Internet Retailer: Auto dealers try to make the connection between web site and showroom sales

While internet leads are increasingly important to car dealers, most aren't winning their fair share of automaker-generated sales prospects. According to a Jupiter survey, about two thirds of dealers see their website merely as a place for contact information and listing car inventory. Some, though, are looking to grab online share of incoming leads by creating their own websites, trying to influence car buyers between the moment they select which car they want to try and the point at which they choose which dealer to approach. Jupiter predicts more and more will jump into this fray, pointing out that about a third of dealers said they would increase their online ad budget.