Autobytel (NASDAQ:ABTLE)
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Autobytel's Dealership First Services Help Car Sellers Keep Pace
With Record Number of Online Customers
Autobytel Network Most Visited Internet Automotive Destination in November,
With 9.36 Million Unique Visitors
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autobytel Inc. (NASDAQ:ABTLE)
has reported that 9.36 million unique monthly visitors used its websites in
November(1), again making the Autobytel Network the most visited Internet
automotive destination and one of the most visited sites overall. Continuing
its mission to help auto dealers effectively sell more cars to these millions
of car buyers, the company is providing a wide range of value added services to
its dealer network through its Dealership First program.
Autobytel Dealership First is an aggressive, comprehensive program designed to
help member dealers optimize closing rates and cost-per-sale for the car buyers
who submit Purchase Requests on Autobytel web sites -- an estimated 67% of whom
are expected to purchase a vehicle in the near-term(2). The program is backed
by dedicated, certified account managers who provide hands-on dealership
support. It also includes monthly management reports, custom phone surveys,
training and evaluations and Automotive Interactive Marketing (AIM), which
displays dealership website ads, customized dealer messages, customer
testimonials and more to visitors to Autobytel's websites that are located in
that dealer's geographic area. In addition, Dealership First services now
includes Automated Dealer Appointments which encourage consumers to make an
online test drive appointment as soon as they have submitted a Purchase
Request, with the information passed directly into the dealer's Web Control
system.
Through Dealership First, Autobytel also provides a rigorous 7-step customer
quality program (Quality Verification System), which screens and validates all
customers' names and telephone numbers before the Purchase Request is sent to a
dealer. All Autobytel online affiliates are also monitored for the quality of
their customers.
Autobytel's customized research service, meanwhile, gives dealers the same data
and research tools used by many of the leading manufacturers and web portals.
To promote the dealership to in-market car buyers when a Purchase Request is
submitted, the dealership's website link is embedded in the confirmation email
sent to customers who submitted a Purchase Request through Autobytel.
After launching the first Internet customer management program in 1996,
Autobytel pioneered online automotive CRM technologies and today, CRM tools
represent the fastest-growing segment of the company's business. Its Retention
Performance Marketing program (RPM(SM)), designed to help dealerships increase
their service department revenue, is delivering an average of 22:1 return on
investment for dealers nationwide. And Autobytel's best-in-class customer and
sales management product, Web Control, is now used by more of the nation's
top-100 e-Dealers than any other product(3).
Autobytel also offers dealerships Finance Leads, a finance customer acquisition
program, available through Car.com. It was recently reported that the number
of finance leads delivered to dealers tripled in Q3 year over year.
"The measure of our success is the number of customers we generate for
dealerships and how well our dealers are able to service those customers," said
Autobytel Inc. CEO Jeffrey Schwartz. "Through Autobytel, they tap into the
Internet's largest audience of car shoppers, and receive the full support of
our Dealership First value-adds, marketing, quality control and training, as
well as CRM and service reminder programs -- all designed to help them sell
more cars for less."
Founded in January of 1995 with six employees, Autobytel processed 45,000
Purchase Requests for new vehicles in its first year of business. In 2004, the
company anticipates delivering approximately 4.5 million Purchase Requests to
its nationwide dealer network and today is responsible for over $1 billion in
car sales a month for dealers using its services.
About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc. (NASDAQ:ABTLE), a leading Internet automotive marketing services
company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through
marketing, advertising, data and CRM (customer relationship management)
products and programs. The Company owns and operates the automotive websites
Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Car.com, Carsmart.com and AutoSite.com, as well as
AIC (Automotive Information Center), a trusted industry source of automotive
marketing data and technology for over 20 years. Autobytel is also a leader in
dealership lead management and CRM solutions and owns and operates AVV, Inc., a
top provider of dealership CRM and sales management products, and Retention
Performance Marketing, Inc. (RPM(R)), which powers dealerships with
cutting-edge customer loyalty and retention marketing programs. As the
Internet's largest new car buying service, Autobytel generates over a billion
dollars a month in car sales for dealers through its services and was the most
visited new car buying and research destination in 2003, reaching millions of
car shoppers as they made their vehicle buying decisions. Autobytel's
car-selling sites and lead management products are used by more of the nation's
top-100 e-dealers than any other program.
(1) comScore Media Metrix, November 2004
(2) Study by R. L. Polk & Company 2004
(3) 2004 Ward's Dealer Business e-Dealer 100
DATASOURCE: Autobytel Inc.
CONTACT: Melanie Webber of Autobytel Inc., +1-949-862-3023,
; or Betsy Smith Isroelit, ext. 17, , or
Joe Foster, ext. 13, , both of RBI Communications,
+1-323-960-1360, for Autobytel Inc.
Web site: http://www.autobytel.com/