3rd Party Listings

[Alex Vetter]

How are the phone number captures for the lead sources?

I'll try to look at your images vs. others - but this seems to be about content vs. platform. If your phone numbers are localized or this seems to be a configuration issue.

 

[ChrisR]

Can you clarify?

We get a lot of trade leads, that are email only. How many of your cars.com leads have phone numbers?

 

[BillVaughnKMC]

We get a lot of trade leads, that are email only. How many of your cars.com leads have phone numbers?

Runs about 75%.

 

[Micah Birkholz]

I am going to have to agree with George in part on this. After evaluating many dealers 3rd party data in comparison to SEM spends, 3rd party marketplaces in many cases provider a stronger ROI. If you are looking at "leads" calls, emails from Autotrader alone you are missing a large value prop. Most of the 3PP also drive highly engaged traffic to your website, this spill over can result in many cases double the leads you are seeing in the crm from the 3PP and are instead listed as "website" leads in the CRM. I would strongly suggest look at the data that exists below the crm and 3pp reports to get a clearer view.

 

[Ryan Everson]

I am going to have to agree with George in part on this. After evaluating many dealers 3rd party data in comparison to SEM spends, 3rd party marketplaces in many cases provider a stronger ROI. If you are looking at "leads" calls, emails from Autotrader alone you are missing a large value prop. Most of the 3PP also drive highly engaged traffic to your website, this spill over can result in many cases double the leads you are seeing in the crm from the 3PP and are instead listed as "website" leads in the CRM. I would strongly suggest look at the data that exists below the crm and 3pp reports to get a clearer view.

Agreed. Too many SEO and SEM vendors play on a dealer's desire to "stick it" to the third-party sites. When in all reality, third-party sites often have a better ROI than what most SEO and SEM vendors offer.

 

[BillVaughnKMC]

Thanks, guys. I'm starting to feel like I'm not crazy now.

 

[Ryan Everson]

Thanks, guys. I'm starting to feel like I'm not crazy now.

Yeah, it's cool to say you canceled third parties but it doesn't always make sense.

You have to have a solid strategy in place:
SEM = too expensive for high funnel
SEO = takes too long and no guarantee
FB Ads = this is where I'd place my bet

 

[BillVaughnKMC]

I just remembered, didn't @Jeff Kershner say he has dropped some 3rd Party listings? I am vaguely remembering AT specifically.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

I just remembered, didn't @Jeff Kershner say he has dropped some 3rd Party listings? I am vaguely remembering AT specifically.

We dropped ATC and CarGurus couple years back. ATC is a solid service and CarGurus delivers the leads but they pissed me off and I’ve never looked back. It really boils down to having a smaller select inventory selection. Paying for too many listing sites throws my cost per sale out of wack. So for now, I stick with Cars.com.

 

[Alex Vetter]

We dropped ATC and CarGurus couple years back. ATC is a solid service and CarGurus delivers the leads but they pissed me off and I’ve never looked back. It really boils down to having a smaller select inventory selection. Paying for too many listing sites throws my cost per sale out of wack. So for now, I stick with Cars.com.

Appreciate the nod.
Couple of important points - CG runs a race to the bottom the incentivizes you to lower prices to climb the search results. Then they charge you more for the privilege.

Most forget they also bid on your actual inventory and sell your traffic back to you. This steals your SEO thunder and is another gimmick and game. Also reminds me of the tiered listing packages of AT.


Aside from running a level playing field, that doesn’t position the dealer as distrustful or Cars.com sources the vast majority of our traffic directly and organically - so we don’t bid up search and we generate this via high quality editorial content. That is why you see us generating the majority of our traffic directly and organically. And thus - giving the dealer incremental sales vs playing arbitrage.

I think I just violated DR rules of engagement. My bad.