WALTHAM, Mass. -

DealerRater — a website designed to connect dealers and consumers — revealed earlier this week that it has rolled out a site specifically tailored for the Canadian market.

The portal lets Canadian car shoppers search for dealers in Canada as well as read or post store reviews, giving dealerships a “simple and effective conduit to represent the dealership’s brand and experience," as one dealer put it.

The original site debuted in 2002 and officials noted that it has seen record gains in both reviews and visitors during the last two years.

What’s more, the number of Canadian dealers participating has climbed 3,711 percent in the last year, while Canadian reviews have jumped 1,342 percent, officials contend.

There is also the DealerRater Certified Dealer Program. This is a both a certification program and a reputation-management tool that can help dealers connect with shoppers and emphasize their quality service commitment, officials noted.

Offering some dealer perspective, Mitch Gallant — who is the Internet department manager of Capital Ford Lincoln, the first Saskatchewan store to become a
DealerRater Certified Dealer — had this to say: "DealerRater gives a simple and effective conduit to represent the dealerships brand and experience through a rating online.

“As a Certified Dealer, we now have a tool to focus on not only building reviews but sharing them through our website, RSS feeds and staff pages,” he added.

DealerRater president Chip Grueter chimed in, noting: “Our new Canada site addresses the immediate need for auto consumers across Canada to be able to easily research and find Canadian car dealers that are committed to quality customer service.

“With the launch of this Canada-specific dealer review site, we are excited to expand the DealerRater community and build lasting partnerships with additional Canadian dealerships,” he continued.

For more informatin, visit www.dealerrater.ca.