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AutoTrader.com buys vAuto - rumor says
- Thread starter Jeff Kershner
- Start date
- Jan 12, 2011
- 13
- 3
- First Name
- Dennis
There are many more acquisitions to come. Nearly every company selling online marketing products to auto dealers is for sale. This was the exit strategy for vAuto and nearly everyone else. ADP, Google, eBay, and Microsoft are the most obvious exceptions.
On its own, this is neither good nor bad for dealers. The leading questions for dealers will always be how to measure value and hold vendors accountable.
Very few dealers know their total cost per Vehicle Details Page (VDP) or Search Results Page (SRP) for the various listing products they buy. Some of the worst values are from local websites carrying listings.
I can look at a handful of numbers on an AutoTrader.com or Cars.com report and get a very accurate reading on the value received and what can be done to improve that value. This is not rocket science. I created a free tool for dealers to download for exactly this purpose. http://revenueguru.com/content/revenueguru-toolbo...
None of the acquisition news, now or in the future, changes the way value is measured and vendors are held accountable. It is interesting but not actionable. Dale works hard to help dealers understand how to get full value from listing products. Whether or not a listings company buys vAuto has no impact on his logic or the need to put it to work.
On its own, this is neither good nor bad for dealers. The leading questions for dealers will always be how to measure value and hold vendors accountable.
Very few dealers know their total cost per Vehicle Details Page (VDP) or Search Results Page (SRP) for the various listing products they buy. Some of the worst values are from local websites carrying listings.
I can look at a handful of numbers on an AutoTrader.com or Cars.com report and get a very accurate reading on the value received and what can be done to improve that value. This is not rocket science. I created a free tool for dealers to download for exactly this purpose. http://revenueguru.com/content/revenueguru-toolbo...
None of the acquisition news, now or in the future, changes the way value is measured and vendors are held accountable. It is interesting but not actionable. Dale works hard to help dealers understand how to get full value from listing products. Whether or not a listings company buys vAuto has no impact on his logic or the need to put it to work.
Vauto is a joke. Nothing like paying to have someone tell me to slash my pricing, sell more cars but make no money, but yet they are guaranteed their subscription, all because they "keep an eye" on my competition. Crazy thing is, everyone feels he is the best salesman around with a great idea! At the end of the day. Vauto wins no matter what anyones numbers are.
Timothy...Timothy...Timothy...V-Auto doesn't tell you to slash your prices. Unless of course you are not very good at buying your inventory. V-Auto is helping you succeed in today's ultra competitive market. If you aren't making money, it's because you aren't acquiring the right inventory for the right price. As a matter of fact, it sounds like you need V-Auto.
Just got a confirmation that this has happened. Should be seeing some sort of press release soon.
✨ AI Highlights
The thread started as an unconfirmed rumor about AutoTrader.com acquiring vAuto, with an anonymous vAuto source initially denying it, before a forum member confirmed the deal was done ahead of an official press release. Alongside the vAuto speculation, a report surfaced that Kelley Blue Book was also up for sale with AutoTrader named as a lead bidder, prompting broader discussion about widespread M&A activity across automotive vendor space. A key insight from Dennis Galbraith was that dealer-focused acquisitions are neither inherently good nor bad — what matters most is whether dealers can measure vendor value effectively.
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