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IRVINE, Calif. (July 20, 2006) When it comes to purchasing a used vehicle, consumers want to see plenty of actual photos of the unit they are interested in, along with condition and mileage. Meanwhile, the same goes for new-vehicle shoppers: 90 percent said they prefer to see actual photos of a unit rather than stock photography on the dealer's Web site, according to a study conducted by Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research. Kelley Blue Book executives said the trend has been for dealerships to upload stock photography of new vehicles to their Web sites. In fact, 74 percent of consumers questioned said they would be more likely to visit a dealership if the store offers an actual photo of a unit rather than stock photography online. Moreover, 53 percent said they would be more likely to purchase a vehicle from a store providing an actual photo, according to Kelley Blue Book executives. Company officials stressed the need for dealers to provide photos, as nearly 70 percent of today's new vehicle shoppers turn to the Internet to research new vehicles. Of this amount, almost half said they visit at least one dealership Web site during their research process. In order to help smooth the process for dealers, Kelley Blue Book executives mentioned that their sister company, CDMdata, offers products and services designed to assist dealers in easily marketing both new and used vehicles online with photos. CMDdata's DigitalLot Solution collects vehicle information by scanning the VIN, in addition to taking multiple photos of the actual vehicle and uploading all the information to the dealership's Web site. Executives noted that the device can upload such information to 150 sites, if a dealer so desires. CMD Dealer Services will also provide a company representative to collect the data and photos, if the dealer prefers not to do it himself. "The online automotive shopping and buying process must continue to evolve, and the DigitalLot Solution is a critical tool to help dealers improve their relationships and build more trust with online shoppers," said Mike Romano, chief operating officer for CDMdata and vice president of dealer strategy for Kelley Blue Book. "Whether using the solution for new or used vehicles, DigitalLot quickly and easily automates the process of uploading dealers' online inventory, allowing them to ultimately sell more cars faster," he concluded. |
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