Jennifer Harris

Oct 20
0

Dealerbaby Announces Newest Customer – Blevins Brothers

Posted by | Press, Product | No Comments

Dealerbaby Announces Newest Customer – Blevins Brothers

Blevins Brothers Launch Their First Native Mobile App

Saratoga Springs, NY – October 20, 2014: Dealerbaby (www.dealerbaby.com), a custom mobile app platform for auto dealerships, is proud to announce that Blevins Brothers, an auto group in Ogdensburg, NY has launched their first native mobile app via the Dealerbaby mobile platform.

“Dealerbaby allows us to connect with our customers like never before.  It puts our store literally in the palm of their hands, anywhere, anytime,” said Marc Blevins, Sales Manager at Blevins Bros.

Blevins Brothers, a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealership, serving Gouverneur, Canton, Watertown, Potsdam and Fort Drum, NY, has been a family run business since 1983. Last year, Blevins Brothers, began looking for a new way to reach current and potential customers. After a thorough review of options, Blevins Brothers, choose to invest in mobile for the following reasons: reach, loyalty, and the future of car buying.

Witnessing first hand the surge of customers using mobile devices made the investment in mobile and Dealerbaby a logical business decision. Prior to Dealerbaby, sales representatives found it difficult to connect with previous customers – whether it be through email or phone – customers simply did not respond. They noticed however all customers had mobile devices and knew the obvious answer was starring them in the face – reach them where they always are – on their mobile devices.  “Customers are using their smartphones all the time to stay connected to friends and family.  It was only natural to help them connect with our dealership on their devices,” said Blevins.

With Dealerbaby, if a sales representative wants to let leads or customers know about a trade-in or vehicle special, all they have to do is pull up Dealerbaby and send a tailored push notification to those who have the app downloaded. If they want to drill down and send specialized messages based on make or model, they simply select the the items predetermined in Dealerbaby and hit schedule or send. Blevins said, “The ability to update specials and deals in real-time allows our sales consultants to respond to market changes and customer demands on-the-fly.  They’re able to use the app as a sales and demonstration tool for their customers which helps them sell cars.  This is one of the main reasons why we’ve seen such a high level of buy-in from them.” 

Another feature Blevins Brothers has quickly learned to appreciate is Dealerbaby’s service appointment component. Mobile app users can quickly and easily schedule service appointments, be sent special offers, and see their full vehicle history all within the Blevins Brothers mobile app. “The service appointment scheduling feature is a win-win for the dealership and our customers.  Customers can schedule service appointments quickly from their phone, and inbound phone calls are reduced, which frees up dealership personnel to help customers in the store,”said Marc Blevins.

Knowing which models are selling, how many views a particular piece of inventory has received, how well special offers are performing, how many customers view each message, and the overall performance of marketing and sales efforts, are invaluable statistics that Dealerbaby can provide. This level of knowledge enables managers to identify and address problem areas immediately, and ultimately leads to better decision-making and higher profitability. “Ultimately, customers want a simple, efficient shopping process.  The Dealerbaby mobile app is a paradigm shift—no longer are customers tethered to their home computer to shop our store.  Now they can shop anywhere, at any time.  The features of the app follow the customer through the sales and ownership process.  Prospects can browse inventory, get special deals, and send questions directly to the store.  When that prospect becomes an owner, they can schedule service and stay updated on their vehicle history with our mobile app.  I’m convinced this is the direction technology is taking, and I’m excited we have this tool at our disposal to stay ahead of the competition,”said Blevins.

About Dealerbaby

Dealerbaby, produced by My Thank You Notes LLC, is a custom mobile app platform for auto dealerships based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Founded in 2014, Dealerbaby is dedicated to helping auto dealerships leverage their inventory and service offerings through mobile technology. To learn more, visit www.dealerbaby.com, follow them on Twitter @Dealerbaby, or email sales@dealerbaby.com

Sep 09
0

Dealerbaby Integration with Auto/Mate DMS

Posted by | Press, Product | No Comments

Dealerbaby Announces Integration of Mobile App Platform with Auto/Mate Dealership Management System (DMS)

Integration Improves Shopping & Service Experience for Auto Dealer Customers

 

Saratoga Springs, NY – September 9, 2014 : Dealerbaby (http://www.dealerbaby.com/), a custom mobile app platform for auto dealerships, is proud to announce its integration with Auto/Mate’s Open/Mate third-party integration system. Users of Auto/Mate can now experience the benefits of a native mobile app without the high costs associated with custom mobile app development. With Dealerbaby, auto dealerships can increase customer retention, profits and leads, and become a leader of the mobile dealership community.

“Our partnership with Auto/Mate gives us the ability to create a powerful user experience by letting the customer interact with the dealership on the device they use the most—their smartphone,” said Padraic Doyle, Co-Founder of Dealerbaby. “The key is the two-way communication with the DMS, which is made possible with Open/Mate.”

“More car shoppers are using smartphones and tablets to shop for cars, and mobile apps are easier to use than browsing a mobile website,” said Mike Esposito, President and CEO of Auto/Mate. “DMS integration ensures that all inventory and service data is displayed to customers in real time, reflecting all updates in your dealer’s DMS.”

Read More

Jul 02
0

Need Help With Your Mobile Strategy? It’s Dealerbaby To The Rescue!

Posted by | Education, Mobile, Product | No Comments

DealerbabyRescue (1)It’s Time To Say ‘Goodbye’

Mobile websites are a thing of the past – at least they should be. Far too many dealerships are claiming their stake in mobile with an outdated and clunky mobile version of their website.

Over the course of our Smartphone Revolution series, we learned just how bad mobile websites are in today’s mobile world. In fact, mobile websites could actually be hurting your business, instead of helping. We also learned that:

  • Native mobile apps are made to leverage the iOS and Android platforms.
  • Native apps allow for customized communication from you to your customers and leads.
  • Ignoring these facts could possibly lead your dealership down a path of lost profits and customers.

Dealerbaby Can Help

Get out of the mobile website game and join the native app wave of today. At Dealerbaby, we offer an innovative solution tailored to capture the interest of your current client base, while simultaneously gaining the consideration of shoppers who’ve never purchased with you before.

We accomplish this with a clean, elegant native mobile app that uses a multi-layered approach to meet the needs of various types of users.

Read More

Jun 28
0

Don’t Be Left Behind. Go Native Or Go Home.

Posted by | Education, Mobile | No Comments

You’ve got mobile on the brain. That’s a good thing – trust us. While the topic of mobile websites vs native mobile apps, and the various pros and cons of both can seem overwhelming, it’s important to remember it doesn’t have to be. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights you’ve already learned from just one short blog/email:

  • Smartphone users represent over 65% of the mobile phone market.
  • An incredible 63% of auto shoppers researched & shopped online at a dealership.
  • Increasingly, customers ignore email, phone calls, and texts if they are not from trusted sources.
  • Your mobile strategy should be customized. Users should want to “invite you in” to their lives.

It’s Time to Go Native With Your Mobile Strategy

Smartphone users prefer using apps over surfing the mobile web. In fact, users spend nearly 90% of their time using Apps on their smartphones – not surfing the web, not texting, and certainly not talking.  In fact, for every hour a user spends on their smartphone, only 9.76 minutes is spend on the mobile web. That means your mobile website may only be seen for 9.76 minutes or less! And while we would all like to see the glass as half-full, the truth is that number is less – not because people don’t like what you have to offer, but because getting to any mobile website requires more steps then desired.

Read More

Jun 25
0

Be A Part Of The Smartphone Revolution With Dealerbaby

Posted by | Education, Mobile | No Comments

In a very short 6 years, the iPhone and Android mobile platforms have come to represent over 90% of the smartphone market. In both design and operation, the iPhone has lead to a wildfire of smartphone adoption. While the open-platform Android has provided smartphone access to the masses by providing cost effective devices.

DealerbabyMobilePhone

So what does all of this mean for you?

Let’s first take a look at mobile websites. Many dealerships consider a mobile website a helpful tool to help drive traffic into their store. However, here’s a look at why mobile websites simply aren’t enough to keep up  and could actually be driving traffic away:

1) A “mobile website” is a condensed version of a “full” website – a website built to be viewed on a computer screen – not a mobile screen.  A mobile website wasn’t built to integrate with the underlying technology that drives mobile apps and does not take full advantage of unique smartphone capabilities like push notifications, GPS, or processing power.   

Read More

Jun 01
0

Dealerbaby Operating Systems: An Overview

Posted by | Product | No Comments

There are several options on the market that you and your customers have when it comes to mobile operating systems. While a large majority of mobile phone users do not refer to their devices by their operating system, it is important you understand the difference in terms of user needs and views. Here’s an overview of the two main operating systems your customers could be using.

Apple – iOS Operating System

A Brief History:

Apple created their first iPhone in 2007 and transformed the post-PC era into the mobile world we know today. They were the first to create downloadable applications (apps) available in an App Store and are continually developing new features to maintain their edge in the ever-changing mobile world.

What Does This Mean For You?

Apple users are loyal and have become accustomed to easy navigation and simple features. Your iOS version of the app has been created with just features in mind. Let’s take a look at the iOS version of your dealership’s app to get a visual idea of what you and your customers can expect to see:
Read More

May 04
0

Targeting Push Notifications

Posted by | Mobile | No Comments

The following an excerpt from a blog post authored by our push notification provider Zenpush.

Reaching the right person, at the right time, with the right message does not only apply to email marketing. Thinking of push notifications as an extension of your marketing team will help you better understand how to target your mobile users with information that will keep them opted-in to your messages (and keeping users opted-in is key!).

Read More

Dec 19
0

The Benefits of Native Mobile Apps

Posted by | Mobile | No Comments

Gone are the days of using your mobile phone simply for phone calls. Today everything is mobile . You can deposit checks with your camera, video message with family from across the world, and challenge perfect strangers to a game of “Words With Friends”. A majority of our time is spent using our mobile devices, which is a major reason why so many companies are making the move to mobile.

Companies who initially went the web-based mobile app route have found the inability to customize, brand and contact users with push notifications troublesome, resulting in a majority of those companies switching to native mobile mobile apps.Whether it’s discovery in the app store or overall trust, users tend to prefer downloading a well constructed and easy-to-use native app over a web-based mobile app.

In addition to users overall trust level and preference, lets take a look at several benefits of investing in a native mobile app over a web-based mobile app in terms of business objectives and ROI:

Read More