IRVINE, Calif.--Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq:ABTL), a leading Internet automotive marketing services company, has received top honors in the Auto Dealer Monthly 2007 Dealers’ Choice Awards. Autobytel’s Web Control® customer management system received the Diamond Award as the #1 rated Customer Relationship Management tool based on productivity, vendor support and dealership value.
“Autobytel has always placed a high priority on helping dealers manage and convert the high-quality leads we provide for them, which is why we consistently generate some of the highest closing ratios in the industry,” said Autobytel Inc. President and CEO Jim Riesenbach. “We’re pleased that our customer management tool, Web Control, was rated by dealers as the top solution in the industry – and even more pleased that so many dealers are enjoying such great results with Web Control.”
Autobytel’s Web Control system spans the sales lifecycle, managing everything from third party phone leads to driver’s license scans that feed directly into the dealership’s system. The product also has a specialized de-duplication feature that automatically associates and flags duplicate leads that come in through multiple sources, preventing a multitude of lead ownership issues down the road. Using the Web Control system has enabled some dealers to increase their customer closing ratios from 5 percent to 20 percent in less than four months.
Autobytel also received the Platinum Award in the Used Vehicle Internet Lead Provider category, finishing as the second highest rated used lead source industry-wide. An average of more than 3,500 dealer votes were cast per category during the magazine’s awards process.
The Award Process
This is the third year Auto Dealer Monthly has recognized the automotive industry’s most highly regarded vendors, suppliers and finance companies based on ratings provided by dealers and dealership personnel. The survey enabled dealers and their employees to consolidate their personnel’s ratings and submit their collective selections in each category.
Overall, 40 companies – all selected by dealers and dealership personnel – were named winners in 19 unique categories of products and services. Ratings were based on the performance of the product or service, as well as the customer support and service from the provider and overall value versus cost to the dealership.
The complete list of winners, as well as companies that rated higher than the group average score in each category can be found at http://www.AutoDealerMonthly.com/2007DCA_winners.pdf.
About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq:ABTL) is one of the largest online automotive marketplaces, empowering consumers to make smart vehicle choices using objective automotive data and insightful interactive editorial content. The result is a convenient car-buying process backed by a nationwide network of dealers who are committed to providing a positive consumer experience. Every day consumers choose Autobytel-owned and operated websites — Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, CarSmart.com, Car.com, and CarTV.com – to facilitate their car-shopping decisions. Autobytel’s ability to attract millions of highly qualified, in-market car buyers and connect them with retailers has made it a leader in facilitating the entire customer car-buying lifecycle.
The Company’s innovative marketing, advertising and CRM products, including its Web Control® customer management system, Retention Performance Marketing (RPM®) service reminder program, and Special Finance Leads, are designed to enable dealers to offer a premium consumer experience. Since pioneering pro-consumer online automotive content and purchasing in 1995, Autobytel has helped more than twenty-seven million car buyers, generating billions of dollars in car sales for dealers.
About Auto Dealer Monthly
Auto Dealer Monthly is a publication of Agala Investment and is delivered to more than 35,000 subscribers nationwide. Auto Dealer Monthly is the day-to-day resource for automotive dealerships of all sizes. It is known for offering business solutions to automotive executives by providing information necessary to make wise decisions regarding products, services or process changes in daily operations.
Auto Dealer Monthly is edited for auto dealers. Publishing and editorial decisions are based on the editors’ judgment of the quality of writing, the timeliness of the article, and the potential interest to readers of Auto Dealer Monthly. For more information regarding Auto Dealer Monthly, call 888-300-8844 or go to http://www.AutoDealerMonthly.com.
