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Autobytel Inc. (NASDAQ: ABTL) is an automotive media and marketing services company in the United States. Located in Irvine, California, U.S.A. Autobytel Inc. was founded in 1995 by Pete Ellis, a Southern California businessman well-known for the high amount of television advertisements for his dealerships located in Southgate, California throughout the 1980s. Autobytel was the first Internet company to advertise during the Super Bowl in 1996.^[2] On April 25, 2007 Autobytel was named one of California's 15 best technology innovators.^[3] Currently, Autobytel owns and operates Car.com, AutoSite.com, AutoWeb.com, CarSmart.com, Autobytel.com and MyRide.com.

Through Autobytel’s marketing network, the company provides both automotive dealers and manufacturers with brand and product marketing opportunities.

Autobytel offers automotive dealers tools to manage their business. Specific products include: the Rapid Response program, designed to connect dealers to online customers via phone, as well as the Email Manager program, which manages long-term email campaigns on behalf of the dealership. Additionally, LeadCall a live call program that sets in-dealership appointments and scores customer readiness to buy for auto dealers.

Autobytel also offers the AutoReach Ad Network, an automotive ad network of third party Web publishers visited by millions of in-market automotive consumers. It creates a unique opportunity for advertisers seeking to reach this new Web 2.0 age of automotive consumers and personifies Autobytel’s focus of providing leading-edge automotive solutions for today’s evolving web-savvy customers. ^[4]

References

• Patsuris, Penelope (March 17, 2000). "Autobytel Succeeds Globally". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2000/03/17/feat.html. Retrieved 2008-05-05.  

• Weintraub, Arlene (July 9, 2001). "Make or Break for Autobytel. A Web site it's testing for GM could be the new business model the sputtering company needs". BusinessWeek. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_28/b3740627.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-05.  

• Kaye, Kate (March 24, 2008). "Autobytel Targets Newspaper Advertisers with Data-Driven Ads". The ClickZ Network. http://www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3628850. Retrieved 2008-05-05.  

• "DMNews spends a few minutes with Mark Garms, SVP, dealer operations and strategy at Autobytel Inc.". DMNews. March 17, 2008. http://www.dmnews.com/DMNews-spends-a-few-minutes-with-Mark-Garms-SVP-dealer-operations-and-strategy-at-Autobytel-Inc/article/107942/. Retrieved 2008-05-05.  

External links

• Autobytel Official site
• Autobytel Inc. - Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006
• "Autobytel Receives 'Official Honoree' Distinction for the 12th Annual Webby Awards. Newly Launched MyRide.com Recognized by "Oscars of the Internet"". centredaily.com (State College, Pennsylvania). April 14, 2008. http://www.centredaily.com/business/technology/story/523769.html. Retrieved 2008-05-05.