Autobytel Inc.'s vehicle data and content division, Auto Information Center (AIC), announced June 20 the launch of AutoEspañol, an integrated suite of Spanish-language vehicle research and shopping tools for the Internet. The company says AutoEspañol represents the latest in Autobytel's and AIC's efforts to help auto manufacturers and retailers capitalize on revenue opportunities presented by the Hispanic car-buying segment.
"There continues to be a disconnect between the revenue potential of the Hispanic market and the available Internet marketing resources to attract and engage that market," said Andrew Donchak, executive vice president of Autobytel Inc. "With AutoEspañol, Autobytel and AIC are once again taking the lead in addressing the needs of a segment our industry can no longer afford to ignore."
Autobytel added a range of Spanish instructions to its site after commissioning a survey on this market's automotive website usage last summer. Seventy percent of U.S. Hispanic Internet users polled for the landmark Roslow Group study indicated that they planned to use the web during the car purchasing process. A full 84 percent, moreover, indicated that they would be more likely to do their automotive shopping and research online if they could do so in Spanish.
According to Autobytel, an online survey of Autobytel's Spanish-language web visitors helped determine their specific Internet car buying needs and preferences, in terms of resources, tools and technology. AutoEspañol is the resulting product and will be available this fall on all four of Autobytel's consumer websites—Autobytel.com, CarSmart.com, AutoWeb.com and Autosite.com—along with expanded Spanish language automotive content.
AutoEspañol, a hosted package of vehicle research, comparison and viewing tools, is a Spanish-language version of AIC's AutoSuite, a product that integrates the AIC tools and data. Currently AIC tools and/or data powers 20 manufacturer websites and portals, such as AOL, Yahoo and Lycos. According to the company, AutoSuite, and in turn AutoEspañol, enable consumers to move back and forth from one tool, or shopping phase, to the next, without having to re-enter information about the vehicles they are considering. The individual modules can also stand-alone or integrate with other online research applications.
"Manufacturers are finally beginning to recognize that the Hispanic market is a huge piece of the car-buying pie, one that continues to grow even as the rest of the market flattens," adds Donchak. "AutoEspañol provides our industry with what it's been missing for far too longæthe tools and information to connect with these consumers, and realize a new world of revenue opportunities."
About AIC
The Automotive Information Center (AIC) division of Autobytel Inc. is a provider of automotive content, data and tools used to power Internet services, portals and manufacturer web sites. AIC says its data and tools feature optimal price capabilities, which enable consumers to configure and compare vehicles on the basis of lowest possible price. Visitors to sites powered by the AIC technology are able to configure a vehicle by manufacturer, make, model, trim specifications and other option packages, as well as perform side-by-side competitive vehicle comparisons.
About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc., an Internet automotive marketing services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through marketing and CRM (customer relationship management) programs. Autobytel Inc. owns and operates the websites Autobytel.com,
Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com and Autosite.com, as well as AIC (Automotive Information Center).
