Turning Cars into Stars
Through Online Merchandising
John Griffin
Vice President Performance Management
AutoTrader Group, Software Division
The Case for Classified Advertising
Mission: Deploy resources
and expertise to attract customers.
 Most are online
 Don’t automatically show up
 Responsibility to attract them
2
The Case for Classified Advertising
Used car shoppers look for the
car first
3
The Case for Classified Advertising
Used car shoppers look for the car first
and the “deal” second.
4
SRPs
Search Result Pages
VDPs
Vehicle Display Pages
VDP Conversions
Need for “pixel” proficiency
 Manage what you “can’t see”
 Monitor SRPs and VDPs
What are
SRPs?
Search Results Pages
7
What are
VDPs?
Vehicle Detail Pages
8
We absolutely need to
understand these new metrics
SRP =
VDP = “UP”
Drive By Traffic
VDPs are controlled by SRPs
Can we answer the
most basic questions?
 How many VDPs should we have?
 Are we on track MTD?
 What is our conversion ratio?
Conversion Benchmarks
2.5%*
3.5%*
from SRP to VDP
from SRP to VDP
*These are estimates. Subject to market and site conditions.
11
VDP is the Money Metric
VDPs
10,000
Sales
=
100
12
Dealers Control Their
VDP Destiny
13
Cars are like children.
14
Each one is unique.
15
Listening to Your Cars
Toyota Land Cruiser
BMW
Jeep Commander
SRPs
240
560
90
VDPs
8
10
60
3%
1.8%
55%
Conversion
16
Tactics for turning your
dealership into a VDP Factory
1
Generate more SRPs
There are 3 factors
2
Convert more SRPs to VDPs
There are 4 factors
17
Drive more SRPs
 Placement
 Price
 Inventory
Convert more
SRPs to VDPs
• Good thumbnail
• Photo bait
• Compelling Notes
• Right Price
Your cars are talking,
are you listening?
Make/
Model
Days in
Inventory
Body
Vehicle Inventory Page
Cars
AutoTrader
Price /
% to
Market
Market
Day’s
Supply
SRP
VDP
%
Conv.
SRP
VDP
%
Conv.
$55,293
97%
56
240
8
3%
295
10
3.5%
2008 Toyota
Land Cruiser
Odometer:
32,985
15
4D Sport
Utility
Color: White
2002 BMW
540
Odometer:
103,722
15
4D Sedan
Color: Gray
$11,500
98%
82
560
10
1.8%
635
13
2.0%
2009 Jeep
Commander
Odometer:
24,936
15
4D Sport
Utility
Color: White
$18,900
99%
41
90
50
55%
75
38
50.7%
Profitability
Actually make it work
21
Monitor SRPs and VDPs
SRPs BY MONTH
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
VALUE
MTD
PROJECTION
SRPs
305,283
556,693
VDPs (#)
12,881
23,489
VDP (%)
4.2%
-
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% of vehicles with unacceptable time to internet?
% of vehicles with no online price?
% of vehicles with incorrect prices?
% of vehicles that are not being published to all designated sites?
% of vehicles without compelling descriptions?
% of vehicles without quality photos?
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24
# O n lin e vs .
# M is s in g
# M is s in g
P ric e
# M is s in g
D e s c rip tio n
# M is s in g
P h o to
# In va lid
O d o m e te r
96 / 8
4
13
19
4
C a rs .c o m
94 / 10
44
22
23
4
Y o u r R e yn o ld s
S ite
74 / 30
41
11
7
74
C a rL o c a te
53 / 51
31
8
12
0
T o yo ta
12 / 92
12
10
1
0
W e b s ite
A u to T ra d e r.c o m
25
CAR
SUV
TRUCK
VAN
24%
18%
12%
6%
0%
Your Live Market
Your Dealership
26
27
28
29
Make/Model
Year
Unique Shoppers
Listings
Average
Acura 3.2CL
Acura 3.2CL
Acura 3.2TL
Acura 3.2TL
Acura 3.2TL
Acura 3.5 RL
Acura 3.5 RL
Acura 3.5 RL
Acura Integra
Acura MDX
Acura MDX
Acura MDX
Acura MDX
Acura MDX
Acura MDX
Acura MDX
Acura MDX
Acura MDX
Acura MDX
Acura RDX
Acura RDX
Acura RDX
Acura RL
Acura RL
Acura RL
2001
2003
2000
2002
2003
2001
2002
2004
2001
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2007
2008
2010
2000
2005
2006
198
89
70
186
323
62
23
56
186
61
166
93
145
153
239
226
177
98
39
176
67
70
17
100
132
3
1
2
6
7
2
1
1
1
1
3
3
4
6
3
11
5
1
21
9
2
26
1
2
4
Unique Shoppers/
Listing
Scarcity Index
36
310
63.9
89
35.6
30.2
47.7
34.4
23
56
129.8
43.3
58.6
26.8
32.7
27.3
77.9
19.8
36.6
66.8
1.8
19.3
29.6
2.7
17
46.2
33.6
544
759
303
257
407
294
196
477
1,106
369
499
229
279
233
664
168
312
570
16
165
252
23
145
393
286
30
Thank You
John Griffin
Vice President, Performance Management
AutoTrader Group Software Division
jgriffin@vauto.com
1.630.267.5161
31