Rapid increases in technological developments have characterized much of the 21st century. Their spread has left no industry entirely untouched. This technology has increased efficiency, minimized errors and overall increased methods of production in almost every context. Though not automatically associated with technology in all cases, the automotive industry, more specifically automotive shop software is a perfect example of the peak of technological development.

Automotive shop software has multiple purposes in the workplace such as keeping track of and providing repair work orders, tracking customers and their vehicles as well as maintaining their service histories, analyzing productivity, developing estimates and analyzing auto shop profitability. The implication of such software programs have exponentially improved turnaround time for auto repair shop owners in every stage of the process from estimates to completion.

There are a couple qualities that shop owners look for when considering different auto shop software programs available on the market. Of course price will always be a factor, but perhaps more important, is the convenient nature of the operating program. For instance, there needs to be a decent installation process that is relatively quick in nature, technicians who are friendly and willing to answer questions as well as assist with the set-up and training process, easy to operate and understand instructions and applications and the most important—a system that works quickly and that works well.

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The market shift from brick and mortar dealerships to virtual online showrooms has been confirmed with 93% of car shoppers turning to the Internet Super Highway vs. their neighborhood auto dealership or local car row to shop for a new or used vehicle. Of equal interest to auto dealers who have shifted their automotive advertising dollars to the Internet to follow their customers there is that automotive advertising agencies have confirmed that online car shoppers are often using the search engines to look for a specific vehicle, not an auto dealership. As a result, automotive advertising agencies have shifted their online messages to match the consumer’s request for information in more of a pull/push marketing strategy to promote their inventory using local search words and meta tags attached to individual videos of their vehicles vs. the old school push/pull methods that focused on delivering an auto dealer marketing message designed to drive customers directly to the dealers’ website.

The role of the real world auto dealership is maturing into an experience center to test drive vehicles, take delivery — for now — and service the vehicles during their life cycle. Newly developed virtual world auto dealerships are also taking on a new role in the retail auto industry with new technologies that are crashing through the glass wall that used to limit what could be accomplished on the World Wide Web.

Marketing tools using SEO and SEM techniques tied to individual vehicle videos linked to micro-sites with specialized information is more transparent and relevant than driving internet shoppers to a home page on an auto dealer’s website that requires further actions by the customer to drill down to what they need — information on a vehicle that they are interested in purchasing. Online shoppers are less often looking for an auto dealer than they are looking for a vehicle so why not cut to the chase and take them there directly? Google and other search engines have recognized the value of video and more targeted vehicle focused search results with index able vehicle videos taking a priority position over conventional postings and websites with similar local search criteria.

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Cars do not exist in a world apart.  They are part of our culture, both affecting society and being affected by it.  How so?

Well, would Mercury have ever created a “Turnpike Cruiser” if there was no turnpike?  That might be a little simplistic.  Cars are created for the roads they’re driven on just as much as automotive design influenced how roads were built.  There is a modern day example of this that shows how society affects automotive design.

Take the average American car.  Say, the fairly common <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/5003561']);” href=”http://www.carsandracingstuff.com/library/i/impala.php”>Chevrolet Impala</a>.  Front drive, V6 engine, fairly powerful for good acceleration but soft suspension hurts its handling.  Big, roomy, comfortable for long road trips on the flat open interstate and the soft suspension can absorb the potholes of Chicago winters.  Drag racing and circle track stock car racing are the American motorsports, engine power and quarter mile times define performance for the street while the full size is the car Chevrolet chooses to mimic on its NASCAR race cars.

Now take the average German car.  The BMW 3-series sedan.  Quality materials and quality construction are the defining characteristics of a premium car here instead of size and space where even Mercedes-Benz makes minicars for the tightly packed European city streets.  Handling is excellent, and power is sacrificed for fuel economy (unless you opt for a high-performance version).  These cars are able to navigate streets that were built centuries before cars were dreamed up, and do so at an efficiency befitting a continent that pays through the nose for its “petrol.”  The defining road of Europe is the Autobahn, where acceleration is nice but top speed and the handling to do it safely are key performance factors.

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