Women who want to get a good deal on a car frequently hear the same advice: take a man with you. Women often complain of not being taken seriously in the showroom, and on average, they pay $1,350 more than a man when buying a car. Women-drivers.com has come to empower women to deal.

The site’s mission is to “connect women and families to certified women-friendly car dealers.” To be certified, the dealerships must exhibit behaviors that merit the distinction. Female customers report their actual experiences with browsing, purchasing and servicing; a rating of 3.8 or above on a five-point scale earns the dealership its coveted certification.

Women directly purchase 54% of new cars and influence up to 80% of buying decisions. With an additional 65% of service work at dealers requested by women, it is estimated that female customers control $200 billion in spending. Women-drivers.com’s goal is to “transform the dealership experience for women by enriching and empowering their visit.”

The company was started by Pittsburgh resident Anne Fleming. Although she had 20 years of management experience, she hired a negotiator to seal the deal on her new BMW. When her male boss expressed shock at her reluctance to negotiate given her powerful position, she spoke with a business coach who introduced her to the author of the book Women Don’t Ask. Soon, the idea for the business was born, helping to increase women’s “automotive power.”

• Women-drivers.com was founded in 2008 in Pittsburgh and has a staff of four.
• Its initial focus is on Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, but it tracks 19,000 dealers across the US.
• Users must register, but the site is free to users age 16+ with a driver’s license.
• The company sells anonymous, collective results and descriptions of experiences to the auto industry, and dealers can purchase advertising on the site.

Using the site is simple. After signing in, women can click on the “write a dealer review” button, then select browsing, purchasing or servicing as the activity to rate. Ratings can be viewed by prospective customers to guide them to a female-friendly location. Members get a free e-newsletter sent to them, although content, including the founder’s blog, is available on the site without registering. Articles on the site focus on educating women on car models, negotiating savvy and car repair topics.

The concept has captured significant attention, with a feature on ABC news and local media coverage. With nearly three-fourths of users very or extremely likely to use the site again, women-drivers.com is revving up its engines for a national marketing campaign. Boosting their purchasing muscle to match their economic power, this is a company that has gone from zero to 60 in no time and is ready to climb the hills that lie ahead.