BIGNIT

Autotrader downturn

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Amazes me how many still believe the hype train of Auto Trader... Been dropping off for about 18 months

 

 

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They keep going on about driving more buyers/leads etc but there is a finite amount of car buyers isn’t there?

they can’t magic an extra million deals for us all to share around.

im now at £2300 a month but may well reduce it to around £1500 before Christmas 

Edited by SC Derby

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I have just looked at my viewing numbers. My average daily viewings of my stock before the Autotrader changes were 18.4 per day. Just looked at my last 7 days and they're down to 9.4 per day. My sales have plummeted only 3 so far this month. Usually do 1 a day on 35 stock. We have 5 star reviews good quality photo's etc. I'm not sure how the new search criteria has affected the viewings, but we have certainly seen a downturn since its arrival.

 

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On 9/6/2019 at 12:15 AM, SC Derby said:

They keep going on about driving more buyers/leads etc but there is a finite amount of car buyers isn’t there?

they can’t magic an extra million deals for us all to share around.

im now at £2300 a month but may well reduce it to around £1500 before Christmas 

That's right, only a certain amount of buyers at any one point.  No one ever shops in one place and that's the same as car buyers, don't let anyone tell you any different.

Auto Trader may well be the "on the tongue" brand but stats are out there, available online that show you *CUSTOMERS also visit cargurus, ebay motors, aacars (theaa), parkers (provided by motors.co.uk, therac, etc.  

Some may tip that balls, but ask yourself this.  When shopping for a holiday do you only visit British Airways / Virgin Atlantic or do you go to the holiday supermarkets, virgin holidays, TUI / First Choice etc?  Of course you do and car buyers are no different.

I down my advertising numbers with AT every year also, coming out completely in December and rejoining January.  At just over 10k per month, December is too risky.  November I tinker with numbers to usually half stock and let clickdealer auto rotate.  Seems to be keeping the ROI reasonable the last few years.

2 hours ago, Funny Farm said:

I have just looked at my viewing numbers. My average daily viewings of my stock before the Autotrader changes were 18.4 per day. Just looked at my last 7 days and they're down to 9.4 per day. My sales have plummeted only 3 so far this month. Usually do 1 a day on 35 stock. We have 5 star reviews good quality photo's etc. I'm not sure how the new search criteria has affected the viewings, but we have certainly seen a downturn since its arrival.

 

I wouldn't panick, as the majority of the time these months Aug-Sept tend to be quiet months anyway with the odd influx every now and then but that's more luck that you have the right car for sale at the right time etc.

 

EDIT *

Edited by Earunder

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3 hours ago, Funny Farm said:

I have just looked at my viewing numbers. My average daily viewings of my stock before the Autotrader changes were 18.4 per day. Just looked at my last 7 days and they're down to 9.4 per day. My sales have plummeted only 3 so far this month. Usually do 1 a day on 35 stock. We have 5 star reviews good quality photo's etc. I'm not sure how the new search criteria has affected the viewings, but we have certainly seen a downturn since its arrival.

 

Regulars on here will maybe be surprised with my answer here, but: As much as I hate the robbing bastards and haven’t advertised with them for years now (I may not have mentioned that before), I don’t  think you can scientifically put this slump down to their latest new pathetic reinvention of the wheel. 

As Earunder says, it’s funny and jittery out there at the moment.  You need a longer sample size to compare.

I know what you mean though, and it’s the quiet months where that AT bill hurt  -I don’t miss it myself, and plod on nicely enough without them, but anyone doing big numbers seems to be on it. Or at least, that’s the impression I get.

 

Edited by NOACROSS

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