Archive for July, 2008
West Chester, PA – 7/24/08 — HomeNet, Inc. has announced an important upgrade to IOL goText, the automotive technology provider’s powerful mobile marketing system. As part of the enhanced IOL goText service, dealers can now market vehicle-specific ‘Go Codes’ in an effort to further maximize the effectiveness of their mobile marketing initiatives. The unique codes are auto-generated using a portion of the corresponding VIN number and can be seamlessly displayed on custom window stickers printed via the dealer’s IOL account.
“Since HomeNet first launched the IOL goText service earlier this year, we have seen a tremendous response from dealers who are embracing the concept of mobile marketing,” commented HomeNet CEO Jesse Biter. “IOL goText delivers exactly what consumers want – on-demand, real-time information. We are pleased to incorporate the ability to generate unique Go Codes for each vehicle, which will ultimately make this powerful lead-generating tool an even more vital component of successful automotive marketing.”
Built on Gumiyo’s dynamic Mobile Marketing platform, IOL goText extends HomeNet’s Inventory Online (IOL) Marketing Suite to mobile phones, literally putting a dealership’s inventory and showroom directly into the hands of qualified and interested buyers. It enables dealers to connect immediately with in-market consumers anytime and anywhere, providing them with on-demand detailed inventory listings, vehicle photos, and Carfax reports.
For more information regarding IOL goText, please contact the HomeNet Sales Team at 877-738-3313 or salesteam@homenetinc.com.
July 24th, 2008
West Chester, PA – July 14, 2008 – HomeNet, Inc. has announced that the automotive technology provider’s popular Inventory Online (IOL) Vehicle Marketing Suite can now distribute actual photos of Honda Certified Used Cars to Honda.com. This real-time integration provides a seamless process in which Honda dealers can effectively manage their Certified Pre-Owned online marketing from a single, centralized location.
"Honda has equipped their dealers with a powerful marketing advantage by providing free access to their OEM website and HomeNet is pleased to help support this effort," commented HomeNet CEO Jesse Biter. "Now is the perfect time for Honda dealers to take advantage of HomeNet’s enhanced distribution service as our team has noticed a sharp increase in logins and vehicle edits from IOL users since January 2008. These trends indicate that pre-owned vehicles and specifically CPO have become the 'new' new cars for many consumers that may be struggling in a more challenging economic climate. As CPO sales continue to gain a larger piece of a dealer's overall gross revenue, it is increasingly vital that dealers consistently market these vehicles to as many websites as possible with the most accurate, robust, and up-to-date details/photos available.”
Honda dealers presently utilizing IOL Pro that wish to send their vehicles to OEM sites at no extra charge should contact IOL support at support@homenetinc.com. Honda dealers interested in learning more about IOL Pro should contact the HomeNet Sales Team at salesteam@homenetinc.com for more information.
HomeNet's proprietary Get. Edit. Deliver. technology distributes enhanced vehicle inventory data for thousands of automotive dealers throughout the United States and Canada. HomeNet’s signature solution, the Inventory Online (IOL) Vehicle Marketing Suite, is an industry-leading vehicle inventory management and marketing system. IOL’s suite of web-based applications helps dealers to efficiently manage their entire online inventory from one centralized location and distribute emotional vehicle advertisements to any online destination. The IOL system also streamlines the inventory aggregation and enhancement process, enabling vendors to better focus on lead generation for their dealership customers and not inventory management/support. As one of the most respected data aggregators in the industry, HomeNet has built successful partnerships with dozens of leading automotive companies. IOL currently processes more than 2.5 million vehicles each day for over 13,000 dealership locations.
About HomeNet, Inc.
HomeNet, Inc. is a privately owned automotive technology provider. Founded in 1996, HomeNet's core focus is providing innovative technology solutions to help automotive dealers increase online sales. HomeNet offers its products to a variety of customers including dealers, OEMs, website providers, CRM providers, digital lot management firms, finance/leasing agents, auction agents, and more. The company is based on Christian principles and is headquartered in West Chester, PA, with satellite offices in AZ, FL, GA, IA, IL, TX, and UT. For more information, please visit www.homenetinc.com.
July 14th, 2008
West Chester, PA – July 8, 2008 – HomeNet, Inc. has announced the results of an internal study which illustrates that dealers marketing their vehicles online with a dozen or more actual photos, in conjunction with customized vehicle descriptions and accurate pricing, are moving pre-owned inventory an average of 32% faster than those who don’t. This study was based on detailed analysis of more than 2.5 million vehicles marketed each day via HomeNet's Inventory Online (IOL) Marketing Suite.
“If more owners and GMs were aware that their pre-owned inventory could be moved nearly a third faster without costing them a dime, you would see Internet Managers turn into amateur photographers and writers overnight,” commented HomeNet CEO Jesse Biter. “Snapping a few extra photos and writing emotional vehicle descriptions with accurate pricing are such simple, yet effective, ways to improve your online marketing ROI. Consumers aren’t asking for much, they just want information. It simply doesn’t make sense to invest significant resources into online marketing yet fail to make your listings as attractive as possible to the people you are trying to reach. We anticipate this gap widening in the years ahead, as dealers who continue to put forth the minimum effort with sub-standard listings will likely get even more accustomed to seeing the same vehicles on their lot each and every day.”
The study showed that during the month of June, the average ‘days in stock’ for pre-owned units was more than 32% higher for dealers who failed to include 12 photos, custom descriptions, and pricing information for their online listings. The analysis factored in data from dealerships in all 50 states and included every major OEM brand.
“Posting effective vehicle advertisements on the web is no longer a choice, it is an absolute necessity,” stated Tony Rimas, Director of Operations for The Red McCombs Automotive Group. “With all the tools readily available to make the online marketing process easier, dealers that fail to equip each listing with multiple photos and emotional vehicle descriptions are really putting their dealership at a disadvantage. Our online marketing philosophy is to do everything we can to duplicate the same emotional buying experience that buyers receive when they visit the lot, across all of our online marketing channels.”
Presently serving nearly 13,000 dealership locations throughout the United States and Canada with a powerful suite of inventory management and marketing tools, HomeNet is well-equipped to provide expert analysis to the automotive industry. The company plans to continue mining its vast proprietary database of vehicle inventory in an effort to uncover useful facts and interesting trends. Organizations seeking to obtain customized research data are welcome to contact HomeNet for more information.
About HomeNet, Inc.
HomeNet, Inc. is a privately owned automotive technology provider. Founded in 1996, HomeNet's core focus is providing innovative technology solutions to help automotive dealers increase online sales. HomeNet offers its products to a variety of customers including dealers, OEMs, website providers, CRM providers, digital lot management firms, finance/leasing agents, auction agents, and more. The company is based on Christian principles and is headquartered in West Chester, PA, with satellite offices in AZ, FL, GA, IA, IL, TX, and UT. For more information, please visit www.homenetinc.com.
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Media Contacts: Andy McBride and Rob Amos • 610-738-3313
July 8th, 2008
