car dealerships.”
Following an investment, Gray has joined Digital Motors as chief strategist and advisor. Digital Motors says Gray’s Orange Coast Auto Group is one of the largest Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealerships in the United States.
Coupled with a digital lending consulting practice, Digital Motors operates a proprietary SaaS platform and provides customizable online stores and in-dealership software products. The company says it advises high-profile automotive lending space clients.
Digital Motors says it recognizes the importance of structuring “penny-perfect, transactable monthly payments.” It is a fintech company with algorithms that it says “balance customer empowerment and dealer profitability.”
Gray said he was excited to be part of a team of “digital retailing innovators.” His company, Orange Coast Auto Group LLC, owns and operates car dealerships in Costa Mesa, Calif., representing Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Preowned Superstore, and OC Motorsports. In 2017, Gray served as chair of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles National Dealer Council, and in 2011 he also served as president of the Orange County Dealers Association.
“Digital Motors is on the forefront of enabling dealerships with cutting-edge solutions that drive efficiency, improve margins, and increase customer satisfaction,” Gray said.
Digital Motors describes itself as being “built to be hyper configurable” in fulfilling dealerships’ unique business needs. The company said the new partnership will strengthen its ability to anticipate its B2B clientele’s needs.
