Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq:ABTL), a leader in providing online consumer leads and marketing services to the auto industry, today announced the expansion of its New Car Leads Program to include Inventory-based leads powered by Vast.com, a leading automotive search and advertising platform. The expansion of the New Car Leads Program is the latest in a series of initiatives from Autobytel to generate higher lead conversion for its network of dealers and is specifically designed to help member dealers reach the online in-market car buyer of today.

“Autobytel is pleased to join with Vast to be one of the first to offer dealers new car leads from the growing number of in-market car buyers who are searching and requesting a vehicle from their existing inventory on the Web’s top automotive sites, such as AOL, CarDomain, and AutoMedia,” said Autobytel COO Mark Garms.

“With the specificity of these leads providing the opportunity for higher closing ratios and more efficient use of dealer resources, an industry shift to include Inventory-based, new car models is clearly on the horizon. We are proud that Autobytel is once again ahead of the curve and anticipate that this new program will provide significant benefits to our member dealers, while dramatically increasing their consumer reach.”

As part of Autobytel’s New Car Leads Program, the vehicle inventory of dealers will be automatically listed across the Vast.com network, which includes the inventory sections of leading automotive websites such as AOL Autos, Overstock Cars, and AutoMedia. Because the VIN number is included in each Inventory-based consumer lead transmitted to Autobytel dealers, they will know which specific vehicle in their inventory consumers are considering, and each Inventory-based lead is guaranteed to be exclusive. In addition, Autobytel’s Inventory-based new car leads will be processed through the company’s Quality Verification System® and will benefit from Autobytel’s multi-pronged lead follow-up treatments, including Rapid Response, Custom Messaging and Email Manager. The program is pay-for-performance, meaning that dealers only pay for the leads that they get.

Garms noted that dealers have been reaping the benefits of high-conversion, Inventory-based leads for some time through Autobytel’s Used Car Program and that this enhancement to the Autobytel’s new car lead program is a natural extension of that program’s success. Consumers have become so comfortable searching used car inventory online that they are now demanding the ability to search new car inventory, and this demand is expected to grow.

Vast.com, Inc. works within the auto, travel, and real estate industries to create online marketplaces for the world's most respected companies. Vast offers the leading search and advertising platform optimized to match buyers with ideal, available inventory and sellers with buyers who are interested in their unique products. The Vast network currently reaches over 15 million consumers per month.

About Autobytel

Autobytel Inc. (NASDAQ:ABTL), a leading automotive marketing services company, pioneered the automotive Internet when it launched autobytel.com in 1995. Since then, the company has helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers, and helped every major automaker market its brand online. Today, through its flagship website Autobytel.com^®, its network of automotive sites including Autoweb.com^®, AutoSite.com^®, Car.com^sm, CarSmart.com^®, CarTV.com^®, and MyRide.com,^® and its respected online partners, Autobytel continues its dedication to innovating the industry’s highest quality Internet programs to provide consumers with a comprehensive and positive automotive research and purchasing experience, and auto dealers, dealer groups and auto manufacturers with one of the industry’s most productive and cost-effective customer referral and marketing programs.

Autobytel’s New and Used Car Programs connect dealers, dealer groups and OEMs with a steady flow of serious, in-market car shoppers from Autobytel’s family of websites and other premium Internet brands, as well as providing a suite of value-added tools proven to help close those leads, including Rapid Response^sm, Custom Messaging^sm, Email Manager^sm, and LeadCall^sm.