New data from our 2009 Website Performance Tool (WSPT), performed in conjunction with Compete Inc, tracks the actual online behavior of new-vehicle buyers in the six months leading up to purchase.  Prior to this year, our primary source for this information was the New Autoshopper.com Study (NAS), which was based on ... Read More »

The earliest automotive mobile Web sites emphasized function over user experience.  As more sites have been launched, packed with more advanced content and functionality, usability has the potential to be a differentiator.  Mobile sites that work across all devices are at a disadvantage since they are by necessity ... Read More »

Online classifieds are now the number one method used-vehicle shoppers used to find the vehicle they purchased, surpassing driving by dealer lots.  According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Used-Vehicle Market Report, 31% of used-vehicle buyers used Internet/online classifieds – a five percentage point ... Read More »

The automotive mobile landscape has changed substantially since I last covered this topic in early 2009.  There are more sites and the available content is far more robust.  While the primary value remains time- and location-sensitive information, some mobile sites are effective research venues.  I captured ... Read More »

The online Hispanic population hit 20.3 million in February 2009, comprising 11 percent of the online market.  Previous data has shown that roughly half of Hispanic-American Internet users are Spanish-dominant.  To quote comScore “while English language content can and does reach a large number of ... Read More »

The Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) recently put out a list of twenty facts to demonstrate the continued vitality of magazines.  There’s some interesting stuff here and something I thought worthy of passing onto our readers. The original text (along with references) can be found on the MPA’s site. ... Read More »

Moving Online Leads to Offline Sales Moderator: Angie Sherrell, GS Marketing Group, Inc. Panelists: Clayton Stanfield, eBay Motors; Todd Smith, ActivEngage, Inc.; Jim Flint, John Eagle Dealerships; Pete Dalamaggas, Toyota of Des Moines The dealers who will be successful in moving online leads to offline sales will have ... Read More »

MEDIA INTEGRATION: ONE VOICE, ONE CUSTOMER Leading industry experts discuss a holistic approach to managing all media assets (earned, paid and user generated content) to create engaging customer experiences. Moderator: Chance Parker, J.D. Power and Associates WIRED Division Panelist: Dave Latham, Jumpstart, Angie Sherrell, ... Read More »

Social Networking: Relationship Building vs. Selling Cars Moderator: Mary S. Butler, Razorfish Panelists: Christopher Barger, General Motors;  Eric Miltsch, Auction Direct USA;  Jared Hamilton, DrivingSales.com;  Tom Chisholm, Facebook;  Ralph Paglia, ADP Consumers buy a car because they like and trust ... Read More »

Beyond the RFQ: Optimizing the Purchase Process for All Online Shoppers Moderator: Amit Aggarwal, J.D. Power and Associates Panelists: Chip Perry, AutoTrader.com; Christian Nimsky, Kelley Blue Book; Dave Schoonover, Kia Motors America Inc.; Allan Cooper, OneCommand; Anna Zornosa, The Cobalt Group Inc. Chip - AutoTrader.com ... Read More »