Researching and purchasing a new vehicle online is about more than just price. In fact, new-car shoppers on Cars.com are twice as likely to select “group by dealer” on inventory search results pages, and those who do are three times more likely to connect with a dealer compared with used-car shoppers. What that tells us is that your dealership’s brand and reputation – not just your inventory – matters when it comes to shopping for a new vehicle online.

“In our market, potential customers can buy the vehicles on our lot in five other places at about the same price – we all buy them from the same place, after all,” said Ricky Lopez, Internet Director at Greenway Dodge in Orlando, Fla. “The thing that sets us apart the most is our reviews.” Learn how Ricky and his store are turning Cars.com Dealer Reviews into more business.

Cars.com is at the third annual Automotive Boot Camp May 15-17, focused on sharing the training and skills development dealers need to run their business in an Internet-centric world. Be sure to stop by our booth, no. 212 in Sterling C, and check out our workshop, “So|Lo|Mo: Winning With Today’s Car Shopper,” conducted by Dealer Training Manager Jack Simmons, Wednesday, May 16 at 11 a.m. PST.

Cars.com, the premier online resource for buying and selling new and used vehicles, announced today that it has introduced BaseDrive™, an evolution of its online advertising package helping franchise dealers better promote their brand, reputation and new-car inventory on Cars.com.

Cars.com is back from Digital Dealer 12, and if there was one overarching theme on the workshop floor, it was that the consumer must be the center of our industry. Check out the full recap.

It’s no secret that individual metrics and compensation play a big role in achieving dealership-wide goals, which is why managers have long tied pay to “hitting your numbers.” Owners and senior managers are increasingly putting their money on dealer reviews in this way, namely for their ability to help differentiate a dealership’s brand and ultimately drive more sales and service business.

Cars.com has become formally accredited by the Better Business Bureau! We’ve also received an A+ rating, the BBB’s highest consumer protection rating.

“People buy from people” is an oft-quoted phrase, but it’s especially relevant in a post-recession world, according to a recent report released by J.D. Power & Associates in announcing its 2012 Customer Service Champions. Consumers have become even more sensitive to factors beyond price, including quality of the product, processes and presentation, as well as the delivery of brand consistency throughout those experiences. Perhaps most important, J.D. Power asserts in the report, are the people delivering the product or service.

BDCs, internet sales managers and other online dealership marketing experts will be heading to Orlando this April 3-5, and we’ll be there to meet them in full force with the latest best practices and news from Cars.com.