BURLINGTON, Vt.– .dealer Domains is bringing modernization, creativity and marketing power to one of the automotive industry’s most overlooked yet valuable assets: the domain name. Founded by auto retail digital marketing experts, .dealer Domains gives OEMs, major dealer groups, and individual dealers the opportunity to strengthen their brands, and protect their names and territories by leveraging the digital marketing power inherent in .dealer domain names.

The modernization of domains in automotive is an untapped opportunity that is simple, affordable, actionable and instantly meaningful.

In recent years, the automotive industry has invested extensively in digital marketing campaigns that steer consumers into doing the bulk of their ve hicle research and shopping online for a more streamlined, controllable experience. However, these campaigns are often directing traffic to complex website addresses that are difficult to remember or share, and easy to confuse with other stores. This can lead to lost traffic and missed branding opportunities that could be easily avoided with a customized, easily searchable, intuitive .dealer URL embedded into each campaign.

“The modernization of domains in automotive is an untapped opportunity that is simple, affordable, actionable and instantly meaningful. It’s really a no brainer when it comes to owning your brand, protecting your trademark, and optimizing marketing dollars,” says Andy Macleay, co-founder of .dealer Domains. “Customization to domains is forward-thinking, drives traffic, produces results, and can be leveraged across multiple marketing platforms - from social media ads to radio to billboards. We are delivering a competitive edge to the auto industry, and an opportunity to build consumer confidence knowing that any visit to a .dealer site is a visit to a trusted brand and an authorized dealer.”

.dealer Domains will initially be available to trademark holders beginning March 25, 2020. Following this first wave of registrations, non-trademarks can be registered starting on June 17 before the global release to the public on June 24, 2020. .dealer Domains carry a premium pricing model designed to maintain the availability of desirable domains for dealers at one flat fee. All names are available at launch including highly-competitive keywords like PreownedCars.dealer, LA.dealer, and SUV.dealer.

“We understand the auto industry and the specific challenges it faces with digital marketing because we’ve lived it; our team of experts has been creating opportunities and finding solutions for dealers to elevate their brand and drive engagement for a total of 50 years combined,” says Shayan Rostam, Chief Strategic Advisor at .dealer Domains.

“In automotive, significant dollars are invested in advertising, from TV to radio to newspaper to digital, and a memorable URL makes those investment dollars go much further. Instant recall is a powerful tool and we are excited to help the auto industry leverage it in the domain category.”