Drop the Hammer on 3rd Party Listings
Imagine you walk into your neighborhood hardware store – let’s call it Joe’s Hardware and Lumber. Joe’s has been around for decades – family owned, involved in local charity, and a brand that has a strong local reputation. You’ve got a remodel project going on and you’re in need of a new hammer. In the …
Why Can’t Your Classifieds Site Perform Like CarGurus?
Why Can’t Your Classifieds Site Perform Like CarGurus? To be clear: CarGurus (NASDAQ: CARG) is not perfect. In fact, dealers have plenty of legitimate issues with the company (I’ll detail a couple here). But, when it matters, CarGurus more often than not delivers results for dealers. CarGurus, you see, easily passes the DISC Test (Does …
AutoTrader’s Social Media Survey is a Total Sham
They say that if you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything. In the case of AutoTrader’s recent “study” about car shopping habits, it’s not just a matter of torturing the data. It’s about coercing the study to produce a result that puts into a negative light the biggest threat to their …
AutoCheck Vehicle History Reports to Appear on AutoTrader Starting September 2013
With the current turmoil around CarFax, major challenges it faces, and being sued by dealers, it’s quite possible they could be loosing some of their exclusivity on popular vehicle classified websites. AutoTrader.com announced their partnership to start including CarFax’s competitor AutoCheck Vehicle History Reports. This is great news for dealers using AutoCheck and Experian, the company behind …
Are You Adding Actual Photos and Prices to Your New Car Listings?
Are actual photos of your New Car Inventory necessary? AutoTrader.com says YES!! According to AutoTrader.com, using the standard AutoTrader.com ad format, adding actual photos and prices increased the VDP views by approximately 140% and increased shopper interaction by 110%. I’ve been including actual photos and custom comments for our new inventory for other a year …
An Open Letter to Mark O’Neil – Chairman and CEO of DealerTrack
Dear Mark O’Neil, You are the Chairman and CEO of DealerTrack with a fascinating bio that includes being President of an Auto Dealer Group, you’ve worked at Intel, you co-founded CarMax and you’re Director at DealerTire.com. It’s quite clear you have a nose for opportunity and with your Harvard MBA, you know how to leverage …
AutoTrader Buys KBB
AutoTrader Buys Kelly Blue Book (Kbb) Just as the press was cooling down on the announcement of AutoTrader buys vAuto, AutoTrader.com turns around and has bought Kbb.com (Kelly Blue Blook). The rumors have been flying around for awhile now with several other companies/investors interested – including our beloved investors of Zag.com and TrueCar. Cliff Banks …
Autotrader.com Cross-Shopping Data Among Saab Shoppers
Autotrader.com cross-shopping data shows BMW top cross-shopped vehicle among Saab shoppers. ATLANTA – December 18, 2009 – With the announcement today that GM will shutter its Saab division, BMW may be a winner, according to cross-shopping data from AutoTrader.com, the ultimate automotive marketplace. Thirty-three percent of Saab shoppers also looked at BMW vehicles while researching …