Auto Web Engine | Open Automotive Website Solutions » Updates

Market Stats

Blake — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:52:43 +0000

Today we have also launched our beta version of Market Stats. This tool will allow dealers to view information on vehicle pricing and views based on specific geographic locations. This will help dealers compare their vehicles to others in the same areas as they are in.

Like the wholesale tool, Market Stats will remain in beta for a few months.

Wholesale Vehicles

Blake — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:50:19 +0000

We have just launched our beta version of our Wholesale Vehicle section. For some time, I have seen many wholesale membership websites come online where a dealer can somehow list a vehicle for wholesale. Not a whole lot of traffic comes to many of these sites because they either aren’t properly funded for marketing, and there are a bunch out there.

We decided to add this tool to Auto Web Engine. There are dealers nationwide using their vehicle admin on a daily basis, so we thought the audience is there, lets make it so a dealer just has to check off a box, then their vehicle is viewable by all the others for wholesale. It’ll take that vehicle out of normal public circulation and only be viewable as a wholesale vehicle for potential dealer buyers.

This tool will remain in beta for at least a few months as we work out any kinks and do updates based on feedback.

Speed Increase

Blake — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:50:47 +0000

As many automotive sites know, speed is very important in terms of shoppers searching through inventory. The longer it takes for a person to look through inventory, the less likely they are going to stay and purchase a vehicle. We have made some significant improvements recently in this area.

Shortly, we will be updating the AWE system with some really cool speed improvements. In some tests, searching for a vehicle was twice as fast as the original, and in some cases, roughly 4 times as fast! These updates will be added to the system soon and made available to AWE user sites.

Motorcycles, Boats, and more!

Blake — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:25:01 +0000

We have begun a cycle of rolling out some new, and updating some old, options to give a user more control over the types of vehicles posted and displayed.

Starting today, we are making small changes to the system to include the options of listing boats, motorcycles, and ATVs. Though this initial change is small, it is the beginning of a series of updates to allow more flexibility to the system in what you list, though it will remain in the “vehicle” arena, we don’t have plans for listing types of anything else.

Automotive Dealer Social Sites

Blake — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:52:31 +0000

I have read about a few social sites targeting auto dealers, but I can’t really see this taking off. Of all the industries I have worked with, automotive is by far the most “selfish.” When I say this, I mean that they really don’t want to share with a dealership what is working and what isn’t because they may get customers the lot across the street couldn’t get. This makes perfect sense to me.

Based on the social idea, Auto Web Engine will begin rolling out some “social” functions into our system, functions that will make AWE user powered, enabling growth with the customer. For example, obviously makes and models change each year, for the most part. One of our “user powered” functions that will be implemented shortly is the ability for dealers to add in makes or models that aren’t in the list yet, making them globally available for everyone the next time someone comes across that make and model.

AWE won’t be quite a social site, but behind the scenes, users will be making each others inventory admin a lot easier. Perhaps one day dealers will be able to share with each other, especially in market conditions like we are seeing now where car buying is way down.

Dealer DMS Polling Fees Cut in Half!

Blake — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 07:21:27 +0000

In an effort to continue our goal of providing an incredible user experience for both dealers and dealer service providers, we have cut the DMS polling fees from $99 a month per dealer to $49 a month per dealer. Our DMS service enables us to dial into a dealers Dealer Management System (DMS) via IP address, extract their vehicle inventory, explode the VIN and get all the vehicle stock information, then populate their inventory in AWE, which in turn updates the dealer’s other online accounts they have setup with AWE.

The price cut is a huge update that should save our users hundreds of dollars a month, depending on how many dealers use this service. DMS polling is an automated service that manages the dealers online inventory without the dealer having to lift a finger.

Broker/Third Party Dealer Feeds Available

Blake — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 07:18:14 +0000

We have just released a new function for Brokers (third party companies using AWE) so that you can now pull in a feed of your dealer clients and their inventory into your website. Simply plug in the unique token ID into our new broker script and bam, you are displaying all of your dealers and their inventory on your own website. There is a $20 a month fee for this, but it covers all of your dealers’ inventory.

Google Base functions are now live!

Blake — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 07:15:39 +0000

We just launched Google Base functionality to the admin for dealers, and using it is just as simple as ever. AWE dealers do need to have a free account with Google in order to use the functions. Dealers can send as many vehicles as they want to Google Base.