VIN Basics Blog

“Fixed ops departments account for the bulk of dealership’s profits.” Sound familiar? How about, “A healthy and profitable fixed ops department means a healthy dealership.” You’ve heard it all before. Yet, growing your service clientele, let alone retaining your existing clientele, is easier said than done.

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Topics: Parts & Services, Automotive Technology, Dealers

You could have the most friendly receptionists, the smoothest sales team, the most impressive showroom, and even the best F&I department in town, but none of that matters if no one is there to experience it.    

The average vehicle shopper only visits 1-2 dealerships before making a purchase. The fact of the matter is that most of the vehicle research and buying process is done online today.

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Topics: Dealers, Vehicle Shopping

85-90% of auto shoppers conduct online research, according to a MillwardBrown study. And 64% of online vehicle shoppers compare different models as part of the process, according to a recent study commissioned by Cox Automotive. Still many auto listing and dealership websites do not offer a comparison tool, or have buried it on their website.

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Topics: Auto Portals, Automotive Data, Dealers, Vehicle Shopping

It's no surprise that today's consumers are shopping for their next vehicle online. According to a relatively recent Millward Brown Digital study, 85 to 90 percent of auto shoppers conduct online research. That's not to say that traditional advertising is dead...

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Topics: Dealers, Vehicle Shopping

Today’s vehicle shoppers are much different than vehicle shoppers pre-internet. You’ve probably heard this more than you can recall, yet still, many consumers are not satisfied with the current car shopping process. Your potential customers are looking for an efficient vehicle shopping and purchasing experience similar to the rest of their shopping experiences.

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Topics: Dealers, Vehicle Shopping

Ride- and car-sharing are two services that have really blown up over the last few years. The ability to conveniently and affordably arrange for a ride or book a vehicle right from an application on your smartphone is too good not to catch on.

Many sources believe that ride- and car-sharing are presenting a threat to the auto industry, primarily OEM and dealership sales. Though the industry will change, they certainly are not doomed!

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Topics: Dealers, ride- and car-sharing

Over the years, online vehicle shopping has grown in popularity. For many consumers, it’s an easy way to educate themselves on current vehicle makes, models, and features, as well as what they should pay for each vehicle before ever stepping foot in the dealership. Still, there is plenty of room for improving the online vehicle shopping experience.

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Topics: Auto Portals, Automotive Technology, Vehicle Equipment, Dealers, Vehicle Shopping

Over the last 5 years, there has been a paradigm shift in marketing and advertising across all industries. The "spray and pray" method, hammer everyone with promotional content and hope it sticks, is finally fading, as businesses become more strategic in their messaging.

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Topics: Automotive Data, Vehicle Equipment, Dealers

An Interview with Connie Keane of Motor Matters

DataOne Software recently interviewed Connie Keane, president of AutoWriters Associates, Inc. and owner of Motor Matters. Motor Matters and DataOne have been partners for quite some time, with DataOne offering Motor Matters vehicle overviews and weekly automotive articles as part of our digital media & editorial product for dealers. Connie and her team of writers have been serving the automotive industry for a number of years now and are known for creating engaging content for all types of vehicle buyers.

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Topics: Dealers, Automotive Content

If you have kept up with the news or social media on any level, then the Takata airbag recall should ring a bell. It has been deemed the largest recall in U.S. history, totaling almost 34 million vehicles (1 in 4 on the road). The NHTSA has thus far listed 11 manufacturers with multiple models affected by this recall. So far the list consists of BMW, Chrysler, Daimler Trucks, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota. Let's not forget about their sister companies such as Acura, Infiniti and Lexus.

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Topics: Automotive Data, VIN, Vehicle Equipment, Dealers, 3rd Party Mapping