• This thread is just the tip of the iceberg.The people ahead of the curve aren't Googling for answers — they're already in here, having the conversations you haven't found yet. DealerRefresh is free.Get the full picture →

Why are the leads so crappy ?

So autotrader is sending you leads from here? Red Wing Chevrolet | Specials | Red Wing Car Dealer | Honda Civic

Are they instant, do they come directly to you as soon as the user hits send?

I assume they don't allow you to install an analytics code?

Why do they have the contact form all the way at the bottom of the page?


In my opinion, they need to provide you with some ability to measure the traffic to these pages (even a 1x1 image for tracking) - source of the traffic, where this traffic is coming from (city, state), a process they've put in place to improve the conversion rate because those pages need some serious UX (user experience) improvements.
 
Scott brings up great points, but the thing that struck me as soon as I clicked thru to your ATC DDA (Dynamic Display Ad) was this car image:

17423032484.284368039.IM1.MAIN.565x421_A.562x421.jpg


Nice overlay, but the 866-666-6467 isn't the same call tracking number that's in the body of the ad.

Phone calls are going to amount to many times more leads than emails and my fear is you've broken your tracking on them. What campaign is the 866-666-6467 assigned to? I'll bet it's not AutoTrader.com.

My guess is your website is getting credit for ATC generated calls.

Good luck!
 
Are you selling or marketing in your responses? If you're selling then you're giving up too much information. Selling, by the way, should only be done on a sales floor. Marketing is spiking curiosity to push people to the next step. It is a tough transition if you come out of sales, but a sales person who gives too much information or "talks himself out of a deal" is exactly what you don't want in an Internet department.

Very simple lead response formula:

2 sentences of response + 1 question at the end that can't be answered with a yes/no = more responses and higher gross

Approach email responses as marketing and stop selling!

Wow.... great point Alex. Having come from the floor I guess I never really thought of the re adjustment I have had to make, but there really is no better way to describe it than you just did right there.
 

✨ AI Highlights

  • A P&I Manager frustrated with high volumes of unresponsive and invalid leads from third-party providers like AutoTrader seeks advice on improving sales.
  • Respondents offer varied perspectives: some suggest the dealership's processes and marketing approach may be the issue rather than lead quality, others recommend requesting replacements for bad contact information from lead providers, and one contributor advises against over-selling in initial responses.
  • The thread reveals a common industry tension between lead volume and lead quality, with the emerging consensus that dealer processes, follow-up strategy, and how leads are sourced/categorized in the CRM may matter as much as the lead provider itself.

A P&I Manager frustrated with high volumes of unresponsive and invalid leads from third-party providers like AutoTrader seeks advice on improving sales. Respondents offer varied perspectives: some suggest the dealership's processes and marketing approach may be the issue rather than lead quality, others recommend requesting replacements for bad contact information from lead providers, and one contributor advises against over-selling in initial responses. The thread reveals a common industry tension between lead volume and lead quality, with the emerging consensus that dealer processes, follow-up strategy, and how leads are sourced/categorized in the CRM may matter as much as the lead provider itself.

Replies Views 13 8,049 Started Last Reply