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Orlando, Florida - (Cheap Web Hosting Directory) - February 10, 2006 - Ford Motor Company has reported that in 2005,10 percent of Ford Division’s retail sales came from consumers who startedtheir shopping process through a FordDirect Internet referral. In all, morethan 250,000 new Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles were sold throughFordDirect Internet referrals, up 15 percent from 2004.

According to Ford, consumers are looking to the Internet to find their next vehicle. And dealers saved money in the process. FordDirect dealers’ average costper-vehicle-sold in 2005 was only $100, about one forth the cost per-vehicle-sold with traditional marketing.

Bill Keith, Dealer Principal at Freehold Ford in New Jersey and Chairman of the FordDirect Board of Directors explained, ”Almost every consumer starts the search for their next vehicle online. Which is good news for dealers because the Internet is the most cost effective way to reach customers with the exact information they are looking for. If dealers do not have a strong Internet department and marketing strategy they are losing sales.”

Ford franchised dealers don’t have to work alone as they seek to maximize their Internet presence. They control a joint venture with Ford Motor Company, FordDirect, whose mission is to create this presence on behalf of dealers. The only such venture in the industry, FordDirect has more than 4,500 Ford Motor Company dealers enrolled in services that turn consumers shopping online into Internet traffic and leads for their local dealer.

FordDirect President Steve St. Andre added, ”One way FordDirect helps dealers is to track emerging technology and implement it for their dealers, something individual dealers wouldn’t necessarily have the time or resources to do on their own.”

Search and local search marketing is one example. Search is the fastest growing method consumers are using to find their local dealer and a theme dealers will find all over the NADA convention. FordDirect manages over 100,000 search terms to drive traffic to dealers. And dealers only pay when an actual lead is generated.

According to the company, another example is the technology deployed on the Forddirect.com website. Interactive applications of flash technology allow a customized user experience that mirrors their offline shopping. Consumers can build a vehicle in any order, compare and contrast options with photos and sort inventory visually by their desired features.

Francisco Codina, Ford Motor Company Group Vice President and member of the FordDirect Board of Directors, ”FordDirect gives our dealers a competitive advantage. The power of this company is that it merges the marketing strength of the automaker with the distribution network of the local dealer. This advantage is why we’re handing over additional dealer web services to FordDirect.”

FordDirect.com is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. To learn more, please visit: www.forddirect.com.

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