When we look at texting as it pertains to the car business, it's easy to see that the mobile revolution has people letting their fingers do the talking. It's a method of communication that is becoming the primary way for millions of people in North America. How does a dealership translate this trend into lead generation on their website?

We're already seeing many dealers take advantage of it when it comes to working with leads, but generating leads through texting is tough. It runs into many roadblocks, so an alternative is needed. This is where the similarities with website chat come into play.

Chat is like texting in many ways. It's real-time communication that uses typed words rather than voice and mimics the same type of conversational interface that people get with texting. It's a method that is becoming more popular on websites; our clients are seeing more chat interactions now than every before. The numbers are growing faster than the growth in website traffic itself.

Everyone from the millennials entering into the car buying market to the older generations who are starting to embrace texting are finding that chat is a great way to "text" with businesses like car dealers.

If you are a believer in the benefits of texting as a communication tool with prospects, you should view chat as a communication tool that transitions website visitors into prospects. We have seen the shift and tremendous growth in our segment of the industry. We encourage dealers to see what it can do for them.

It isn't just logical to see the similarities between chat and texting. Dealers that take advantage of these similarities can get an edge over their competitors as a result.