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Industry Leading iControl by Autobytel Gives Dealers Unprecedented Control Over Marketing Mix and Purchase Request Generation

^{Published on 2011-02-04 10:40:42 - Market Wire}
 

IRVINE, Calif.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq:ABTL), a leading provider of online consumer purchase requests and marketing resources to the automotive industry, today announced over one-third of its current member-dealers are taking advantage of iControl by Autobytel a" the only industry product allowing [ car dealers ] to custom-configure their mix of online consumer leads to reflect real-time inventory and other local market activity, among other things. Introduced at the 2010 NADA convention and launched in the Fall of last year, Autobytel is demonstrating the effectiveness of iControl by Autobytel at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) conference, booth #2212S located in the South Hall of the Moscone Center.

"iControl by Autobytel represents a sea change in online purchase request delivery, providing us with many more opportunities than wea™ve ever had before to make our purchase request strategy synch up with on-the-ground dealership realities. We talked. Autobytel listened. With iControl by Autobytel, wea™re taking the results to the bank!"

Designed with dealer input, iControl by Autobytel delivers an innovative tool that provides dealers with unique insight and intelligence into their purchase request priority.

aWe feel the reason iControl by Autobytel has been so quickly and well adopted by our dealers is that it directly addresses their top concerns when it comes to online purchase request generation,a said Autobytel President and Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey H. Coats. aiControl by Autobytel is the best application available to let dealers match their marketing spend to the actual inventory on the lot and maximize their ROI.a

How iControl by Autobytel Works

iControl by Autobytel can be controlled at the dealership or at the dealer group level from a web-based, easy-to-use console that makes it quick and simple for dealerships to change their purchase request acquisition strategy; to reflect the conditions on the ground at their stores, and broader industry patterns (such as hikes in gas prices or changes in consumer demand).

From the console, dealerships can easily contract or expand territories and increase, restrict or block specific model and purchase request web sources, making it much easier to target inventory challenges and focus resources more efficiently.

iControl by Autobytel allows dealers many options to filter and control their purchase requests:

• Purchase Request Web Source a" segments Autobytel network purchase request sources into 5 categories (aresearch,a™ aquote,a™ abuying,a™ aenthusiast,a™ and aportala™) based on the type of automotive publisher from where the purchase request is coming. This enables dealers to configure their mix according to their dealership resources and goals a" along with the actual performance of category of source(s).
• Zip Code a" enables dealers to apply different territories/zip codes to each of their models and purchase request sources. Dealers can make territory changes dynamically, while adjusting for ROI based on market analysis. For example, a dealership may choose to increase the territory range for vehicles with higher closing ratios and have a smaller territory for lower grossing vehicles.
• Make/Model a" helps dealers spend their budget where it counts most by allowing them to increase the number of purchase requests for hard to move models or, conversely, block or restrict purchase requests by model for those high demand ahota models.

In addition, with DMEa™s industry-leading Red Rocket Technologies Platform powering the reporting module, dealerships will have in-depth reporting which shows closing ratio results and cost per new vehicles sold by model, purchase request source, and territory/zip code(s).

aThis is exactly the kind of program we have been waiting for,a said Kevin Fuelling, Director of Internet Operations at Burton Co. aiControl by Autobytel represents a sea change in online purchase request delivery, providing us with many more opportunities than wea™ve ever had before to make our purchase request strategy synch up with on-the-ground dealership realities. We talked. Autobytel listened. With iControl by Autobytel, wea™re taking the results to the bank!a

About Autobytel Inc.([ www.autobytel.com ])

Autobytel Inc., an online leader offering consumer purchase requests and marketing resources to car dealers and manufacturers and providing consumers with the information they need to purchase new and [ used cars ], pioneered the automotive Internet when it launched autobytel.com in 1995. Today, Autobytel is now the largest provider of U.S. automotive consumer purchase requests for [ new cars ] andcontinues to offer innovative products and services to help consumers buy, and auto dealers and manufacturers sell, more used and new cars. Autobytel has helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers; and helped every major automaker market its brand online. Through its flagship website Autobytel.com®, its network of automotive sites, including Autotropolis.com®, DealershipJobs.com, Autoweb.com®, AutoSite.com®, Car.com^sm, CarSmart.com®, CarTV.com®, and MyRide.com® and its respected online partners, Autobytel continues its dedication to innovating the industry's highest quality Internet programs to provide consumers with a comprehensive and positive automotive research and purchasing experience, and auto dealers, dealer groups and auto manufacturers with one of the industry's most productive and cost-effective customer referral and marketing programs.