The annual study and awards recognize the best automotive website platforms for automotive digital marketing strategies. Automotive website companies are encouraged to contact Carrie Hemphill, ASMA Award Coordinator, to request the application and data entry forms via email.

Deadlines Announced
Participants in the 2010 ASMA Awards must submit their application by August 2, 2010. The completed ASMA data form with all survey data completed is due by August 27, 2010. The 2010 ASMA will be expanded to include survey data for mobile applications, chat, video technology and iPad applications.

“Imagine for a moment that the power of your desktop computer is now in the palm of your hand,” said Richard Keith Latman, Chief Executive Officer of iMagicLab.  “Using DealerCRM for iPhone, car salespeople can, for the first time, cut the cord and have their complete customer profiles, their total inventory and the award-winning DealerCRM anywhere they are. It’s never been easier to stay connected, engaged and responsive to the ever-increasing demands of today’s tech-savvy car buyer. Essentially we’ve turned the iPhone into the iCRM and the bottom line is that every user will make more money than they did the day before they installed it.”

In 2004, iMagicLab was the first dealer technology company to offer mobile-enabled lite versions of their automobile-dealer CRM, and now DealerCRM for iPhone raises the bar to a whole new level.  Using the full power of the iOS 4 operating system and of Apple’s revolutionary multi-tasking engine, DealerCRM for iPhone delivers real-time leads, active alerts, tracked outbound-calling, full email-template support, enhanced duplicate-checking and much, much more.

iMagicLab expects the app to be available in iTunes and the mobile App Store the first week of August 2010.

About iMagicLab
iMagicLab is one of the fastest-growing customer relationship management software companies in America.   They exclusively serve the automobile-retailing marketplace and are an approved solution for most of the major automobile manufacturers in the United States.  iMagicLab creates customer relationship software, Internet lead management solutions, inventory management systems, service scheduling and  retention, lead generation, DealerCRM for iPhone, websites, DeskLog, AutoPencil and eBay auction services specifically for the automobile-retailing industry.

Visit the company’s website at http://www.imagiclab.com for further information on iMagicLab or dial 888-304-2525.

Features of the ContactAtOnce! iPad chat app include:

• Support for both WiFi and 3G iPads
• Streamlined user interface, optimized for the iPad and designed to maximize productivity and ease-of-use
• Rich contextual information about the shopper and the car in which they are interested is presented using the iPad’s high resolution screen

“We are pleased to announce a native application on the iPad,” noted Marc Hayes, Contact At Once! Founder and EVP Products. “We believe that many of our 7,500 dealers will benefit greatly from the enhanced mobility and user experience that the iPad, combined with our chat app, offers.”

Contact At Once! has posted a short video highlighting features of the ContactAtOnce! iPad chat app for car dealers and is currently accepting applications for a limited-availability release. Car dealers having licensed the ContactAtOnce! Dealer Edition may apply now. Dealers interested in the iPad app but not currently licensing the ContactAtOnce! Dealer Edition may schedule a demo or request additional information by visiting www.contactatonce.com.

About iPad Chat App Provider Contact At Once!, LLC:
Contact At Once! is the leading provider of industry-specific live chat software and presence-aware networks for the automotive, apartment, and real estate industries with over 10,000 active users. Adding ContactAtOnce! live chat software to a website typically improves the conversion of website lookers into conversations and appointments by at least 25%. The presence-aware networks powered by ContactAtOnce! connect businesses to the media websites on which they advertise, increasing the effectiveness of online ads while providing consumers with a better online experience. Contact At Once! is headquartered in Atlanta and more information can be found at www.contactatonce.com.

The new market expansion includes the following:

• Constant~ConneXion – an eMarketing blitz program
• Social~ConneXion – Social Media Management Service
• Customer~ConneXion – Customer Survey and Rating Management
• SEO/SEM~ConneXion – an Internet Web Presence Consulting Service

This suite of products focuses on the online marketing aspect for auto dealerships in order to stay relevant in their local markets. Additionally, it maintains their social presence on popular media sites.

The Constant~ConneXion – an eMarketing Service includes monthly eNewsletters and an eMail marketing campaign that includes attention to both sales and service.
• Creates an ongoing dialogue with customers and prospects
• Drives customer loyalty and keeps your dealership top-of-mind
• Improves SEO driving traffic to your website
• Drives fixed ops revenue with coupons and promotions

Social~ConneXion offers a Social Media Management Service that maintains your social reputation while simultaneously interacting with fans, friends and customers.
• Customization of your Dealership Facebook Fan Page
• Assistance with Facebook postings
• Twitter Setup and Tweeting
• Contests and Promotions Management
• Blogging

Customer~ConneXion develops an auto dealership Survey and Testimonial Management system to capture reviews and ratings directly from satisfied customers.
• Pro-actively requests reviews and feedback from customers
• Directs customer feedback to viable sources, such as Yelp, Google Reviews, etc
• Increases Organic SEO presence

And lastly SEO/SEM~ConneXion is a consulting service that focuses on increased web presence for your auto dealerships.
• Target Information, shoppers, buyers differently using focused ads and keyword selection
• Dominate your local marketing on Google/Yahoo
• Linking Campaigns
• Social Bookmarking

Client~ConneXion’s introduction to these additional products and services offers a complete solution for Automotive Internet Marketing for auto dealerships nationwide. Brad Hornung of the Bob Moore Auto Group, a 10 store group with 17 brands, tells us that “Client~ConneXion is hands down the best vendor we’ve worked with. From the Chat~ConneXion to the SEO/SEM~ConneXion we’ve seen nothing but results. There are tons of other solutions out there but you get what you pay for and CCX is blowing the competition away. To sum it up: Client~ConneXion rocks!!!”

About: Client~ConneXion is a software solution firm based out of Dallas, TX that specializes in a Live Web Chat Application that pro-actively engages and “UP’s” every web visitor for auto dealerships throughout the country. For more information visit their website at www.ClientConneXion.com or call 877.888.5948.

CarChat24 is launching their 2nd two month dealer chat case-study for its service on June 1st 2010. The four participants involved in the study benefit from free 24/7 fully staffed automotive live chat support and automotive sales leads. The CarChat24 case study will be for a period of two months. In order to keep the study completely public and to give the participants the opportunity to voice their opinions, CarChat24 has decided to present all the findings live on a forum for car dealers, DealerRefresh.

The four automotive dealers participating in the dealer chat case study are as follows; Toyota of Irving of the U.S. in Texas, and Barrie Ford, Toyota-Town, Richmond Hill Toyota of Ontario Canada. You can review the results posted by the four participants on the DealerRefresh forum. Automotivemarketing.ca will also be posting results for the Canadian Dealers on their site.

About the company: CarChat24.com is a Florida based company that offers 24/7 fully staffed automotive live chat services and software to automotive dealers throughout the United States and Canada. CarChat24 clients take advantage of their professional 24/7 dealer chat support and the high quality automotive sales leads created by the CarChat24 service.

For more information and details about CarChat24 and its case study, please visit: www.carchat24.com,
forum.dealerrefresh.com, or automotivemarketing.ca.

“We recognize that our dealers need the ability to access our real-time market information wherever they are,” says Keith Jezek, president and CEO. “We decided to develop our mobile application initially for the Apple devices because they are the preferred mobile devices for web searching activities.”

Live market appraising is the first vAuto module developed as a mobile application for no additional monthly subscription charge for vAuto users. It is available for download from the App Store on iTunes.

All vAuto customers now have the opportunity to utilize the fully integrated market based appraising functionality from their Apple touch device. In addition to traditional third-party guidebooks and auction values, the application features vAuto’s exclusive rBook, which allows customers to appraise with the mindset of “how to get out of a car before you get in.” The mobile application functionality also includes the proprietary barcode VIN capture method that automatically decodes and uploads to vAuto.

“The vAuto mobile application saves me a tremendous amount of time while at auctions,” notes Bill Pearson, owner of Finishline Ford in Peoria, IL. “Its design is consistent with the Velocity Method of Management – access to live market data down to the level of trim and equipment combined with used car market days supply, allowing us to make the critical decisions on what to stock and how much to pay.”

Headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, IL., vAuto also maintains a research and development center in Austin, Texas. The company’s “Live Market View” technology currently allows more than 3,000 dealers to manage their used-car inventories based on comprehensive supply-and-demand information mined by vAuto for their specific market area. Details on millions of pre-owned vehicles are maintained and updated on a daily basis within vAuto’s database.

The nation’s five highest-volume franchised dealerships by brand currently use vAuto pricing, appraisal, stocking, and merchandising systems. vAuto was recently ranked number 22 in Inc. Magazine’s 2009 annual ranking of the fastest- growing, privately held companies in America. The company’s chairman and founder, Dale Pollak maintains a blog for the discussion of used-car trends at www.dalepollak.com. More information on vAuto is available at www.vAuto.com.

Dealix launched the Quality Pledge in September 2009. The Quality Pledge specifies that dealers should only receive leads that can result in a car sale, and is backed by a feature set – Hassle Free Lead Return – that allows dealers to return leads that do not meet a criterion of the Quality Pledge. Collectively, the products allow dealers to make sure their lead baskets are optimized during the course of the month, and provide Dealix real-time data with which to manage its lead supply. The popular program was honored with a Market Innovation award by TargusINFO and has seen widespread adoption. Nearly 2,000 dealers are now returning leads each month. Key enhancements in version 2.0 of Hassle Free Lead Return, which were the result of dealer feedback, include:

Increased the time frame for returning leads from seven to 14 days. This gives dealers more time to work and close the leads; Reduced the amount of documentation required to prove a duplicate return. Dealers no longer need to provide a copy of the original lead when they submit a lead for return. They just need to provide original lead date, time and source; and Added ability to enter comments with lead returns, allowing dealers to provide more information about their experience with the lead which enables Dealix to process the lead faster

“With the Quality Pledge, we sought to place the bar for a qualified lead very high. We knew the program was unprecedented and that we would learn how to enhance it as our customers used it and told us about their experience,” said Egon Smola, vice president, New & Used Car Leads Business. “It’s really important to us that the program works for our dealers – fits in with their workflow and, in the end, saves them time and allows them to make more money.”

The program is having a positive impact on sales for Dealix customers. In a recent survey of dealers using the Hassle Free Lead Return program 86% reported that they are able to realize a higher ROI with the Hassle Free Lead Return program because they’re able to replace returned leads with new ones without increasing their spend.

In addition, the Hassle Free Lead Return program is changing dealers’ expectations around what level of service they should receive from lead providers. Nearly seven out of 10 respondents said they will not use a service in the future that lacks a Quality Pledge or robust lead return program.

“The Quality Pledge represents the best offering in the industry and is why I went with Dealix,” said Michael T. Halloran, E-Commerce Director, The Napleton Dealership Group. “I have dropped all other lead providers because of the Dealix Quality Pledge.”

About Dealix
Dealix, a division of Cobalt, is the world’s leading provider of quality leads for new and used cars for dealerships, dealer groups, and automotive manufacturers. Dealix is the only Internet marketing company that backs its new and used car leads with the Dealix Quality PledgeTM: a distinct set of criteria that defines a quality lead and an invitation to use Hassle Free Lead ReturnTM if a lead lacks any one of those criteria. The company can offer this Pledge because it has the broadest reach and the highest quality lead supply network in the industry, including Yahoo! Autos, Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds.com, AOL Autos, MSN Autos, and others. Dealix powers the dealer selector and price quote platforms on Yahoo! Autos, AOL Autos and MSN Autos; represents Edmunds’ Premier Dealer Program; and places dealers’ used inventory in the Kelley Blue Book The Trusted MarketplaceSM. Dealix connects dealers with the millions of car shoppers who prefer independent Internet sites when shopping for new cars and used cars online. Dealix’s all new Leads Platform quickly matches thousands of serious new and used vehicle buyers to the most appropriate dealers daily, delivering a quality car buying experience for consumers and providing dealers with one of the most efficient methods available today for marketing and selling cars.
CONTACT: Ellen Perelman Vice President, Marketing
Dealix 650.599.5416

Atlanta, GA and Seattle, WA – April 27, 2010 – Contact At Once!, LLC, the leading provider of dealer chat software that moves online lookers into live conversations with car dealerships, announced today a partnership with Cobalt, the leading provider of digital marketing solutions to the retail automotive industry, to offer an integrated version of ContactAtOnce! dealer chat software with Cobalt’s dealer website solutions. Dealers adding ContactAtOnce! to their Cobalt digital marketing platform will be able to support more shoppers natural communications preferences, increasing total sales opportunities generated by their advertising investments. With this partnership Cobalt results reporting will now include chat-based opportunities as it does email leads, phone leads and walk-in intent.

More than three quarters of all shoppers use the Internet before visiting a dealer, leveraging a rapidly expanding portfolio of communications methods and devices. Research confirms that shoppers will engage more with dealers that support the type of communications methods they prefer, increasing total sales opportunities. This solution takes dealer chat technology to a new level by making it easy for dealer sales personnel to use, personalizing it for consumers with real images of dealership staff, and eliminating the need for expensive, less effective external call centers through “presence aware” smart technology that knows when dealership personnel are ready and able to chat.

Dealers have the expectation that their partners should report on the business return from the dealer’s investments in that partner. Unlike the superficial integration that typically exists when chat software is added to dealer websites, ContactAtOnce! is integrated into Cobalt’s digital marketing platform to optimize the conversion of online car shoppers into leads and to consolidate lead measurement and reporting. This allows Cobalt to discuss the total performance of a dealer’s digital marketing effort regardless of consumer contact method.

“ContactAtOnce! chat encourages online shoppers to connect and converse with our dealerships,” said Wayne Ussery, Director of Internet Marketing for the Jim Ellis Auto Dealerships that include Chevrolet, Buick-GMC, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Saab, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Audi and Porsche franchises. “Many of our stores receive 50 or more chat requests each month.” The Jim Ellis Automotive Group ranked #8 in the most recent “Ward’s e-Dealer 100” list of the top performing dealerships as measured by Internet sales.

“We’re thrilled that an industry leader like Cobalt recognized the advanced capabilities of Contact At Once! and chose us as a partner,” said John Hanger, President and CEO. “This is the first partnership of its kind for Cobalt,” said Chris Reed, Cobalt’s Chief Marketing Officer. “This type of partnership provides our customers with the flexibility and choice they desire to optimize the performance of their digital marketing without sacrificing the integrated performance reporting and service delivery they value from Cobalt.”

The integrated ContactatOnce! solution is available immediately. Cobalt customers should contact their Cobalt Sales representative or Contact At Once! to request a presentation. Information on the solution can be found at www.cobalt.com/marketplace.

About Contact At Once!, LLC:
Contact At Once!, LLC is the leading provider of dealer chat software and internet marketing tools for automotive sales, apartment leasing, and other industries where consumers conduct research online before visiting a dealership or office. The ContactAtOnce! service increases the conversion of website visitors into live conversations with sales people by utilizing a suite of technologies such as presence, IM/chat, VoIP telephony, video chat and text messaging, resulting in increased revenue and a better return on marketing expenditures. ContactAtOnce! is the only solution with features specifically for vertical search websites and over 40 such sites, along with thousands of merchant businesses, are using it today. Find out more at www.contactatonce.com.

About Cobalt
Cobalt is North America’s leading provider of digital marketing solutions to the automotive industry. For more than fifteen years, Cobalt’s mission has been to help automobile dealers and manufacturers increase their retailing effectiveness and profitability through cutting-edge digital marketing platforms, solutions and advertising. Cobalt currently provides marketing services to nearly half of the automotive dealerships in the United States as well as automotive dealers in Canada and Mexico. Cobalt’s digital marketing services are endorsed by two-thirds of the world’s major automotive manufacturers.

Waltham, MA (April 26, 2010) – DealerRater, the nation’s premier car dealer review Web site, surveyed a sample of 5,530 reviewers on which of six factors ranked highest in their car purchase decision. The poll choices included hassle-free shopping, low price, prompt attention, location of dealer, service promise and dealer reputation. Respondents were also given the choice to select “other” and share a factor of their own not included in our list.

“Nearly half of the respondents made it clear that both a relaxed car-buying experience and working with a dealer with a stellar reputation are tops on their wish lists,” noted Chip Grueter, president of DealerRater. “These top two criteria fit perfectly into the overall mission of DealerRater, which is to provide an efficient point of entry for customers through free classified vehicle leads and give dealers tools to effectively manage their online reputation.”

Based on the poll results, the most important factor to consumers in their car-buying decision is a “hassle-free” shopping experience, a response given by 30% of the poll respondents. Dealerships who can effectively streamline the car purchase process, apply just the right amount of pressure while allowing customers to feel that they are in control, and provide a seamless path from start to finish are clearly advantaged and in demand.

The next most popular factor, according to nearly 20% of the poll respondents, was dealer reputation. DealerRater allows customers to post their reviews of car dealerships to its website, effectively helping to inform other users who are reading the reviews as part of a purchase decision. DealerRater provides tools for dealers to manage their reputation through its Certified Dealer program. Reputation management has become one of the most critical components of effective online marketing, and the poll results clearly reinforce this.

Low prices (15% of respondents), prompt attention (10% of respondents), service promise (6% of respondents), and dealer location (3% of respondents) rounded out the poll responses that offered a specific factor. Approximately 16% of those surveyed, however, chose the “Other” option and specifically mentioned one or more factors that weren’t named in the poll. “Honesty and integrity at every step of the buying process” was the response of one such respondent, a sentiment echoed by a number of others. Another noted that “the knowledgeable and expertise of the sales staff is very important.”

About DealerRater
DealerRater was founded in 2002 as the first car dealer review Web site worldwide. DealerRater is committed to providing a central collection point for informative reviews. The site currently features more than 24,000 US and International car dealers and more than 100,000 user reviews. DealerRater provides the opportunity for users to search for car dealerships, read current reviews, write their own review, and find car deals – all for free. Car dealers are rated on the criteria of customer service, quality of work, friendliness, price and overall experience. DealerRater users also have the option to recommend the dealer to other users and provide a descriptive review. Web site users and car dealerships may post free auto classified ads. DealerRater visitors may request vehicle quotes and Certified Dealers receive free vehicle leads.

About Chip Grueter
Chip Grueter is the president of DealerRater. Mr. Grueter founded the company in 2002 as a way for Web site users to share their sales and service experiences at automotive dealerships with other Web site users. Mr. Grueter holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College. Mr. Grueter’s favorite dealership customer service perk is free vehicle loaners.

For DealerRater information or to interview Chip Grueter, please contact Michelle Oldershaw at 800.266.9455 or visit www.DealerRater.com.

“Dealership personnel have hectic, interrupt-driven schedules that often don’t allow time for classroom or even webinar-type training sessions,” said Marc Hayes, co-founder and EVP at Contact At Once!. “With these self-service, easy-to-use, online interactive automotive chat training courses our dealers may now learn new ways to convert prospects, from their location of choice, on their own schedule and at their own pace.”

The online automotive chat training includes six courses with integrated testing. In addition to being conveniently available on-demand, the courses are interactive and were designed and developed by Contact At Once!, in partnership with online learning experts from RevenueGuru.com.

“Contact At Once! is demonstrating leadership by providing auto dealers more than just software and actually helping with the training, support and integration they need to increase sales and profits through the effective use of chat,” said Dennis Galbraith, founder of RevenueGuru.com.

A sample training course entitled “Chat Basics” is publicly available for anyone to learn more about the importance of using chat as part of the sales process. The full set of training courses, including the test module, is immediately available to all 30,000+ registered users of the ContactAtOnce! chat service through the ContactAtOnce! Portal, all for no additional charge.

About Automotive Chat Tools Provider Contact At Once!, LLC:
Contact At Once!, LLC is the leading provider of automotive chat solutions and internet marketing tools for automotive sales, apartment leasing, and other industries where consumers conduct research online before visiting a dealership or office. The ContactAtOnce! service typically moves at least 25% more website visitors into live conversations with sales people by utilizing a suite of technologies such as presence, IM/chat, VoIP telephony, video chat and text messaging, resulting in increased revenue and a better return on marketing expenditures. ContactAtOnce! is the only solution with features specifically for vertical search websites and over 40 such sites, along with thousands of merchant businesses, are using it today. Find out more at www.contactatonce.com.