We are working on some exciting stuff, including a mobile version of AWE with real-time data and photo entry! We are bringing on some new partners as well that should help promote dealer inventory as well as provide some very cool tools which we can’t go into detail at this point. But as always, please send us your comments and feedback on ideas or updates to current functions.

The web2.0 expo is a great place to see what developers and companies are working on in regards to web technology. Perhaps we’ll come across some great new partners or apps we can incorporate into Auto Web Engine to make it even more web and user friendly.

We’d like to hear your thoughts about our services too.

We do still have some value added services that do cost extra such as DMS data polling, only because of the prices and costs to us.

There is also a new hosting service we are making available to ensure Brokers have reliable hosting for their dealer sites that are compatible with AWE and solid. For $12 a month per dealer site, users get unlimited space for their dealer sites, full support for both AWE services and hosting, and ensured compatibility.

Dealers send their vehicles to Cars.com, Autotrader.com, etc, which they should, but on a local level, why not offer up another option for shoppers. Create a local search site. Throw your dealers’ inventory on for free (they’ll appreciate the extra exposure), optimize the pages for search engines, maybe do a little Google ads or something to get the traffic started, then sell ad space on the site to local businesses.

Having said that, it isn’t the easiest to create a classified site, I understand this. With AWE however, service providers are given a feed, and a script to grab this API feed, which will pull in all of your dealers’ inventory and contact info for searches and viewing by shoppers - and it is plug-and-play just like the individual dealer feed. You can literally pop in the script into your design and you are off and running.

I think a lot of the issues are that internet managers and those in charge of the “internet department” at dealerships just aren’t doing their homework. In the end, search sites really are for generating hordes of email leads. Search engine sites are really about exposure. Users use these sites to window shop, and more will contact a dealer through the phone or with a live visit, rather than email. So the question then becomes, which is best to use? The ones who can produce a lot of traffic to your listings, or the ones who charge less, but don’t offer much exposure at all. There are plenty of sites ripping dealers off because they don’t understand how things work, and what is real value and what isn’t. You, as a dealer, may get a great deal, but you don’t realize that you are getting a great deal because that site needs your inventory to help boost their own traffic.

Just look at these numbers… is it really worth it to get into bed with other sites unless you can get something else out of it? Click for bigger view on Quantcast.

Look at the last 3. There was spike at one point, which could have been from anything, but other than that, they don’t do much better than the bottom two. Automart.com has their great magazines also, adding some value. Vehix, from my experience, also works with local advertising on cable, or something along those lines. But carsdirect.com, what do they offer? How many other search sites are out their that are strictly search sites with not much else going on? Granted, these sites may offer more that I just don’t know about, but if you’re only getting with them for the online searches at their site, is it worth paying hundreds of dollars a month or tying into a contract? You could do just well with a good designed search site of your own and feed off the search engine traffic. Plus, you can even make a buck or two more selling ad space on it!