Kimoby acquires ACE Marktplace. Read the press release.

Top 3 New Revenue Sources for Dealers

Covid-19 has certainly impacted dealerships across the country but at the same time new business opportunities have unfolded. Solutions for connected vehicles are trending and as a dealership, this can become a lucrative new revenue source for you. Strategies for shifting business models must be considered in this new age. It’s time to take a look at productivity and connectivity solutions that can be labelled with your brand to drive in new revenue.

Here are the top 3 dealership revenue sources that will create new business:

1. Automated Connected Vehicles

Look for connected vehicle solutions that are cost-effective to bring business to a brand-new level. Your dealership can jump on board this new trend and help unlock connectivity opportunities that feature your brand. This is what the market is looking for today and you need to put yourself into a position where you can deliver it. Deliver what is wanted and needed in today’s times, and you have a game changer.

Provide a unified system that integrates a number of solutions. Enjoy the benefits of a platform that is cloud-based where everything you need has been placed together in one user-friendly place. The automotive industry is evolving so your dealership must evolve along with it.

2. Understand the New Normal

There is a new normal in our society where many people are afraid to leave their homes. Many are going out just to shop for the necessities of life and are avoiding contact with many businesses. This pandemic has changed the mindset of individuals across the board to one degree or another. Once the Covid-19 crisis has passed, part of this mindset is sure to linger on into the future.

The best thing that a dealership can invest in right now is a remote test driving solution that allows potential customers to test drive different vehicles from the comfort of their own homes. This is revolutionary technology that has transformed the way we offer test drives to consumers. This connected solution also raises consumer confidence levels in your brand. Outshine the competition by understanding the new normal and working with it.

3. Vehicle Rentals

This is an exciting new income source that should be explored fully. Your inventory can be transferred into a revenue source that is recurring. When you have the right tools at your disposal to manage a rental fleet, it becomes easier than ever to create this new source of income. Rental opportunities allow dealerships to increase their profitability and productivity quickly and easily.

At ACE Marktplace we understand the challenges that dealerships are facing in this new normal. We can work with you to create new revenue with our online suite of automotive solutions. Take a look at our range of communication, on-demand conductivity and AI tools today. The future is in your hands and you can do something about the current economic situation as it continues to evolve.

Find out more today about connected vehicle solutions and how they can help your business by visiting our website at acemarktplace.com.

Top 3 Digital Tools for Dealers in 2020

The year 2020 will often be remembered as the year when Covid-19 disrupted our lives but it has also provided dealers with the ability to think outside of the box in terms of customer care and service. There are digital tools available that can help dealers with many of the different complexities that have arisen during this challenging year. These tools include the following:

1. Test Drive Programs

Many people are avoiding purchasing a new vehicle in 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis and the fear of taking a car for a test drive. Now dealers have the ability to provide customers with an in-home test-driving experience for a variety of car makes and models. This is a connected solution that links up potential buyers at home with salespeople from a dealership. 

Offering access to test drives is one of the best ways to connect with consumers in this day and age. If you don’t have the connectivity needed to offer a digital test driving experience, you will lose customers that will turn to your competition.

2. Vehicles Service Programs

Customer satisfaction is key when it comes to servicing vehicles in your dealership. If a customer has a poor experience with the maintenance or servicing of his car, you will lose an important relationship with the consumer and he may never return. When you use a service program that synchronizes shuttle bookings and the times of service completion, you will have a customer that doesn’t have to wait and is very happy with the service.

This program also automates customer communication and tracks the progress of maintenance so that both the dealership and the customer know when a vehicle needs to be serviced. Communication is key in maintaining a relationship between the dealership and customers, which makes these types of programs so vitally important for maintaining customer satisfaction. 

3. Delivery Programs

When a customer is waiting for the delivery of a new vehicle, you’ll want to make sure that they are a satisfied customer when the final handoff takes place. A great experience leaves a customer satisfied while a bad experience can have lasting effects on this customer relationship. Synchronize the delivery schedules using tracking in real time so that the information can be related to the consumer during each stage of the delivery process. Make sure that your customer knows when to expect delivery by providing him with the real-time information of his vehicle location and you’ll be able to provide 100% satisfaction to every customer.

During 2020, high-quality customer relationships and experiences must be kept as a top priority. Now, more than ever, people are shopping online and turning to digital solutions that can help them make decisions regarding any upcoming purchases. Help your customers by offering them the best digital tools available in 2020 and you’ll see your customer base expand very quickly.

Find out more about the best digital dealer tools for 2020 now by visiting our website at acemarktplace.com.

How Marketing Agencies Can Benefit from Connected Car Technologies

The topic of a connected car is often misunderstood and not clearly defined. Connectivity in a car can range from self-driven cars to the apps and programs that allow cars to be connected to the Internet and to program dashboards that run a number of different programs.

The connected car has arrived on the scene and technology found on these vehicles is nothing short of miraculous. Safety sensors, GPS systems, smartphone connectivity and much more are offered on these cars, which opens a floodgate of opportunity for marketing agencies.

Marketing Agencies and Connected Car Technologies

Connected car technologies provide opportunities to marketers to help them get new insights about the behaviours of consumers. This technology also helps deliver better value to potential customers and offers a means to communicate in a manner that is more relevant.

New Insights about Behaviour

The more data a marketing agency has, the more it can understand the needs of consumers. When you understand these needs, it’s a lot easier to provide the services and products that are wanted the most. Connected cars provide a data source that offers insights such as the following:

  • Common travel routes
  • Commuting times
  • Shopping times
  • Driving habits
  • Vehicle servicing behaviours
  • Much more

Marketing companies can learn more about the various consumer segments such as the type of content that consumers are listening to, when they are listening, the content of formats such as podcasts or streaming music and how the content is being accessed. Overall, the more data provided, the more insights can be developed.

The data provided by connected cars also address consumer wants and needs including any pain points to help deliver better value to consumers.

Communication with Consumers

There are apps available for connected cars that provide location for companies so they can offer deals to consumers that are in the local area. This will drive in new customers and is a new level of advertising that has yet to be explored. It is tapping into a new era of marketing that allows businesses to communicate with consumers within the exact moments when a potential purchase could be made.

Understanding Customers

Understanding what’s important to consumers is key in the marketing business. Businesses in the automotive industry must understand which connectivity services customers want the most and whether they would be willing to pay for them or not. As the age of connected vehicles continues, more connectivity will provide even more insights regarding the features that are valued most by customers, which will lead to further research on other connectivity services that could be offered in the future.

Without the data, car companies have only been able to add on different features when it was technically possible to do so. There was no data available so some features were a hit while others had no particular value to customers. Now, times have changed and the data will lead the way into the future. Marketing companies will be needed to harvest and analyze the data in order to recommend the best marketing opportunities.

Learn more about marketing and vehicle connectivity features now at acemarktplace.com.

COVID-19 Best Practices for Dealers

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has changed the way that we have had to do business as dealers. There are best practices that should be put in place by all dealers to make sure that consumers receive a fantastic customer experience, which will encourage them to buy from you. Put these practices into place today in order to drive in new sales and to encourage word-of-mouth advertising.

Update Your Communication

There is a different buying experience now than there was before, and as a result, the way in which dealers communicate with potential buyers needs to be adapted. Today, it’s especially important to take more of a personalized approach to selling vehicles. Let prospective customers know that virtual test drives are available. This can be done through banner advertising on your website and by updating your website content. Send out emails to shoppers to inform them about any financing deals or special offers available on vehicles.

COVID-19 Website Message

You should also have a special COVID-19 message that is easy to find on your website. Consumers are worried about safety and want to know how you are going to be keeping them safe if they do decide to come in to look for a vehicle at your dealership. Let them know that you have hand sanitizer stations set up and that you practice social distancing. Include any other precautions you are taking to drive more customers towards your business.

Some of the COVID-19 best safety practices that you can implement at your dealership include the following:

  • Place hand sanitizer stations in the showroom
  • Let consumers know what steps you are taking to keep them safe
  • Put in a system for video communications with shoppers
  • Create service hours for special appointments 
  • Place markers along the floor where there are any waiting spaces for social distancing
  • Put a bulletin on the wall outlining your cleaning procedures
  • Don’t shake hands with shoppers

Connect with ACE Marktplace

Put these best practices into effect and spread the word that you are doing so. Nowadays, the promise of a safe environment to shop in is one of the most important sales tactics you can use. People want to know that it’s okay to go into a showroom and that you have put COVID-19 best practices into place for their safety.

Strengthen connections with automotive consumers by working with ACE Marktplace. We can provide you with all the tools needed to make sure that you continue to succeed during the recovery era of COVID-19 and beyond. The automotive industry as a whole has become an evolving market with a wide range of new consumer behaviours that may affect your income.

Connect with us at acemarktplace.com to get the tools and resources you need the most during this difficult time. We can provide you with helpful and innovative resources that have been specially tailored to meet the wide range of different industry demands that we are seeing today. We’ll help you protect your valuable customers and your business. As a team, your dealership and Ace Marktplace can work together to positively reshape the future of the automotive industry.

Welcome to ACE Marktplace

Welcome to ACE Marktplace, a business devoted to providing dealers, dealer groups and OEMs with a seamless, connected vehicle platform. The age of connected vehicles has arrived with cars, trucks, vans and SUVs able to offer Internet access to drivers while on the road while providing dealers with tools to manage their sales and fleets. Our white-label platform gives you the solutions you need to help your business grow. Discover the wide range of possibilities available and unlock a lucrative future with valuable connected vehicle services.

The pandemic has had an impact on all industries, including the automotive sector. However, new opportunities, as listed below, have risen in regards to connected vehicle solutions.

Dealers, dealer groups and OEMs can use these opportunities to their advantage by using productivity solutions and white label automotive conductivity, which is a rising trend that simply cannot be ignored.

Visit the ACE Marktplace to find online solutions to help your business gain momentum through the use of communication and conductivity tools that are powered by Machine Learning, AI and Telematics. All of these tools align with today’s need for social distancing, so the time has never been better to jump into the field with both feet forward!

Increase Sales

With our ACE Testdrive, you’ll be able to capture the confidence of consumers by using a new test drive concept in our rapidly evolving world. The ACE Self-Serve Test Drive gives dealers the opportunity to enhance consumer confidence through remote services. This is exactly what every dealer needs with customers now relying on digital services more than ever before.

Reduce Your Costs

Enjoy the wide range of features that are offered with ACE Mobility such as integration with a concierge team. We’ve got you covered with interactive tasks along with complete management of service-owned vehicles. Gain insight into consumer wants and needs while reducing your costs.

Better Service Retention

Our ACE Servicetracker lets customers know when it’s time to receive vehicle maintenance. This reduces the number of calls that need to be placed with regards to regular servicing of vehicles and ensures that nobody gets missed. This is a fantastic way to ramp up your service business to new heights.

More Productivity

Use ACE Inventory to keep track of service and road vehicles that are currently with customers, the demos that you have on the road, and the vehicles that remain on your lot. You will be sent a notification instantly if there is a critical issue, such as a battery failure or a potential theft.

New Rental Revenue

When you turn your loaner fleet into a rental and subscription service, you’ll be generating new revenue. We provide comprehensive tools that allow you to join the rental industry game so that you can receive your own piece of the pie.

Manage Your Overhead

When you have the ability to receive instant audit reports of inventory, the need for on-site audit personnel diminishes. Reduce your overhead with reports outlining the status and location of your vehicles.

Efficient Fleet Operations

Use our dashboard to run your fleet department digitally. Organize all of your courier tasks, dealer trades and deliveries along with tracking in real time.

Visit ACE Marktplace at acemarktplace.com today to learn more about our products and services.

The New Era of Customer Experience

During this time of COVID-19, automotive businesses must adapt to provide a positive experience to customers. It hasn’t taken long for this pandemic to overwhelm livelihoods and lives all across the world. This has also forced all industries to rethink their protocols for customer care including satisfaction metrics and customer journeys.

The interaction that a customer has with a business can set off an immediate effect in regards to loyalty and trust. This is especially true during times of crisis. Millions of people are in isolation while others have lost their jobs. The customer experience should now be based on service and delivery experiences that are coupled with concern, care and empathy.

Customer behaviour has changed as a result of COVID-19, and companies, including dealerships, must shift their practices as well. Now, more than ever, it’s important to investigate and isolate consumer preferences, which continue to change, and to redefine customer journeys within a new context. This is what will determine success in this new era of customer experience, and the companies that are implementing customer-forward changes will see the best results.

Customer Care

During these times, customers are looking for businesses that genuinely care about them and offer great support. For example, Ford has put together a campaign with specific initiatives that include credit support and payment relief. These are the things that customers will appreciate in the short-term and remember in the long term. This is one of the best ways to build positive relationships with consumers and its benefits will outlive the COVID-19 crisis.

Customer Connections

People are looking for support, guidance and information to help them through these challenges. It’s an overwhelming time for many and providing helpful information goes a long way in establishing trust. Many customers make a conscious decision to buy from brands that are socially responsible, and this is even more true now than ever before. Find a way to connect with customers in your area in order to provide the best customer experience possible.

Caring for Employees

When a crisis occurs, the first thought should be about the employees. When you show your employees that you care about them, it will also increase your customer base. Many people are concerned about the loss of a job or an income and wonder how they will pay their bills. Show your employees that you care by offering some form of stability if at all possible.

Provide Digital Options

With more and more people turning to the Internet at home to work or shop, digital delivery is now crucial. Even the customers that are the most resistant to digital change are accepting it as a part of life right now. In the automotive industry, digital functionalities are key in terms of ensuring that services can continue.

At ACE Marktplace, we have a suite of delivery tools that can transform a regular sales cycle into a solid, recurring relationship with a customer. We offer dealer groups, dealers and OEMs the chance to engage actively along the customer’s journey, while at the same time strengthening customer satisfaction and retail performance. Find out what we can do for your business during this new era of customer experience by visiting our website now at acemarktplace.com.