Edmunds.com Releases New Tool to Help Dealers Build and Manage Online Ratings and Reviews
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — January 23, 2014 — Edmunds.com, the premier destination for car shopping, today unveiled an easier way for car dealers to collect customer reviews and boost their online reputations.
Edmunds.com's Review Accelerator is a new online tool that's strategically embedded on dealer websites to gather ratings and reviews from their customers. Those submitted reviews are then posted and highlighted on both the dealer site and on Edmunds.com's Dealer Ratings and Reviews page.
"Today's car shoppers rely more than ever on dealership reviews, so dealers can benefit from tools that make it easier to grow and share their positive reputations," says Edmunds.com Executive Director of Business Development Mike Grave. "We designed the Review Accelerator for dealers to generate stronger reviews and to continue building trust with shoppers on Edmunds.com and on their own sites."
In September, Maritz Research's 2013 Online Customer Review Study recognized Edmunds.com as one of the most trusted prominent online review sites — ahead of acclaimed review sites such as Google+ and Yelp — and it was the only automotive site ranked in Maritz's top ten. Edmunds.com reinforced this reputation last year when it filed a lawsuit and won an injunction against a company accused of attempting to submit false and misleading reviews to the site.
"Car shoppers are looking to do business with dealers they can trust, and Edmunds.com helps to validate that trust," says Joe Castle, CEO of Castle Automotive Group, a Chicago-area dealership that participated in a pilot program for the Review Accelerator. "This new tool not only improved the volume and quality of our reviews, but it also helped to keep shoppers engaged on our sites for a longer period of time."
Only dealers enrolled in the Edmunds.com Promise ProgramSM are eligible to post the Review Accelerator to their sites. Dealers interested in becoming a Promise PartnerSM can contact 1-855-EDMUNDS or sales@edmunds.com.
About Edmunds
Edmunds.com is a car-shopping Web site driven to make car buying easy. Almost 18 million visitors use our shopping tools every month to connect with over 9,500 dealer franchises across the U.S. Shoppers can browse our inventory listings for available cars and trucks, and with Edmunds.com's Price PromiseSM, they can get an instant, upfront price on those same vehicles. Recently named by Maritz Research as one of the most trusted online consumer review sites - and the only automotive site listed in the top ten - Edmunds.com is also home to comprehensive car reviews, shopping tips, photos, videos and feature stories. Even when you're at the dealership, we're always by your side. Visit our Help Center or use our acclaimed Edmunds.com iPhone and iPad apps or Edmunds.com Android App. We're based in Santa Monica, Calif., but you can connect with us from anywhere by following @Edmunds on Twitter or by becoming a fan of Edmunds.com on Facebook. You can also find us on Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Flipboard.
