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FOR RELEASE: April 14, 2000 CONTACT(S): Suzanne Kane GM BUYPOWER.COM ENTERS ITS SECOND YEAR OF SERVICE WITH NEW WEB SITE DESIGN AND FEATURES
Los Angeles - GM BuyPower.com, GM's comprehensive and industry-leading online automotive buying service, today launched a new Web site design to mark the beginning of its second year. "In the fast-moving Internet, it's important for General Motors to continue to reach out to consumers with a strong automotive buying site packed with functionality," said Rick Lee, general manager, e-GM North America. "With today's new site launch, GM BuyPower.com reinforces GM's commitment to compete on the Internet." Extensively consumer tested, the new design is more than just another iteration of the original. While the new site, located at www.gmbuypower.com, retains all of the previous version's popular features, the redesign emphasis centers on speed and performance. "Our primary goal with the redesign is to ensure consumers are always in control of the car buying experience," said Leo Drew, GM BuyPower director of operations. "Whether they're just beginning their online research or know exactly what they want and just want to get the dealer's best price on a vehicle, the consumer controls the process every step of the way. "At the same time, we've provided a minimum of clicks and easy navigation so they're never lost, never overwhelmed by information," said Drew. GM BuyPower worked closely with the Los Angeles office of Zentropy Partners (www.zentropypartners.com) to create a user experience that dramatically improves the site architecture. Besides a lean, fast site, GM BuyPower offers powerful tools - unique in the industry -- to assist the consumer in their vehicle purchase decision. These tools are always available to the consumer, no matter where they are in the process:
Another addition is "GM BuyPower News," a monthly online consumer magazine with news and stories about GM cars and trucks and the people who design, market, build and sell them. In case a consumer wants personal assistance navigating the site, help is readily available in multiple ways: through the Help section, an online tutorial, through email to info@gmbuypower.com or a phone call to a consultant at the GM BuyPower Call Center at (800) 462-8976. GM BuyPower offers consumers a seamless integration between the virtual car lot and GM dealerships - a true clicks and bricks service. Over 6,300 participating GM dealers - 83% of the entire GM dealer body - ensure wide geographic coverage. And GM BuyPower delivers the fastest response rate to consumer messages of any auto buying service with over 91% of consumers contacted within the first 24 hours. "Other online buying sites tout their services as if they're an agent for the consumer," Drew said. "Consumers are beginning to understand that many of these buying services only pass their name on to a dealer who purchased their 'lead' and may or may not have the car or truck the consumer wants. "With GM BuyPower, consumers make the choice of how, when, where, and with whom they want to shop and buy. And, they can send electronic messages directly to the trained and certified GM BuyPower manager at the dealer they've chosen on the exact vehicle they want. They're guaranteed a quick response and a more streamlined buying process. That's a very powerful consumer promise, and there's nothing like it in the industry," Drew said. Since GM BuyPower.com's initial launch March 10, 1999, nearly 9 million unique visits have been logged with consumers spending an average of 18 minutes online. In March, 2000, consumer unique visits topped 1.1 million. Inventory search is by far the most popular feature, followed by financial tools, applicable incentives and online credit applications. In coming months, GM BuyPower will debut co-branded sites with its previously announced alliance partners to provide additional access to GM BuyPower content and functionality: America Online, Inc., Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds. "Everything we do, from a development or creative standpoint, centers on consumers' wants and needs," Drew said. "GM BuyPower.com is expandable, so we can plug in new tools as consumers demand them and technology is available." About GM BuyPower About e-GM |
