1. Turning Cars into Stars Through Online Merchandising
John Griffin
Vice President Performance Management
AutoTrader Group, Software Division

2. 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

3. The Case for Classified Advertising
Used car shoppers look for the car first

4. The Case for Classified Advertising
Used car shoppers look for the car first
and the “deal” second.

5. SRPs
Search Result Pages
VDPs
Vehicle Display Pages
VDP Conversions

6. Need for “pixel” proficiency
Manage what you “can’t see”
Monitor SRPs and VDPs
Chart for the wkbk.

7. What are
SRPs?
Search Results Pages

8. What are
VDPs?
Vehicle Detail Pages

9. VDPs are controlled by SRPs
We absolutely need to understand these new metrics
SRP =
Drive By Traffic =
VDP
“UP”
VDPs are controlled by SRPs

10. Can we answer the most basic questions?
How many VDPs should we have?
Are we on track MTD?
What is our conversion ratio?

11. Conversion Benchmarks
2.5%*
from SRP to VDP
3.5%*
from SRP to VDP
*These are estimates. Subject to market and site conditions.

12. VDP is the Money Metric
VDPs
Sales
10,000 =
100

13. Dealers Control Their VDP Destiny

14. Cars are like children.

15. Each one is unique.

16. Listening to Your Cars SRPs VDPs Conversion 240 560 90 8 10 60 3% 1.8%
Toyota Land Cruiser
BMW
Jeep Commander
SRPs
VDPs
Conversion
240
560 90 8 10 60 3%
1.8%
55%

17. Tactics for turning your dealership into a VDP Factory1
Generate more SRPs
There are 3 factors 2
Convert more SRPs to VDPs
There are 4 factors

18. Drive more SRPs
Placement
Price
Inventory

19. Convert more SRPs to VDPs
Good thumbnail
Photo bait
Compelling Notes
Right Price

20. 4D Sport Utility Color: White
Your cars are talking, are you listening?
Vehicle Inventory Page
Make/
Model 
Days in Inventory
Body
Price / % to Market
Market Day’s Supply
AutoTrader
Cars
SRP
VDP
% Conv.
2008 Toyota Land Cruiser
Odometer: 
32,985 15
4D Sport Utility Color:  White
$55,293
97% 56
240 8 3%
295 10
3.5%
2002 BMW 540 
Odometer: 103,722 
4D Sedan Color:  Gray
$11,500
98% 82
560
10 
1.8%
635 13
 2.0%
2009 Jeep Commander
24,936 
$18,900
99%  41 90 50
55% 75 38
50.7%

21. Profitability
Actually make it work

22. Monitor SRPs and VDPs SRPs BY MONTH VALUE MTD PROJECTION SRPs 305,283
OCT
NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
SRPs BY MONTH
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
VALUE
MTD
PROJECTION
SRPs
305,283
556,693
VDPs (#)
12,881
23,489
VDP (%)
4.2% -

23. 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?

26. Compact
Intermediate
Luxury
Luxury High
Luxury Sport
Sport
Subcompact
Large
Classic
Small
Full Size 0% 6%
24%
18%
12%
CAR
SUV
TRUCK
VAN
Your Dealership
Your Live Market

31. Thank You John Griffin Vice President, Performance Management AutoTrader Group Software Division