Nine percent of total Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle sales in 2004 were generated through online direct marketing referrals to franchise dealerships, accounting for 210,000 vehicles sold, according to FordDirect.
A joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and 3,900 participating dealers, FordDirect based in Dearborn, MI generated 1.5 million referrals for new vehicle shoppers last year. That’s in addition to referrals for used vehicles and tracking telemarketing calls.
The FordDirect.com Web site generates more than 3.5 million online visitors per month. It also generates leads from other auto-related Web portals and search engines.
Several executives from Ford including Steve St. Andre, president of FordDirect, announced the results of the firm’s online direct marketing efforts at the National Automobile Dealers Association Convention.
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