ATLANTA -

As car shoppers continue to increasingly turn to their phones to search for a new ride, AutoTrader.com revealed this week it has launched an enhanced mobile site.

For the over 1 million consumers who visit the site each month from a mobile device, the company contends the new mobile offering offers “more advanced searching, sorting and viewing features.

“The revamped mobile site delivers an improved experience and helps shoppers perform the tasks they need the most when they’re on the go,” officials added.

And the new site also provides visitors with options including, location-based features, map views and the ability to share listings on Facebook.

This inclusion of social media in the sites features could increase dealer visibility on the networking site.  Additionally, AutoTrader.com’s findings also back the assertion that mobile usage in the car shopping process has increased.

In fact, company officials noted the number of unique visitors accessing AutoTrader.com from a mobile device has increased substantially year-over-year.

Moreover, AutoTrader.com’s mobile site has topped one million unique visitors every month since October 2010.

"There’s a new generation of shoppers among us, and their use of mobile devices is growing quickly," said Jose Puente, director of mobile products at AutoTrader.com.

"Mobile shoppers have different needs and expectations when they’re using their smartphones than when they’re using a computer, and the significant enhancements we made for the new mobile site were designed with those needs and expectations in mind,” he continued.

And just when are these shoppers accessing the mobile site?

“Site statistics from AutoTrader.com indicate that mobile usage for car shopping increases on the weekends, when people are less likely to be in front of a computer. These shoppers are further along in the car-shopping process, so they are primarily focused on finding specific vehicles and dealers or private sellers near them,” officials explained.

“Therefore, several of the enhancements to the mobile site centered on improving the search functionality and integrating location-based and map features, among others,” they added.

The company also highlighted in more detail what the new revamped site offers users: 

• More Search Options. “The mobile site now includes more search options, enabling shoppers to include preferences on engine, transmission, seller type, drive, doors, fuel, mileage, exterior color, body style, features and keywords.”

• New Sort Options. “Now shoppers will be able to sort their search results by a variety of criteria, including price, distance, mileage, year and make/model. “

• Location-Based Features. “Leveraging the GPS feature inherent in many of today’s smart phones, the new mobile site enables shoppers to use their current location rather than entering their zip code for each search. They can also take advantage of a default search radius that adapts to their location.”

• Map View for Search Results. “Shoppers using their mobile phones can view results in a map layout, so they can easily see which dealers or vehicles are closest to them.

• Access Recent Searches. Shoppers can now easily access their previous searches, as well as vehicles they’ve recently viewed.”

• Share Listings on Facebook. “The new mobile site makes it easier than ever for shoppers to share vehicle listings with their friends on Facebook.”

• Improved Photo Viewer. “Great vehicle pictures help create an emotional connection between shoppers and vehicles they’re considering, and with the mobile site’s enhanced photo display, great pictures will look even better. “

And AutoTrader.com has been in the mobile market since April 2010, when it launched its first mobile site. Then, the company released two mobile apps, an iPhone app in June 2011 and an Android app in October 2011.

"We’re proud of the growth that we’ve seen in the usage of our mobile site," Puente noted.

"For the millions of shoppers who access AutoTrader.com from mobile devices each year, these new features should be a welcomed addition to their car shopping experiences,” he concluded.