AUTOTRADER

[umesh 336]

Already been said but you need a good website know both suppliers mentioned dealer5 - Adrian offers great value for money sites, and Click dealers are a great bunch too,( Know and have dealing with both)  all depends on what you actually want/need. 

I'm still on Autotrader because it still works for me, be sure to monitor where the leads are coming from thats the only way to ensure you're spending your hard cash with the platforms that bring results for you.

I have many friends who are NOT on AT and have very, very successful business, so what works for one doesnt work for another. We're all in the same game but all very different in the way we do business and what /who we atract as customers..

One thing I would say is if it's not working, stop paying and move on don't just keep throwing money at it. 

Cheers 

umesh 

[NOACROSS 414]

I mention this again for the benefit of anyone who hasn't heard me pontificate regularly on this subject

- that we STILL get people telling us they saw the car on Autoraper.  It's over two years now since we were last with the Highwaymen.

[Mark101 536]

I have a basic package with CD5 and I have to say, I get regular compliments.  It is so easy to a manage and for viewers to scan through.

Some of the more sophisticated sites are too much hard work trying to get to the actual stock, relevant advert and lets face it, that's all the majority want, not whizzy fast cars scrolling across the screen and tales of how long we have been in business and we partener with this that and the other.

[EPV 631]

38 minutes ago, NOACROSS said:

I mention this again for the benefit of anyone who hasn't heard me pontificate regularly on this subject

- that we STILL get people telling us they saw the car on Autoraper.  It's over two years now since we were last with the Highwaymen.

It’s very easy to log where your enquiries come from, I don’t bother asking punters because as you say, they don’t know. Autotrader enquiries are very easy to log, either via phone, email or chat. I treat any other enquiry as non AT. 90% of my sales come through AT, that’s a fact for me. 

Logging and assessing where your enquiries and sales come from is crucial and you definitely don’t need to rely on the punter for that information. 

[whitestone679231 113]

46 minutes ago, NOACROSS said:

I mention this again for the benefit of anyone who hasn't heard me pontificate regularly on this subject

- that we STILL get people telling us they saw the car on Autoraper.  It's over two years now since we were last with the Highwaymen.

same here, going off what customers say when they are signing up for car 60% of my internet sales would be put down as AT but when i push them further and say its not been advertised on AT they usually pull there phone out with a pic of advert and its obviously from another site.

[NOACROSS 414]

I 'think' if you're on AT, the punter 'may' probably see the car on there first, but they DO look elsewhere for sure.  So- if you're NOT on AT, they won't find you there obviously but will elsewhere.  If you are on AT AND elsewhere then they'll probably find you on there as I say. 

Also, a lot of our AT enquiries weren't actually when you pushed them, as they had been directed to your AT website etc and then they say AT/the stat says they are or they had seen it elsewhere too.

If you've got low numbers then I can see AT making sense to most (wouldn't and doesn't to me), but with 50-60 in stock, it's majorly cost-prohibitive and I detest the company, the attitude, pricing policy (lack of serious bulk buy discount) and most importantly the dreadfully cluttered site/ads/sponsored listings/price indicator race-to-the-bottom crap etc.

Phew, it's good to share. ;0)

 

[MattR 177]

Work out where your customers come from - as a home trader you know they arent walk ons. if your basic AT package is 500 that should be covered by 1 deal, the most expensive advertising I have is the one I havent had an enquiry from in months and thats autovillage at £30 per month. Autotrader is my cheapest at £1200, consistently generates me at least 8 deals a month.

[EPV 631]

40 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

I have a basic package with CD5 and I have to say, I get regular compliments.  It is so easy to a manage and for viewers to scan through.

Some of the more sophisticated sites are too much hard work trying to get to the actual stock, relevant advert and lets face it, that's all the majority want, not whizzy fast cars scrolling across the screen and tales of how long we have been in business and we partener with this that and the other.

I don’t agree. 

The first impression lasts, as the saying goes and if the first thing the punter sees is a couple of old part ex shitters to clear their first impression won’t be a good one. It’s not even a conscious thought it’s all sub conscious. 

Not saying YOUR website is like that Mark  of course, I like your website i’m just saying that in a digital market place (and it will only become more and more digital) then it’s important that the customer immediately sees reliable, trustworthy, professional. Take a look at Rory’s website. It’s absolutely perfect. First impression is a bloke who wins awards and the second impression is “look at my reviews they’re the bollocks”

When someone has more or less decided they want the car, and most people will be coming to your site via a referral (I.e. AT or Car Gurus or eBay) then what they are looking for is information about you as a company, as a person etc. They want reviews they want trust they want to feel they are going to buy a car from a proper dealer. 

So imo, the first impression should be exactly that. Plenty will disagree with me here i’m sure, particularly the elder statesman as they think reviews and videos aren’t necessary and perhaps they aren’t for THEM but for someone starting out in this industry then digital marketing and reviews/brand trust is imperative. 

I may have gotten slightly off tangent here but i’m a firm believer in the notion that Car buying is becoming more and more digital by the month almost, so what people see online of you makes a significant impact on whether they will buy a car from you. 

16 minutes ago, NOACROSS said:

I 'think' if you're on AT, the punter 'may' probably see the car on there first, but they DO look elsewhere for sure.  So- if you're NOT on AT, they won't find you there obviously but will elsewhere.  If you are on AT AND elsewhere then they'll probably find you on there as I say. 

Also, a lot of our AT enquiries weren't actually when you pushed them, as they had been directed to your AT website etc and then they say AT/the stat says they are or they had seen it elsewhere too.

If you've got low numbers then I can see AT making sense to most (wouldn't and doesn't to me), but with 50-60 in stock, it's majorly cost-prohibitive and I detest the company, the attitude, pricing policy (lack of serious bulk buy discount) and most importantly the dreadfully cluttered site/ads/sponsored listings/price indicator race-to-the-bottom crap etc.

Phew, it's good to share. ;0)

 

As ever mate it’s the case of whatever works for you. No one can tell you that you need AT as you’re doing it without but no one can tell me that I can do without AT as i’ve tried it and I cannot do without AT. I like the fact that we can all show proof it can be done different ways. 

[umesh 336]

41 minutes ago, EPV said:

I don’t agree. 

The first impression lasts, as the saying goes and if the first thing the punter sees is a couple of old part ex shitters to clear their first impression won’t be a good one. It’s not even a conscious thought it’s all sub conscious. 

Not saying YOUR website is like that Mark  of course, I like your website i’m just saying that in a digital market place (and it will only become more and more digital) then it’s important that the customer immediately sees reliable, trustworthy, professional. Take a look at Rory’s website. It’s absolutely perfect. First impression is a bloke who wins awards and the second impression is “look at my reviews they’re the bollocks”

When someone has more or less decided they want the car, and most people will be coming to your site via a referral (I.e. AT or Car Gurus or eBay) then what they are looking for is information about you as a company, as a person etc. They want reviews they want trust they want to feel they are going to buy a car from a proper dealer. 

So imo, the first impression should be exactly that. Plenty will disagree with me here i’m sure, particularly the elder statesman as they think reviews and videos aren’t necessary and perhaps they aren’t for THEM but for someone starting out in this industry then digital marketing and reviews/brand trust is imperative. 

I may have gotten slightly off tangent here but i’m a firm believer in the notion that Car buying is becoming more and more digital by the month almost, so what people see online of you makes a significant impact on whether they will buy a car from you. 

As ever mate it’s the case of whatever works for you. No one can tell you that you need AT as you’re doing it without but no one can tell me that I can do without AT as i’ve tried it and I cannot do without AT. I like the fact that we can all show proof it can be done different ways. 

Agree with you EPV ! 1st Impressions.

Overall picture of the business not just what cars are being sold. 

Video's sell cars for me [ been saying that for 4/5 years] 

[stockedup! 63]

I have been with Autotrader since I set up on my own 12 years ago now, I was disgruntled with them and their attitude 3 or 4 years ago but I have seen a change in them lately(Last 18 months). I am an experienced trader(over 30 years) but have taken into account some of their comments about my business and it has definitely worked for me. Dealer reviews has been massive for me. It costs me around £80 per sale with Autotrader, Ebay(not with Gumtree) costs me about the same per sale but I do 20 ish a month with AT and 3 a month off Ebay. I am also on with Motors but I have been averaging only one a month with them, stuck my termination in with them and surprise surprise have done 2 this last week with them. Keep monitoring and get rid of something that doesn't pay. I did try Gurus on a full package(Trial of course)for a month and sold one car off them, they wanted £495 for me to continue with them but I declined. I had a very unpleasant relationship with them in my short time dealing with them.

[Nick M.K. 574]

10 hours ago, stockedup! said:

I had a very unpleasant relationship with them in my short time dealing with them.

+1