By Alissa Arford-Leyl
Shop Site of the Month
Greg's Japanese Auto - Puget Sound Region, Wa.
www.gregs.com
This site has a professional appearance along with detailed information, including an Online Estimate Request form.
Web Wise
Flashy Manufacturer Sites
The new 2000 car models are on the road and armed with flashy new features for the next millennium. Automobile manufacturers are also adding the latest high-tech features to their company Web sites.
Macromedia's Shockwave and Flash plug-ins (http://www.macromedia.com) and Apple's Quicktime software (http://www.quicktime.com) have made multimedia an exciting new feature on many Web sites. Resembling a cross between a PowerPoint presentation and a television commercial, these clips are usually the first thing you see when you go to a Web site. When the clip is done running you are automatically sent to the company's home page.
The majority of car manufacturer Web sites are using this and other new technologies to complement their print and television advertisements. Honda's Web site uses JavaScripts to allow visitors to customize and view their car choices. You can choose the color, trim and external/internal accessories. If you click on spoiler, a spoiler is instantly added to the picture, with no reloading necessary. At the end of the session, a price list is generated showing the options you've selected along with installation fees, MSRP, destination charges and finance options.
Many of the sites listed above have impressive multimedia openings to their Web sites. Others have unique uses of JavaScript rollovers and other high-tech features. Before you visit the sites, be sure to download the appropriate plug-ins.
These sites are best viewed with the latest versions of Netscape Navigator (http://www.netscape.com) and Microsoft Internet Explorer (http:// www.microsoft.com).
Net Numbers
"Local retailers will see their share of online sales decline to just 6 percent by 2003, while national players extend their offline dominance to the Internet."
Source: Forrester Research ( http://www.forrester.com)
ASA Web Ways
Online Registration
ASA has online registration available for all of its events. Register with ease on secure Web pages and alleviate the hassle of filling out forms by hand and returning them by mail. Aside from the convenience of registering online, you will benefit from the timeliness factor, being immediately added to all lists. Online registration also allows for quick and easy deciphering of your registration information, whether it is downloaded directly into our databases or entered by hand.
You can register for CARS '99 at the ASA Web site in the ASA Events section. CARS will be held at the Flamingo Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas, Nov. 4-6.
At the NACE '99 Web site (http://www.NACE-99.com), online housing and attendee registration is available in the NACE '99 section. Last year, more than 1,000 NACE attendees from around the world registered online. Along with registration opportunities, all details of NACE '99 are available at the site including a current list of exhibitors with their booth numbers and product categories.
Note: Web sites listed in Net Worth do not serve as endorsements of the sites themselves or of any companies or products associated with these sites. In addition, ASA does not verify the factual accuracy and does not necessarily share the opinions expressed by those within these other sites.
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