Dealership Chain Formats Web Content for Mobile Devices

Last month, the Sonic Automotive Group launched an initiative that allows shoppers to view dealership information for all 154 of its stores on mobile devices.

The group's websites automatically format dealership website content for the specific mobile devices being used by the shopper. Dealer.com, Sonic's website provider, helped build the application.

In the past, consumers have had limited access to dealership website information on hand-helds because sites were not optimized for the Internet browsing formats of the devices.

Sonic Automotive dealership websites included a mobile format by merely shrinking the website for smaller viewing screens or by providing a format that was specific to a single hand-held device such as the iPhone.

While this was an improvement, it still limited the consumer experience because each hand-held device has its own particular viewing specifications and full mobile website access, regardless of hand-held type, was not available.

Now, with Sonic's recent mobile initiative, dealership website content is optimized to provide consumers quick access to site content that is relevant to mobile users including: new and used inventory, parts and service departments, directions and dealership contact information.

“Effective marketing demands that your message appear where your consumers are,” says Rachel Richards, Sonic automotive vice president-retail strategy. “And increasingly, automotive shoppers are online, using mobile devices.

“We were able to develop this new consumer-focused offering quickly and easily because of the operating system and data infrastructure we have created with Dealer.com over the past 18 months.”

The mobile application also allows for the integration of performance metrics into existing online reporting tools.