Transforming the Automotive Website Builder Experience

Reimagining Dealer Freedom and Manufacturer Control Through Modular, Data-Driven Design

The Challenge:

CDK Global, the largest automotive CMS platform in the U.S., faced a core challenge: how to maintain manufacturer brand control while giving dealers the freedom to create flexible, modern, and engaging websites. The legacy system relied on rigid, template-based structures that restricted innovation and made dynamic content management nearly impossible. As web technologies evolved and customer expectations shifted, CDK needed a solution that could satisfy both ends of the ecosystem.

Our Approach:

Brand Heist collaborated with CDK to transform their platform—introducing modular design tools, dynamic content architecture, and real-time customization to empower dealers while protecting manufacturer standards.

1. Modular Website Architecture: Cards & Decks

   • Shifted from static templates to a modular CMS framework.

   • Introduced “Cards” (small, flexible content blocks) and “Decks” (groupings of cards) to enable drag-and-drop page customization.

   • Empowered dealers to design visually rich pages within controlled brand parameters.

     
     

2. Dynamic Inventory Experience

   • Redefined inventory as a flexible dataset, enabling simplified page layouts and dynamic car detail views.

   • Ensured responsive design functionality for all inventory pages—optimized across devices.

   • Enabled inventory-specific customization based on dealer and customer preferences.

     
     

3. Advanced Theme Flexibility

   • Unified content markup allowed designers to build thousands of theme variations while maintaining consistency.

   • Provided designers freedom to create sleek, modern websites that worked across browsers and screen sizes.

     
     

4. Real-Time Content Customization

   • Replaced static content with a data-driven rendering engine.

   • Enabled marketers to update content dynamically based on:

     • User behavior

     • Browser and device type

     • Customer location

     • Pricing, vehicle data, and promos

   • Allowed for personalized, high-conversion user journeys.

     
     

The Results:

• Enhanced Dealer Satisfaction

  • Dealers gained creative control via the Cards & Decks system.

  • Easier inventory management and page creation.

    
    

• Improved Manufacturer Oversight

  • Brand integrity remained protected through built-in design constraints.

  • Theming systems allowed consistent brand application across thousands of dealer sites.

    
    

• Design & User Experience Innovation

  • Designers embraced responsive capabilities to build high-performing, engaging experiences.

  • Limitless design configurations with consistent branding.

    
    

• Marketing Impact & Conversion

  • Real-time personalization increased relevance and engagement.

  • Significant lift in conversion rates due to dynamic, tailored experiences.

    
    

• Overall Business Impact

  • 10x increase in user engagement across sites.

  • Stronger alignment and satisfaction between dealers and manufacturers.

    
    

Why Brand Heist? We specialize in building scalable, user-centric digital ecosystems that meet the needs of complex, multi-stakeholder environments. With CDK Global, we delivered a transformative platform evolution—bringing modern design, marketing flexibility, and operational control to the heart of the automotive web experience.

Looking to Reimagine Your Platform? Whether you're leading in automotive, SaaS, or any high-scale service model, Brand Heist helps you break the template and build something smarter.ry, drive traffic, and create loyal fans.