Generates substantially lower costs of customer acquisition and retention

Charlotte, NC – xChange Automotive, a company providing open web and social media marketplace applications for the auto industry, announced today the release of two call-to-action transaction apps for Facebook.

These transaction-based social media apps help auto dealers and auto lenders convert social media members into paying customers.

“These are the first serious call-to-action apps for driving ROI from social media,” says Dom Shamblee, CEO of Cocoa Studio, an xChange Automotive partner and creator of social media user experience and transaction process interfaces.

In recently completed beta tests with Facebook members, these xChange Automotive apps delivered per-customer acquisition costs of $225 to $275 less than industry averages. Customer retention costs were $150 to $200 less than average.

Furthermore, both apps generated on average a five-time viral marketing effect for each new social media customer acquired.

Both apps are now moving to pilot implementations with auto dealers and auto lenders.

To help it service dealer, lender and remarketer demand for these apps, xChange Automotive is looking to expand its network of distributors/resellers. Interested parties should contact info@xchangeautos.com.

“These apps’ potency to drive business for dealers and auto lenders alike lay in their integration with key business systems. This includes having xChange Automotive’s industry-specific business rules and processes, and seamless Facebook integration for social interactions,” Shamblee says.

“Now consumers will be able to shop, compare, and ask opinions from friends and family, all within this increasingly important – and trusted — social media community,” he adds.

These transaction-based apps for Facebook are:

• xChange Automotive’s Dealer App: On an auto dealership’s Facebook page, this app enables Facebook members the ability to schedule a service appointment, search and select a vehicle, price a vehicle, apply for credit and even submit trade information, all within the comfort and convenience of the Facebook community.

• xChange Automotive’s Auto Lender App: On an auto lender’s Facebook page, enables Facebook members to apply for loans and refinance, and helps lenders conquest business from competitors, all through the familiarity and popularity of Facebook and its viral marketing potency.

Profitable bridge to social transactions

xChange Automotive social media transaction apps  bridge the gap between what businesses think consumers want to do on social media sites and what consumers say they want.

“By an overwhelming majority, consumers want to purchase tangible products and services from businesses that offer them real incentives to do so,” Shamblee says. “Yet businesses continue to think social consumers are primarily interested in research and opinions, whereas social media is a customer point-of-sale acquisition and lifecycle management opportunity,” he adds.

A recent IBM white paper, “From Social Media to Social CRM,” echoes this perspective. “Consumers say getting tangible value is the top reason they interact with a company (via social media).”

“These xChange Automotive call-to-action apps enable Facebook members to transact business with the companies they engage with on Facebook,” notes Danny Pagan, CTO, xChange Automotive.

“Now dealers and lenders can connect with consumers in the environment consumers prefer today, where members also get other members’ opinions about their car-buying and loan-shopping decisions,” Pagan says.

“In most every way, this is like having trusted advisors at the member’s side as they shop — and a way for the member to share that shopping experience with friends and family across the Facebook community,” Pagan adds.

A history of revenue and productivity creation

xChange Automotive is not a traditional listing website service provider. Rather, it is a transactional marketplace-application provider that creates revenue generating call-to-action and viral marketing applications. The company serves auto dealers, auto lenders, and auto remarketers online and via social media.

xChange Automotive’s marketplace applications create lifecycle relationships with online shoppers and social media members, a “cradle-to-grave” relationship with them and their car.

The xChange Automotive product development and management team offers the marketplace an abundance of automotive intellectual property, social media business knowledge and work process experience. This includes more than 20 years’ experience in designing and building auto-industry business systems, from CRM apps to Cloud DMS systems to web-based consumer-facing transaction apps.

Drives new business

Auto dealers and auto lenders featuring these xChange Automotive apps on their Facebook pages will drive new business from one or more avenues:

• Message blasts to existing vehicle, service, and finance customers to direct them to a dealer- or lender-customized Facebook application-landing page. This page then uses graphics, video and/or content to help direct the customer through just a few steps to transact business with the dealer or lender
• Use Search Engine Marketing and Pay-Per-Click marketing on search engine and social media sites where nine of 10 consumers shop for vehicles and dealerships to guide consumers to the dealer or lender’s Facebook application landing page.
• Advertising through the lender’s or dealer’s own website and Facebook community, so all shoppers, members and followers will see them, comment themselves, and refer the opportunity to other Facebook members, which will create social media’s five-time ripple effect

“The potential to transact business from social media users is extensive,” Pagan says. “Social consumers engage with businesses on their terms, and while common wisdom believes consumers won’t do this in social media, they would if they could.

“Now, with these call-to-action apps for auto dealers’ and auto lenders’ Facebook home pages,” he adds, “consumers can engage and transact business with them, creating a true revenue channel from social media for auto dealers and lenders.”

To help it service dealer, lender and remarketer demand for these apps, xChange Automotive is looking to expand its network of distributors/resellers. Interested parties should contact info@xchangeautos.com.

About xChange Automotive

Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, xChange Automotive provides open web and social media marketplace applications for dealers, lenders and remarketers to sell cars, finance cars and provide car services to online shoppers. xChange Automotive is not a traditional listing website provider, but a transactional marketplace application provider that creates revenue generating “call-to-actions” for dealers, lenders and remarketers online and via social media. www.xchangeautos.com

About Cocoa Studio

Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, Cocoa Studio provides everything from web application development to web marketing services for comprehensive relationship management systems and/or transactional marketplace solutions. Cocoa Studio delivers complete design and build services for websites and marketplaces from scratch with incorporated third party services, to include fully integrated marketing and technology services for Craigslist, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr, MailChimp and more for your website and marketing requirements. www.thecocoastudio.com