Dealership Marketing

2007 AutoTrader Products

Autotrader_logo
AutoTrader introduces their 2007 products and Chip Perry writes a few words about it.

New Solutions for Dealers at AutoTrader.com By Chip Perry

“As customers of AutoTrader.com, you know the Internet is no longer new, and neither are online classifieds. But we constantly work to take advantage of the latest technologies to make it even easier for you to work with us and for consumers to find your cars. This means developing functions and tools to eliminate information inefficiencies during the car-shopping experience and to meet consumers’ demand for rich media experiences, detailed information on vehicles and the most up-to-date prices and offerings on the vehicles for which they are shopping.

Autotrader.com annually delivers new products and services to you to more effectively drive qualified buyers to your dealerships. The suite of 2007 dealer solutions provides you with the most comprehensive means to market yourself to in-market shoppers since we launched our site nearly ten years ago. This year’s dealer solutions include a multimedia center, vehicle brochure, reduced price indicator, integrated vehicles valuation and new vehicle specials. The new features improve the site’s “find Your Dealer” function, an industry-vest service for locating YOU.

Through a new multimedia center within your Dealer community, you now have the ability to upload audio-visual components- everything from your TV and radio commercials to virtual tours of your showroom. Posting this online allows more consumers to view your other means of advertising on-demand. Your radio and TV commercials help introduce your dealership and vehicles to viewers and listeners, and now they can continue to do so to the additional 11 million monthly shoppers who visit AutoTrader.com.

Do you have a brochure about your dealership? A brochure for each car on your lot? A customized brochure for each customer? To avoid clutter and disparate paperwork for car-shoppers, we’re excited to share our new vehicle brochure with you. This customized collateral can be used for both used and certified pre-owned vehicles, and includes pictures of the vehicles and/or your dealership, information on a manufacturer’s certified pre-owned program, maps, directions to your dealership, and an industry-first capability to include a Carfax vehicle history report. All in one customized document consumers can print out in the comfort of their home.

We know you often reduce prices on cars that have been on the lot longer than several weeks. But when the ads are posted online, how do you alert shoppers of lower-priced vehicles to help you move more inventory? Well, to solve that problem, we have another key offering—the reduced price indicator. It notifies shoppers of a reduction in a particular vehicle’s price and eliminates them having to hunt and peck for recently-discounted vehicles. Right next to the vehicle’s listing price is an orange label, “Reduced!”

Finally, to continue our strides toward providing all the resources a car-shopper might need, AutoTrader.com is now also offering an integrated vehicle valuation function with your listings through NADAguides.com. This means you receive more informed and price-aware shoppers, and at the same time this give consumer’s confidence about how much their car is worth.

Even with all of these changes, we continue to look ahead and think, “What’s next? What else can be done to maximize the value of dealerships’ online advertising dollars?” To give you a sneak preview, next month AutoTrader.com will be the first to introduce new vehicle specials to you. This new function will highlight in real-time your specials, such as current and time-sensitive incentives on particular vehicles, such as rebates, coupons and special financing offers. Consumers can even receive e-mails to notify them of your vehicle specials and offers. The new vehicle specials were designed to bring the feel of the Sunday newspaper’s automotive advertising section online. Keep an eye out for it!

I have confidence that all of these new enhancements will help consumers cut through the clutter, get your vehicles closer to them and higher up on their car-shopping list, and get them onto your showroom floor.”

Any Comments?

Founder of DealerRefresh - 20+ Years of dealership Sales, Management, Training, Marketing and Leadership.
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Hi Chip,

Like other Autotrader.com products, the new stuff is just as great. Unfortunately though, ahead of most dealerships comprehension.

More importantly I’d like to comment on your troops that are out in the battlefield everyday, and how many not just sell the number one online automobile advertising service, but go above and beyond the call of duty to educate, assist, and consult dealerships to prove how beneficial Autotrader.com is to them.

Sometime ago at a dealership in rural Dixon, IL, I inherited an internet department that sold 3 cars a month. With no CRM/ILM/Vehicle Management tool, just a camera, cell phone, computer, and Autotrader.com, the first month I sold 15 vehicles. Only being in the automotive world for a total of 3 months, did I figure it all out by myself in one month?

From there I was recruited by a larger dealer group up the road that unfortunately was not accepting to any type of internet/website advertising despite many individual’s efforts. Needless to say I am not there anymore, and since have taken the career opportunity of a lifetime (not a job when you love what you do) to represent and consult for the most cutting-edge, automotive CRM software company in the country. Proud I am, but…

Did I get to this position all by myself? Did you, as CEO of the 7th largest online advertising company in the world, achieve that accomplishment without the support and knowledge of others around you? I believe the most successful in any business surround themselves with the likeminded. For me that was your area rep, Maria Green.

Because of Maria Green going above and beyond the call of duty to educate & assist me on your product to show how dealerships can utilize it to sell more vehicles, and even though I’m not at a store to sign a contract, I now encourage Autotrader.com as an essential for every dealership I visit across the country.

Great product yes, but nothing without the troopers like Maria in the everyday battlefield making it a success.

Jeff Larsen

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    Jeff Kershner
  • March 4, 2007
Jeff, this is what I'm talking about!! Thanks for the comments!! You are so right. I have worked with 4 different AutoTrader Reps in the last 5 years and there are many out there pounding the pavement, getting the word out and showing the dealers what it takes to get the job done (Unfortunately some of those reps are showing my local competitive dealers; DealerRefresh.com, and has actually given me a disadvantage in my local market area. BUT you know...that's OK with me!! Cause I'm here to take ALL of this to the next level). I know I'm sometimes I'm very hard on AutoTrader BUT I also recognize that they are moving with the time whether or not those "times" are ahead of the auto dealers or not.

Thanks for your comments Jeff!!

-Jeff
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