More than 440,000 mobile sites and over 500,000 mobile applications exist today, according to ChannelNet, and the automotive industry is leading the pack.

For many successful car dealers, mobile devices have made buying and selling cars simpler. A whopping 38 percent of car searches for a vehicle are done from mobile phones.

?Why is it imperative for automotive companies to have a souped-up presence on mobile?? said Paula Tompkin, CEO of ChannelNet, San Francisco, CA. ?To paraphrase Willie Sutton, because that's where the people are.

?Sometime in the next few years at most, more people will access the Internet via a mobile device versus a desktop/laptop PC,? she said. ?This will have tremendous implications for every business' digital marketing strategy.?

Multichannel approach
About 90 percent of car shoppers worldwide end up at a dealership only after researching online.

Accordingly, auto manufacturers and dealerships have focused their Web resources to attract customers for the sale.

However, increasingly dealership Web sites are doing more to stay in touch with customers after they drive off the lot. Mobile devices are particularly useful when designing customer experiences that keep customers coming back throughout the vehicle life cycle.

A well-developed multichannel approach is a starting point for a customer-dealer relationship that extends beyond the purchase.

On a mobile device, ongoing interactions become easy and convenient: service alerts, maintenance scheduling, lease status are prime candidates for mobile-enabled tasks.

If a customer is on the road and in need of repairs, locating the nearest dealership or service center is critical. By keeping in touch and readily accessible throughout the vehicles? life, manufacturers and dealerships build relationships with customers who will be more likely to return for the next purchase, according to ChannelNet.

Making the case for mobile
ChannelNet found that more than 23 percent of all auto shoppers use mobile during the car buying process. 

And, more 40 percent of mobile searches occur when the person is standing on the dealer lot.

Also important to note is that 94 percent of those who receive a text message will open the message, even promotional text messages.

Mobile shoppers are rated 300 percent more likely to buy within 60 days compared to other shoppers.

?Inventory search has been an early, often used function, but mobile devices are really going to drive time sensitive offers, pro active customer notifications, mobile coupons and how business is done in general,? Ms. Tompkin said.
  
?A mobile Web site/app is another, and in some cases first touch point for your customers,? she said. ?Branding, utility and functionality are critical. It allows a shopper instant, wherever and whenever access to you, your business and the products and services you offer.

?Development of mobile sites/apps needs to be considered concurrently with all other facets of a digital strategy, not as an afterthought. The rapid growth of mobile device usage changes the timing, content and presentation of messaging delivered to your cutomers or shoppers.?

We asked Ms. Tompkin for her input on the applications versus mobile Web debate.

?In my opinion, apps are a silo technology, and the vast majority of apps, something over 90 percent, are not used 20 days after they're downloaded,? Ms. Tompkin said. ?I think businesses in general benefit more from the mobile Web route as development costs are lower, the market size is bigger and they are much easier for search engines to find.?