| Using The Web As Your Virtual Showroom | | | | have database driven tools that let you automate a lot |
| Working in the auto sales business means showing off | | | | of the data import and export from your already |
| your inventory. Working in the modern auto dealership | | | | extant sales and file systems. |
| market means that you have to do more than just | | | | When looking at these scripts, there are some |
| show cars on the lot. Modern cars are more reliable | | | | questions to ask yourself. Do you want to roll your |
| than ever, and most people - especially in this | | | | own, or have someone customize and existing one for |
| economy, are locked in on getting maximum value. | | | | you? If you have a dealership near a college campus, |
| They get that value by doing online comparison | | | | it's not too hard to find a college student in a computer |
| shopping for cars between different dealerships. That | | | | science program who'll do a customization of an |
| comparison shopping is an opportunity for you to | | | | existing script for a reasonable price. One thing that's |
| capitalize on. What your potential customers want is a | | | | very important - whether the script is custom or out of |
| good, high quality picture of the cars, they're looking at - | | | | the box - is making sure that everyone who's working |
| both from the front, the side and in the interior. They'll | | | | at that dealership knows how to do the data entry into |
| want to see make, and model number, mileage, and | | | | it. Nothing is less useful than a web site selling cars that |
| warranty status, and a repair history, and they'll be | | | | doesn't get updated regularly. |
| looking for your site as well as others. | | | | What language does the script and template run in? |
| How that information gets presented depends on you; | | | | The most common ones are PHP, which have the |
| used to be, you'd keep a sales rep tasked with the job | | | | benefit of running on nearly every web server out |
| of updating the web site whenever new inventory | | | | there; ones with more flexibility and room for growth |
| came in or left, and that sales rep would spend most | | | | are written in Python, which you'll have to ask your |
| of their working day in front of a computer doing data | | | | hosting provider about. |
| entry. Fortunately, the state of web design has | | | | Ultimately, the end goal of these scripts is to give you |
| improved since then, and the tools are a lot more | | | | a way to draw customers in, focus their search into |
| automated; there are now auto dealership templates | | | | specific models and help them find the car that suits |
| that can be had. | | | | their needs. Make sure your template lets them search |
| These templates range from the very basic ones that | | | | by the parameters that a customer would want to |
| you get from your hosting provider (which let you | | | | see, which may be different from what you spec out |
| change the background color and put a logo into a | | | | on the lot. |
| pre-made template) to highly customizable ones that | | | | |