Just in time for NADA Convention and Expo Feb. 5-7 in San Francisco, AutoTrader.com rolled out its online Front-line Listings. Inspired by the front-line concept of brick and mortar dealerships, the new auto marketplace feature is used when consumers search for other than specific vehicles.
On AutoTrader.com it’s long been the practice to search for both new and used vehicles at once – a differentiator for the site. Now when a consumer does so, his or her best vehicle match is displayed in rich media as the anchor vehicle, while the next closest matches run across a scrollable filmstrip below the anchor, with photos, videos and description details.
” This new format provides dealers with more effective and robust ways to present other new cars on their lot that also closely match the shoppers’ search criteria,” said AutoTrader.com president and CEO Chip Perry, in the announcement. ” This enhanced merchandising opportunity on the search results page enables dealers to benefit from increased exposure for their new car inventory and better consumer engagement.
Additional features of the new Front-Line Listings:
- Affordability Highlights -Dealers display not only their own asking price but the MSRP. They can additionally use the site’s new Promote by Payment feature, promoting lease or purchase payments as well.
- Improved consumer experience – AutoTrader.com has removed one online step for buyers, now making it possible for them to choose cars they would like to compare, save cars and bring up their detail pages right from the search results page.
The Front-Line Listings product has been extensively tested during 2010, and AutoTrader.com reported 200-300 percent more shopper interaction from the vehicle details and search results pages thanks to the new feature.
