Uncle Joe Rule #121: "Dealers are like snowflakes, no two are the same"
No prices vs prices loosely connects to Neiman-Marcus vs Walmart. Roll with me on this...
Generally speaking, if you were to compare 2 identical dealers with similar websites in 2 nearly identical marketplaces and one dealer had prices and another had no prices, this is what I would expect...
The dealer without prices would see
- --more email leads (fishing for price)
- --more calls (fishing for price)
- --a poorer lead closing ratio
- --less return website visitors (the site didn't help the shopper)
- --less internet sales
- --less lot ups
Again, generally speaking, when a store has no prices on it's website, the business model they're building is set up for the highest gross PVR possible. This model is HIGHLY dependent on sales skills. A store's performance is squarely in the hands of the GM/GSM and like a pro sports team, management is 100% responsible for the sales team it has recruited, trained and supported.
To compare, let's go allll the way to the other end of the spectrum. Prices are posted, but they're priced low. Let's say it's a velocity dealer hitting on all cylinders, turning inventory 10-20 times a year.
The dealer with market leading prices would see
- --more email leads (leads fishing for availability)
- --More calls
- --a higher lead closing ratio
- --more return website visitors (the shopper gets it)
- --more internet sales
- --more lot ups
In this model, the stores financial performance is less dependent on sales people and more dependent on operations (aka Walmart).
There you have it, Neiman-Marcus vs Walmart. Both are successful. One with high gross, the other with high volume.
Isn't this biz great! 
