Cars.com & Autotrader.com Are you all really doing that great of #'s? v. Leads?

[yagoparamo]

This is a can of worms you probably don't want to open Yago.

He has stated several times that he is confused... but I'm smart and I can see the group getting together to defend its member so I will do the smart thing:

Joe, sorry I commented on your post. I was confused myself.

 

[ddavis]

We have started tracking source code from phone shoppers and here are the top three we are hearing on phone calls. This is when the salesperson asks, how did you hear about our dealership.

1. Dealer website
2. AutoTrader
3. Craigslist

As we collect more data and improve our reports, I will share more information.

Jerry, I believe that you are spot on in that. #4 on my list would be Cars.com but our closing ratio on Craigslist was terrible. I couldn't get inexpensive cars through the shop. The guys that were killing it on Craigslist were selling cheap stuff.
Much of the website traffic were click throughs from AutoTrader and Cars.com. We had different numbers for each source but the website got the credit.

 

[Jerry Thibeau]

To be successful with Craigslist your people need to be full blown Phone Ninjas! Dealers who post no price get more calls.

Yes Cars.com is 4th on our list.

 

[joe.pistell]

To be successful with Craigslist your people need to be full blown Phone Ninjas! Dealers who post no price get more calls.

Yes Cars.com is 4th on our list.

Grocery store, Hardware store, Gas station, it's all the same... Merchandising 101 never changes. "Make your product look different to catch your shoppers eye".


99 pictures are the norm.
Comments are the norm
Computer videos are the norm (on AT and cars)

I ask you... Where's your edge?

The shoppers eye becomes fatigued to the same ol sh!t. Put your opening shot in upside down and write OOPS on it, watch your CTR jump. For a while, our Cars.com rep was preaching how "turn your head lights on and you'll get more clicks!". Then, everyone had their head lights on and... you know what happened

PULLING THE PRICE CAN BE A LEGIT MERCHANDISING PLAN. It'll work... until it doesn't!

P.S. I keep pounding the table on the EXPLOSION of creativity that committed dealers would have if AT or Cars.com would give this concept a good hard look: http://forum.dealerrefresh.com/f21/autotrader-vs-cars-com-value-comparison-2340-5.html#post20657 It's all about making a memorable shopping experience and AT and Cars is LIFELESS. WIN - WIN.

 

[yagoparamo]

Grocery store, Hardware store, Gas station, it's all the same... Merchandising 101 never changes. "Make your product look different to catch your shoppers eye".


99 pictures are the norm.
Comments are the norm
Computer videos are the norm (on AT and cars)

I ask you... Where's your edge?

The shoppers eye becomes fatigued to the same ol sh!t. Put your opening shot in upside down and write OOPS on it, watch your CTR jump. For a while, our Cars.com rep was preaching how "turn your head lights on and you'll get more clicks!". Then, everyone had their head lights on and... you know what happened

PULLING THE PRICE CAN BE A LEGIT MERCHANDISING PLAN. It'll work... until it doesn't!

P.S. I keep pounding the table on the EXPLOSION of creativity that committed dealers would have if AT or Cars.com would give this concept a good hard look: http://forum.dealerrefresh.com/f21/autotrader-vs-cars-com-value-comparison-2340-5.html#post20657 It's all about making a memorable shopping experience and AT and Cars is LIFELESS. WIN - WIN.

We've been doing CL since 2005 and currently our system does over 500K custom postings per month.

Pulling the prices still works, period.

BUT--

This is a better plan (so if you were Pistell):

Post M-W-F as Syracuse Chevrolet WITH prices with a really nice template with a Chevy banner.

Post on T-TH-SAT as Syracuse Auto Sales WITHOUT prices with a crappy template and no make logo (so more independent dealer looking).