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Lotlinx, is it worth it?

Sep 8, 2016
2
0
First Name
Kelly
We started using LotLinx approximately 6 months ago.

We are at a point in which we are trying to decide if it's worth it?

We have a budget of $2000 per month and they charge $3.99 per unique shopper, and we put all of that budget into Pre-Owned leads. They say the cost per unique shopper is relatively low compared other digital channels and 3rd party sites. I am trying to figure out which sites on their network are these shoppers coming from?

We've increased our Pre-Owned sales and our Turn-rate BUT we have also changed our pricing structure. Which could be a contributing factor. When I look at Google Analytics, I see that LotLinx is 3rd from the top as far as sessions as far as source/medium.

However, when I dig deeper and reivew the referrals, the top 2 are track.ecampaignstats.com and tpc.googlesyndication.co. I have never seen these two referring domains until we started using LotLinx.

It's a very high number for both and sessions stop in the middle of the month almost like someone shit off the water.

Are these 2 sites related to LotLinx?

I ask LotLinx to provide me with the 2 referral sites on their network, yet they say they DO NOT share this list because it's always "evolving and changing."

Can anyone in the DealerRefresh Community help me find out if Lotlinx is worth the spend or am I getting fed a bunch of baloney?
 
Hi Kelly, I am interested to see the exchange here, we are about 4 month into LotLinx, about the time we should start to see a decent amount of data to start to make a determination. My LL rep is good, doesn't sound pitchy and there is some evidence forming to support their model. We also have strong new car VDP action from them. We don't do used. No dispute that they deliver the VDP in GA. Hard part is making the post visit connection.

What I find interesting is the number of VINs that had no other action that month other than from LL. I like that you can tailor the month's campaign to specific models, age etc. My Outbacks don't need help being found, Imprezas and BRZs need the digital spotlight.

I look forward to hearing input from others.

Bill
 
Here's some of the key items I believe anyone needs to consider, whether you're looking at Lotlinx, or any other provider:
  • What does the engagement look like within your site when they arrive?
  • How long do they stay?
  • How many pages do they visit?
  • Bounce rate?
  • Conversions (I'd prefer a form submission vs. a destination, but will accept the destination goal if their behavioral metrics are healthy)
  • Event tracking metrics (engagement: buttons, images, video plays, etc)
  • Multi-funnel channel - assisted conversions - is this traffic even assisting in an eventual conversion?
The one glaring item I've always had is the intent of the user clicking these links and being driven to the VDP's.

From the hundreds of analytics accounts I've seen and reviewed, the behaviors continuously lead me to believe these visitors are still in the thinking or researching stage and haven't reached the buying stage.

The reason I say this is because the page they land on is still missing the elements necessary to move the visitor to the buyer stage. They clicked the link, were sent to a vehicle, then they bounced and head back to their original site. Not enough info to move them into the next stage - they're still just window shopping.

Now, if the original site they were on had the ability to provide more transactional data and the site (or even better, the landing page) they were directed to also had more transactional data, they might be pushed over the edge due to the greater context and improved shopping experience.

Dealer sites, and third party sites, still don't provide the relevancy shoppers are looking for - that's why I believe there is so much confusion as to whether this solution is effective. And no, I'm not saying every person who clicks these links isn't ready to buy, I'm saying a larger percentage of them may not be.

The information shoppers are looking for to make the buying decision isn't available. (payments, offers, etc)

Plus, this is a singular tactic being used within a larger strategy which is also broken - but let's save that for a different conversation.

Think like a customer, not a dealer or a marketer.
 
I'm going to start with a disclaimer - ahem.... "The opinions expressed by Kate are Kate's and no one else's but Kate's"

Ok - now that is out of the way...

To Kelly's original post:
I'm employed with another vendor that has it's own Dynamic VIN specific product called VinVelocity (though different than theirs, so not a direct competitor). I am not here to sell. I promise.

I can't answer your exact question - and look, it's their secret sauce, so I get why they aren't really answering it either. A gal (her name being LotLinx in this case) has her secrets, right? It's like when I asked Dealix exactly where they got their 3rd party leads back in 2006... completely futile.

Before my current role on the vendor side, I spent over a decade on the dealership side almost exclusively in an E-Commerce Director role. Stuff like this drove me NUTS! I just wanted transparency, even if I didn't fully get the strategy. It's my understanding, though (and PLEASE - someone scream loudly, stop by my house or take a big pin to a Kate voodoo doll if I am incorrect here) that their 'ad network' (though the specifics are elusive) is one that utilizes display, targeting and social. It isn't cultivated on Google long-tail keyword searches, correct?

If correct, $3.99 per unique visitor seems steep to me (to Kate). I say this because my company's product costs about the same per unique visitor and it targets MUCH lower-funnel traffic with a MUCH higher probability of buying who are ACTIVELY searching and not just passively deemed in-market.

I'm happy to elaborate, but to make it as simple as I can - I think the $4+ cost for unique visitor (delivered to VDP on dealer website, of course) is what you should expect to pay for someone who knows what they want and is searching for it actively on Google, rather than an in-market shopper who is being served ads while passively interacting on the web in another capacity.

From there, your website provider and Google Analytics can fill in the gaps (as long as you have access to them, of course).

As to your baloney question... maybe their method is baloney (or even the fancier Bologna) - we will never know. BUT, in general, I see a HUGE value in advertising in this space, don't get me wrong. I think when a dealer can combine a Dynamic, VIN-specific algorithm with the ridiculously awesome targeting of social while serving up their own branding - well, it can be powerful and compelling and it will convert visitors (as you've seen). I don't think, though, that many of those unique visitors are imminent buyers. They were checking recipes, Facebook, ESPN, etc. They will buy eventually and your ad is now one of those touch-points... one of those moments of truth that influences them. Heck - a good ad may even draw them into the funnel further... shorten their buying time.

The person, though, who just Googled "2014 Kia Soul ! in Kale Green" (when you happen to have a 2014 Kia Soul ! in Kale Green) - yeah, I'd pay upwards of $4 for a unique visitor like that and I'd want more where they came from.

And BillH - Most dealers I know either target all used or a combo - I haven't heard much feedback from someone doing all new - so I'm very glad I stumbled up this forum. To your point, customization is so important and clearly that can be done with them (as it can be done with us and I'm sure other products in the space) by model, age, trim, etc, etc. In fact, my company has an account somewhere in the Midwest that only wants their Diesel 4WD trucks spotlighted with VIN Velocity, leaving those lesser, gasoline drinking trucks to fend for themselves in an organic world. I actually just met with a dealer yesterday who gave high praise to that backend tool of theirs, so hearing it echo'd just confirms it more.

You mentioned your rep, BillH, is that your sales rep? Do you also have a dedicated person who works your account from the inside? I'm curious more than anything as we include this (a nice way of saying INSIST on this) with VINVelocity. If I was still on the dealership side, I'd love the flexibility of that backend tool and the opportunity to make often tweaks, but I would be concerned about 1) an honest error costing us money, 2) my managers being great about it for the first few months then something new and shiny goes by and it is forgotten (therefore the campaigns are suddenly in set-and-forget mode) 3) being reactionary and single-visioned with my choices (versus relying on someone who is looking at search data and trends for my entire PMA over the past two years and who gives me a top of the mountain/shepherd view. I remember too well a time when I was being blasted by a Toyota rep because my stores were below some mark for Venza's. I put more effort into Venza's that month than anyone should only to be beaten in another category the next month (because the budget had to come from somewhere, right).

Anyway - my three cents. :)
 
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We started using LotLinx approximately 6 months ago.

We are at a point in which we are trying to decide if it's worth it?

We have a budget of $2000 per month and they charge $3.99 per unique shopper, and we put all of that budget into Pre-Owned leads. They say the cost per unique shopper is relatively low compared other digital channels and 3rd party sites. I am trying to figure out which sites on their network are these shoppers coming from?

We've increased our Pre-Owned sales and our Turn-rate BUT we have also changed our pricing structure. Which could be a contributing factor. When I look at Google Analytics, I see that LotLinx is 3rd from the top as far as sessions as far as source/medium.

However, when I dig deeper and reivew the referrals, the top 2 are track.ecampaignstats.com and tpc.googlesyndication.co. I have never seen these two referring domains until we started using LotLinx.

It's a very high number for both and sessions stop in the middle of the month almost like someone shit off the water.

Are these 2 sites related to LotLinx?

I ask LotLinx to provide me with the 2 referral sites on their network, yet they say they DO NOT share this list because it's always "evolving and changing."

Can anyone in the DealerRefresh Community help me find out if Lotlinx is worth the spend or am I getting fed a bunch of baloney?

Kelly are the referrals dropping off as a result of your budget reaching its limit possibly? This could be an explanation.

To determine if LL is worth the spend You o course need a way to identify and track the users being referred. Do you have goals configured in GA that are doing this effectively?

PM me if you'd like assistance with this I'm happy to help.
 
@Kate Barnett said... You mentioned your rep, BillH, is that your sales rep? Do you also have a dedicated person who works your account from the inside?

Yes, I'm assigned a dedicated rep that goes over the previous month and offers input on what to target. I signed up because one of my vendors is a reseller, and that vendor has delivered on other products. They are well known as industry leaders, so I respect their opinions, but the numbers always tell the tale.
 
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Thanks everyone for your help we are still in the process of learning butthe CEO of lotlinx actually reached out to help us understand how it all works, I have not decided wether to keep going with lotlinx but at least we understand more than we did prior. Thanks again!