The Next ‘Must Have’

What self-respecting motor dealer would be without a web site today? So with smart phones now 16% of all mobile phones sales, which increased by 23.8% last year and Apple claiming ‘an app for everything’ – why is it the motor retail trade has only TWO apps available to would-be-buyers? Though, earlier this month we didn’t even have two!

During the past fortnight Bristol Street Motors followed by motors.co.uk have launched stock locator apps, although strictly speaking motors.co.uk is a publisher (part of the Daily Mail group), so the actual score is one app.

A brief ‘test drive’ of both apps illustrates how well suited the smart phone is for stock locators. Of the two we preferred, marginally, the Bristol Street app with its tumbler style pick lists.

Without doubt it won’t be many weeks or months before most leading Groups and dealers have their own apps too, and no doubt Auto Trader will enter the arena and raise the bar again.

But in the meantime dealers shouldn’t forget that smart phones are just as adept at accessing the web, and with third party software creating iPhone versions of your their site, no dealers should be left behind.

Tags: Bristol Street Motors, iphone, motors.co.uk, smartphone, stock locator, Technology