BEDFORD, Texas – Reflecting the increased demand for timely and relevant industry information, member services and consumer exposure, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) recently unveiled a major redesign of its website, www.ASAshop.org. The website, originally launched in 1995, now includes a reorganized format, innovative functionality and interactive content that provides a gateway for ASA members, industry professionals and consumers alike, the association says.
            
One of the major additions to ASA’s website is the new Communities section. Within the ASAshop.org Communities, current ASA members will have access to online forums, document libraries, wikis and blogs, allowing collaboration and communication between members, staff and volunteer leadership in a professional environment.
            
“We’re especially excited about the new Communities feature of the website,” said Ron Pyle, ASA’s president and chief staff executive. “It provides members, volunteers and staff the opportunity to work more closely together and share their wealth of knowledge in an easy-to-use and friendly environment.”
            
The ASAshop.org Communities will provide platforms for communication, including the ability for ASA members to create their own personal blogs, ask questions of their peers and the ASA staff in the forum area, and collaborate on documents and other materials via a member-only wiki area. In addition, the Communities section hosts a document library section, which will feature documents, video and audio files and images, providing exclusive resources for ASA members and their businesses. ASA’s division newsletters, Collision Repair Report and Mechanical Division Dispatch, have a new home in the Communities section as well.
            
In addition to its new look, ASA says the website was reorganized from the ground up to improve the site’s ease of use. The “ASA Membership” section is now divided into categorized listings, and the “Consumers” section includes vehicle care tips, free resources and the ASA Shop Locator.
            
ASA says that additional features will continue to roll out over the next few months, providing visitors and members with even more capabilities to research, communicate and collaborate.
            
“Since its inception, the ASA website has always been a vehicle to disseminate important information to the industry,” added Pyle. “The unveiling of this redesign effort is a reflection of the direction we are taking to continually offer our membership, and the industry as a whole, the relevant information they need.”