Website Provider of the Year for Independent Dealers - Car Dealer Power 2020

11:08 am, September 30, 2020

Autoweb Design did the double taking highly commended as Website Provider of the Year for Independent Dealers, having also done so in the same category for franchised dealers.

Head of account management Jonathan Hutchins said what made the award extra special was the peer recognition.

He said: ‘It’s that industry-wide recognition that’s nice to get.’

He told how the Selby-based firm’s open-plan office had enhanced communication between departments and helped the business, even in a Covid-secure manner.

‘There are no barriers, everybody can talk to everybody, including the directors. It’s a real friendly feel to the business and we’re all pulling in the same direction.’

Head of digital marketing David Levett echoed that, as well as highlighting the broad canvas of skills offered by its team of some 35 people.

‘We don’t have a prescriptive approach. We’re very “What’s needed for the client and what works for the client?” rather than “This is our solution. If it works for you, great, if it doesn’t, well, tough.”

‘And that includes manufacturers as well. Everyone’s requirements are different.’

During the pandemic, Autoweb Design has helped dealers by offering deferred payments and free trials for certain products, as well as free webinars that were open to all and ended up being heavily oversubscribed – and all this obviously went down well with our readers.

We received lots of high praise for Autoweb Design, but what did the company itself think marked it out?

Hutchins was politely cautious in his reply, as he didn’t want to sound as if he was being negative about its rivals.

However, he said: ‘We have customers come to us because they want to be an individual rather than a number. That’s quoted by our clients.

‘One of our largest clients came to us for exactly that reason. They did not want to be just another cog in the wheel, they wanted to be recognised as an entity – which is what they get.’