WALTHAM, Mass. -

DealerRater said Wednesday that it recently reached a milestone in its dealer customer base and also hit a landmark for dealership evaluations on the site.

More specifically, the dealer review website said it signed on the 4,000th member to the Certified Dealer Program. Moreover, the site reached 400,000 store reviews posted by consumer customers.

Both of these numbers are up 100 percent from where they were nine months ago, officials indicated.

“We are excited to reach these two important milestones simultaneously,” said DealerRater president Chip Grueter. “With a larger community of Certified Dealers and the number of car dealer reviews spiking at nearly 30,000 each month, it’s a win-win for both consumers and dealers. Our Certified Dealers gain access to an ever expanding market of potential customers, while consumers can rely on a growing repository of third-party information when choosing a car dealership.”

The Certified Dealer Program can help stores boost their footprint online as well as their search engine optimization rankings, according to the company. It also provides dealers with point-of-sale tools, training and helps them craft a strong reputation management strategy.

“Given this recent surge in Certified Dealer partners, it’s evident that an increasing number of dealers are acknowledging the need for a comprehensive online reputation management strategy," Grueter added. 

“Certified Dealers understand that in addition to building positive reviews across the Web, they need to be able to truly manage and leverage their reviews to close more business and gain a competitive edge,” he continued.