Consistently trying to change the game. While most vendors choose to update their platform annually, we are constantly releasing enhancements through the month.
LAST UPDATED JANUARY 28, 2020
JANUARY 2020
WEBSITES / ENGINE 6
WEB TEXT + SOCKETTALK INTEGRATION
RELEASED JANUARY 22, 2020
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
We recently connected DealerFire's Web Text module with DealerSocket CRM's SocketTalk SMS/MMS texting service. Now, website users can request a text message from the dealership and automatically opt-in to receiving text messages directly from the CRM. This is a no-cost enhancement for any CRM + DF website customers.
We've added even more functionality to our Ignite Price Rules module, including active/inactive toggles, VIN-specific filters, rule duplication, and priority sorting order. Our customers will notice these enhancements go into effect today and can begin using them ASAP.
DealerFire's ADA Accessibility partner, AudioEye, has released new enhancements to their Visual Toolkit, including 48 hour activation, voice reader, contrast optimization, and more.
Recently, DealerFire and PrecisePrice were certified in the new Hyundai Digital Program. Beginning March 1, 2020, the same two products will also join the new Genesis Digital Program, so dealers can experience the award-winning functionality of both websites and digital retail.
Menus can sometimes get quite cluttered when creating your own content. With our new menu link configuration, you can create custom links with icons to be placed within your primary navigation with an easy to use UI.
Engine6 now has the ability to identify and display vehicles that are categorized as "in-transit" by the dealership. OEM participation varies, but if in-transit vehicles are imported, users can now see the value under vehicle highlights, as well as filter by the vehicle status within the search results page (SRP).
Reporting continues to be a large focus for us in Q3 & Q4. This latest enhancement creates a top of funnel view for dealers looking to dive deeper into their analytics, especially separating website from marketing services. All dashboards are completely customizable.
We're now offering an OEM agnostic global offers page that features advertised rebates, finance, and lease offers. This page is included with all website packages and refreshes in real-time.
Previously, e6 users could only choose between a jellybean style of menu, or a menu with custom links. Now, we've combined those features to create one, simplistic menu with tons of flexibility.
There are many potential search filters that can be added and removed using the e6 platform. With our enhanced collapsable filter configuration, users can now pre-expand or collapse filters for desktop versions of the website.
Car shoppers are looking for new ways to connect with dealerships. Text messages currently hold a 90% rate, meaning they are extremely effective. Use our new texting widget to launch a text conversation right from your website.
Image galleries are the most interacted with component of any VDP, that's why we've placed a major emphasis (especially mobile) on how image galleries are launched on devices. In our most recent update, the mobile gallery now opens as an overlay, giving the user full swipe control over the image lineup.
Precise Price customers can now choose to feature their default finance payment on SRP with a call to action button, as opposed to drilling into VDP to see the Precise Price widget.
Engine6 customers can now select which models to hide from their new car menu. In some cases, it makes sense to hide commercial or fleet models from your primary navigation. Now you can do just that with the tap of a button.
Engine6 now includes even more flexibility! When creating or editing a page in Ignite, now you can undo and/or redo changes. This functionality ensures your page building technique stays efficient and concise.
Adding stunning, high-res images to your website is an important step to your digital strategy. In some cases, vendors, will strip pixels out of your images to make sites faster, not at DealerFire. We allow you to upload your high-res PNG or JPEG and have it show in all its glory.
ADA, or the Americans with Disabilities Act, is causing a lot of heartburn in automotive currently. Websites have to comply with ADA and WCAG guidelines in order to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes features like voice dictation, color contrast, and alt. image tags. AudioEye is a leading provider of ADA compliant technology, and we're partnering with them to bring the best accessibility services to DealerFire websites.
If you like to feature your custom vehicle photos, this will be a great update for you! Now, using e6, you can toggle your SRP column width to be 2, 3, or 4 tiles wide to better merchandise your inventory and associated data sets.
Dealers that utilize vAuto's Conquest Rebate system can now add these offers to their Engine6 website with the flip of a switch. Just set your incentives profile to "Conquest Rebates" and you'll be on your way to creating custom pricing profiles.
Finance and lease offers are typically what drives demand at the dealership. Our special offers module is now fully customizable, all the way down to the icons that represent each offer.
Anything we can do to enable the customer's efficiency is top of mind. By integrating easy to use tech, like PayPal, with our forms, it allows customers to place reservation payments on their vehicle and save time when they finally get a chance to get to the dealership.
As part of the FCA certified website program, we have access to many new integrations, including the exclusive MoPar coupon library. Coupons are automatically loaded to our FCA dealer websites for monthly fresh service specials.
We've been building out Ignite's Manage Offers module each month. This month's update includes the ability to set a monthly dollar value for finance payments, as opposed to always selecting APR %.
Facebook is the most used social channel in the world, and most dealers use it as their primary mode of communication to customers. Our module can be plugged into any page on your website and show a real-time update of your dealership's content.
On SRP, filters are the most engaged with element. On mobile, we want these filters to be more accessible, and more prominent. We've globally updated the filter link to be a rounded button that will attract users and guide them towards filtering vehicles more easily.
This month, DealerFire received its 16th OEM website certification, with Lexus. We can now offer our award-winning website and digital retail services for US-based Lexus dealers. Dealers can start enrolling now, and we'll be launching our first wave of websites in May.
Service and parts content rarely gets any love from the dealership. Most websites have very limited coupons pages and/or service landing pages. We're looking to change that narrative by offering free integration with Toyota TOOMS to automatically deliver service coupons to your dealership daily.
We've actually been a partner with Toyota since 2010. We were one of the first agencies chosen to be part of their initial certified program. Today, we announce that Toyota is trimming the program to focus on their best performing providers, DealerFire included.
Precise Price recently won the AWA Award for outstanding digital retail tool. We want to make sure your dealership has all of the tools necessary to track sales across website and CRM, so we added a new Google Data Studio integration to deliver monthly reporting with digital retailing KPIs.
Sure, advertised finance and lease specials from the OEM are useful, but they don't have the impact of VIN-specific offers. We've created a new system that allows you to create special offers, and apply them to individual stock vehicles. Pair that with a custom landing page and you have a solid marketing strategy.
If you haven't heard of AMP, yet, it's a great time for some research. AMP, or Accelerated Mobile Pages, is an open HTML framework that provides straightforward, mobile-optimized web pages. AMP improves user experience by stripping out unnecessary content. We have recently added AMP technology to all Engine6 blog platforms, free of charge.
Volkswagen is kicking off their Online Selling certified program by partnering with DealerFire and our award-winning Precise Price digital retailing solution. VW dealers can now enroll in Precise Price and be eligible for coop within the initial pilot (restrictions apply).
If you don't have the time to add offers each month, we've got you covered. With our OEM Incentives Manager, monthly offers are automatically imported to Ignite and displayed for you to enable or disable, as needed. You can even prioritize the offers based on term and value.
Vehicle price can be added to any website, but what about a vehicle that has a special technology package? Now, DealerFire customers can add a specific OEM packages module to their VDPs, showing VIN-levle package and pricing.
FCA is making moves. As part of their renewed certified program effort, they've added new services and vendors, including DealerFire. CDJR, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo dealers can now enroll in website and digital advertising services.
The majority of enhancements that we released are based on customer feedback. We're always working to make the product better and need your help to dial in our functionality. If you have an idea, or simple request, you can submit it via our enhancement request form.
