J.D. Power and Associates are reportedly advising automotive marketers to establish a valuable online presence to tap opportunities presented by rapidly evolving mobile phone technology, including smart phone applications.

 

Industry experts at the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Internet Roundtable said the large and growing proportion of consumers in the U.S. having smart phone devices. These users prefer their smart phones in close proximity at all times and primarily these devices serve as an extension of PC Internet usage for them.

 

"Mobile gives marketers the chance to reach more shoppers, more often, in more places and to push specific information to shoppers right up to the point of sale," said Jason Ezell, founder and national account director of Dealerskins, in a statement. "If you can get into their circle of trust that is their mobile device, you have much more of a direct link to prospective customers from day one of shopping all the way to the day of purchase."

 

Experts at the conference offered a number of strategies to automotive marketers and said it can help them to optimize mobile device marketing. They said that the information offered to consumers on their mobile devices needs to be both relevant and respectful.

 

Sales can increase if users can offer vehicle shoppers mobile devices with ad listings, payment calculators, maps and directions and dealer contact information. Viewers also like to watch video and scalable banner ads, and automotive marketers should use consumer feedback to continually improve the mobile experience.

 

Text messaging is a particularly effective as a reminder medium and for eliciting responses from mobile device users. The automotive marketers must also ask if the address is for a mobile device when collecting e-mail addresses from vehicle shoppers.

 

"As the mobile device experience becomes richer, people decide they don't want to live without certain features or content from a brand, which creates a barrier to exit,” said Charlie Taylor, general manager, digital marketing and motorsports, at Volkswagen of America, in a statement. “We may see the development of more in-dash features that interface with mobile apps that keep owners engaged beyond the point of purchase."