Cobalt: Car Buyers 3X More Likely to Click Through on Mobile Than Web

In the wake of GM’s bankruptcy, auto dealers are being pitched mobile applications and other technology that would steer likely customers their way. Cars.com reports success with its mobile app, and now Cobalt, a major provider of tech and marketing solutions for dealers, is out with an app as well.

Cobalt’s feeling is that mobile users represent a better cut of the car buying public than typical Internet users. And they’re ready to buy — especially at dealerships for upscale brands, such as Cadillac and Infiniti.

Specifically, Cobalt Mobile focuses on one-click calls to action, easy-to-browse inventory, one click-to-call and point-to-point directions. The vendor’s research shows that mobile users are “nearly three times more likely to click-through to an ‘Hours and Directions’ page than Internet shoppers using standard dealer Web sites. “As a result, Cobalt Mobile steers shoppers in the final stages of their shopping process to nearby dealerships.”

In addition to acting as a customer tool, dealers are said to use the mobile service as a portable inventory sales tool.