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Is the Secret Sauce Spoiled?

I agree with JD - I've tested/tried/played around with several apps & none "wow" me. I think it's hard to get a consumer to download an app for a few reasons.

1.) Space on their phone - I know with all the videos (of DSES Karaoke.....) on my phone memory is at a premium. I am constantly going through my apps & deciding "which ones I don't need."
2.)Why should I download this app? People need to have a *reason* to have the app on their phone. People don't want to download frivolous apps that they're only going to use once in awhile....

Maybe we should just stop spending money on apps & concentrate on better mobile experiences........ :)
 
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Up here in the icey land of Canada the latest thing I'm seeing are apps that integrate with iBeacon.
I've seen 3 companies, including AutoTrader.ca, pitching applications that integrate with iBeacon.

One of the providers actually expects customers to come to the lot, install your dealer application, give permission for alerts, give permission for them to access personal information and then accept incoming beacons just to get flyers on the vehicles they're standing right in front of.

I wish they would innovate for real reasons, not just for the sake of new technology.
 
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One of the providers actually expects customers to come to the lot, install your dealer application, give permission for alerts, give permission for them to access personal information and then accept incoming beacons just to get flyers on the vehicles they're standing right in front of. .

Now that just sounds silly to me - to these app developers have anyone who's outside of their little "information bubble" out in the real world doing market research as to customer behaviors?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I think QR codes on your vehicles directing the customers to a specific inventory landing page with a "quick quote form" or a "schedule a test-drive form" is more beneficial than downloading a whole separate app just to get the same thing.


People are more inclined to use what they already have as opposed to download something new for one thing.
 
Lets see if Google backs off their responsive recommendation a bit in 2015. Responsive is great for Google, they have one url structure to crawl and it gets more sites mobile friendly. One of Google's other things they push is page load speed. Responsive sites have to load all the html for mobile, desktop, tablet ect every time. Some users like me, don't like using a responsive website on a desktop.


As for whats next? Dynamic Serving allows you to present an optimized page based on the device. I was recently at a conference where Responsive was talked about but more as a cheap alternative to advanced dynamic serving.
 
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I think that's a valid point, but I doubt Google will change their stance on it.
At the end of the day, I don't believe that responsive will make or break your SEO game - it's just one checkbox on a list of things they recommend.

Dynamic serving just sounds like another way to do adaptive, etc.
Just have a website for desktops, maybe one for tablets and definitely one for handhelds.
Each one should be responsive to a degree, but not fully-responsive in the sense that every single adjustment of the window requires the site to resize.

IMHO of course.
 
The lifetime value or “stickiness” an app is truly what keeps it on consumers phone. From a consumer standpoint, we need create and simplify the entire dealership experience within the app so that we can keep the customer involved pre and post purchase.

Looking Ahead:

As the “Connected Car” becomes more prominent and apps take over the dashboard, the link between devices and vehicles will become much higher.

I believe we will see dealerships loading their specific apps onto vehicles causing on-screen; suggestion and location marketing will become much more prominent.

By relying on the Smartphone to supply the connectivity of the apps, this gives dealers with a dealer app already in place a big advantage. A dealer app on a consumers phone will be able to directly link to the consumer’s vehicle giving the dealership yet another direct marketing connection to the consumer.

[h=3]This May Open Pandora’s Box Of Advertising For Dealers To:[/h]
  • Run advertisements on the digital dashboard
  • Create another direct interaction point to the consumer
  • Learn a consumers shopping habits
  • Determine how a customer interacts with their vehicle
 
This May Open Pandora’s Box Of Advertising For Dealers To:

  • Determine how a customer interacts with their vehicle

Any examples of how you see this working from within an app?

This May Open Pandora’s Box Of Advertising For Dealers To:

  • Create another direct interaction point to the consumer

This is the biggest turnoff for me. If an app sends me a notification I don't like, that app better be damn useful or it gets uninstalled immediately. This avenue of communication is sacred and, much like text messages, should not really be used for promotions.
 
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Apps for cars is the future. The app will be an extension of the car itself. GM dealers w/Onstar apps know all about this. Your car, your app, your OEM and your dealer will be tightly interconnected. Your car will talk to your app and vice versa. Your car will get a software update, wirelessly while you sleep, your app will tell you everything about your car and make owning it as simple as a one click experience can get.

NO ADVERTISING.

This channel will be an essential part of the OEM's brand experience. It'll become so important to OEMS, they'll want total control of the platform. This OEM app channel will be packed with exclusives. Recalls, maintenance scheduling, misc cust svc, road side assistance, marketplace tradein valuations, new incentives, exclusive incentives, and on and on.


It'll be location aware and it'll know if your in market and at a competitors geo ;-)

2013-remotelink-keyfob-services-453x500.jpg
 
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At the same time, I think manufacturers are scared of this level of integration.
At DefCon every year they demo the car exploits. It wasn't that long ago that one of the university teams proved that they could hijack a car through the TPMS and there was nothing the manufacturer could really do to stop it.

It's a scary world and I think that will hold things back longer than we would like to think.