Automotive manufacturers and dealers are doing a much better job of using the web to sell cars, and for the first time industry advertising is clearly shifting from print to digital, according to Steve St. Andre, president and COO of FordDirect, reports Internet Retailer. A recent survey from the National Automobile Dealers Association showed that 98 percent of dealer websites are interactive, allowing car shoppers to view stock and MSRPs, fill out finance forms, and schedule sales and service appointments. But auto retailers still need to do a much better job of using the web to understand customer behavior and acquisition, St. Andre says.

Auto manufacturers are investing more in web-based marketing strategies or integrated campaigns that use television advertising to drive traffic to a manufacturer's website, to capture specific leads for dealers, St. Andre says. In April, FordDirect set a record of using the web to close more than 22,500 new vehicle sales, compared with the previous monthly record of about 19,000, according to St. Andre.