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Hosted by Jade Terreberry, Senior Director of Strategic Planning at Cox Automotive, and featuring Noah Lee, Senior Director of Product Consulting at Cox Automotive, the recent For the Road Forward podcast episode explores how first-party data and AI are reshaping the car-buying journey. Below are a few highlights on how Dealer.com customers can activate these insights to drive more efficient, profitable, and connected experiences.

To watch/listen to the full episode, check it out HERE.  

Dealer.com-Centric Takeaways: 

1. Click to Close Is a Journey, Not a Moment: Our tools at Cox Automotive can help you track and optimize every micro-interaction—from ad click to final signature—ensuring a seamless path to purchase that reflects how consumers actually shop.  

2. First-Party Data Is Your Competitive Advantage: Dealer.com empowers you to activate your own data— website behavior, advertising data, and email engagement—to deliver hyper-relevant marketing and follow-up strategies that resonate with today’s car shoppers. 

3. Omnichannel Expectations Are the New Standard: Consumers expect a frictionless experience across digital and physical touchpoints. Dealer.com’s integrated digital retailing solutions reduce repetitive steps and unify the journey from online to in-store. 

4. AI-Powered Personalization Drives Results: Dealer.com’s AI capabilities offer real-time insights, predictive recommendations, and automation that enhance both shopper engagement and staff productivity. 

5. Know Your Blind Spots—And Eliminate Them: Dealer.com’s analytics suite helps you move beyond outdated website and advertising metrics. By tracking every step of the customer’s journey, you gain transparency and actionable insights to improve ROI. 

Sending customers text messages throughout the service process with real-time status updates and then request payment via text is not only convenient for customers, but it also saves a lot of time for both service advisors and techs. With the launch of new Xtime texting features – many of them suggested by dealers – it’s easier than ever to keep customers continuously informed.  

I recently demonstrated these new features during a webinar in our 2025 Fixed Ops Focus Series: Texting & Communications Enhancements. In this article, I’d like to call out some best practices and tips that came out of that session. 

Start Strong with an Arrival Text 

Here’s a best practice from some of our highest performing dealers: As soon as an RO is created, you can have the system send a welcome text message that lets the customer know they can text back at any time during their visit. The Message Center will show “Welcome Message” in the Conversations column for the first contact with each customer checked in. These messages are customizable, and your performance manager can help you get started and adjust the messaging to meet your needs. 

Filter and Search in the Message Center 

You can always access the Message Center from the message icon on the top right navigation bar. This is where you can send service status updates and other messages. You’ll see all the current message threads there with an alert flag by each unanswered message. To read a message, just click. 

There are many ways to filter the messages to find the ones you need with status buttons to filter by:  

• Advisor/Team, 

• RO Status, 

• Conversations (unread, unanswered, read), and  

• Appointments (scheduled/not scheduled).  

The “not scheduled” status is important because now you can text customers who don’t have an appointment. 

Customized Text Chat Bubbles 

Your chat window has three rounded buttons or “bubbles” labeled Vehicle Ready, Call, and Status. They’re designed to be set up with standard messaging you use all the time so you can send routine updates to customers with a click. Many dealerships change the Vehicle Ready bubble to Payment Available, allowing you to send customers a link to pay as their repair is being finished. We strongly encourage dealerships to customize the chat bubbles to fit your own processes. You can reach out to your performance manager or in-store admin to make the changes that work best for you. 

Sending and Receiving Photos & Video 

Customers find it incredibly helpful when technicians send photos and videos to explain the work they’re doing. A customer can also send photos and videos to help establish the services they’re going to need while they’re making their appointment. In both cases, the result is improved communication. 

Bulk Text Sends 

What if there’s a big storm and you have to close early? Your admin can use bulk texting to contact all affected customers and send them a text notification from the Message Center or mobile app. It’s important to note the difference between bulk messaging and group messaging. When you send bulk outbound messages, each recipient receives their own individual SMS, directly between you and that customer. Any customer response will appear in that person’s individual conversation thread in the Message Center.  

One note of caution: this feature is specifically designed for transactional texts as opposed to marketing texts. State laws vary but in general, you must have explicit written consent to send marketing texts, such as that secured by the Invite solution.  

Any Questions? 

For more guidance on using these feature enhancements, contact your Performance Manager. Not an Xtime customer yet? Schedule a demo to see how texting and other features help make your fixed ops processes more efficient and cost-effective. 

Whether you’re trying to get more eyes on your inventory, make your listings work harder, or figure out where your ad dollars are really paying off, Autotrader is built to help you do more with every listing. 

We connect you with serious buyers you won’t find anywhere else, equip you with smarter tools to close deals faster, and back it all with expert support and performance insights. And in our latest eBook, From Search to Sold: The Autotrader Advantage, we break down exactly how dealers are turning these advantages into real results. 

Here are five ways Autotrader helps you grow your reach, close more deals, and drive more profit – no matter the size of your lot. 

#1 Access Audiences You Can’t Reach Anywhere Else 

It’s essential to connect with shoppers in meaningful ways that drive real results. And with 69% of Autotrader shoppers not visiting a leading competitor’s site¹, dealers who aren’t listing on Autotrader are missing out on a massive audience of ready-to-buy consumers they won’t reach anywhere else. 

With over 28 million unique monthly visitors², Autotrader connects you with high-intent shoppers who are actively searching – and ready to engage. These aren’t casual browsers. They’re serious buyers, and they’re using Autotrader to find their next vehicle. 

#2 A Smart Car Buying Experience. 

Nearly 7 out of 10 vehicle shoppers want to complete some, if not all of, their car-buying purchase online.³ Autotrader’s smart search filters and budgeting tools keep shoppers engaged in the process, so the leads you get are ready to close.  

And with digital retailing tools like Accelerate My Deal that integrate directly with your Dealertrack F&I solution, ready-to-buy shoppers can submit deal terms, credit applications and other documents 100% online, so all you have to do when they walk in is close the deal.  

Accelerate My Deal leads close 60% faster with $288 higher gross profit per deal.⁴ 

#3 Better Leads That Close  

Not all leads are created equal. That’s why Autotrader focuses on connecting you with shoppers who are further along in their journey. In fact, 42% of Autotrader leads are enhanced with multiple purchase steps already completed.⁵ 

And it pays off, too. Autotrader delivers a 30% higher close rate and 29% more gross profit per lead than the nearest competitor.⁶ With Autotrader, your team can spend less time chasing cold leads and more time closing real deals. 

#4 A Dedicated Partner and Powerful Tools to Guide Your Strategy 

Behind every great platform is a great team. Autotrader’s Client Success Managers work closely with you to understand your goals, optimize your strategy, and ensure your listings are performing at their best. 

Paired with nVision, our industry-leading performance dashboard, you’ll gain access to predictive insights and real-time reporting that show you what’s working and where you can adjust to maximize your ROI. And for franchise dealers, many Autotrader products are eligible for OEM co-op, helping you stretch your marketing dollars even further. 

#5 Auto Intelligent Integrations 

When your tools work together, your results multiply. Autotrader’s impact grows even stronger when paired with the broader Cox Automotive ecosystem. From inventory management to digital retailing and advertising, our solutions are designed to work seamlessly across platforms. 

This connected approach unlocks what we call Auto Intelligence – a data-driven advantage that helps you close faster, earn more, and deliver next-level customer experiences across your dealership. 

On average, dealers who integrate Autotrader with other Cox Automotive tools see a 43% boost in VDP views ⁷, 32% more used cars sold per month⁸, and 25% more new cars sold per month.⁹ It’s a strategy built for scale, efficiency, and results. Now that’s what we call Auto Intelligence! 

Ready to Get More from Every Listing? 

Whether you’re looking to grow your reach, capture better leads, or streamline your sales process, Autotrader is built to help you succeed. Explore our new eBook, From Search to Sold: The Autotrader Advantage, to see how smarter tools and better leads can drive real results for your dealership. 

Download the eBook: https://b2b.autotrader.com/why-autotrader/  

Sources 

1: Comscore data June – Nov 2024; top competitors based on monthly site visits 

2: Comscore data January – December 2023 avg., Autotrader and KBB.com traffic combined. 

3: 2024 Future of Car Buying Study from Cox Automotive. 

4: Days from lead creation to sale comparison versus other internet leads. Data sourced from VinSolutions CRM dealers from January – August 2024. Analysis performed October 2024. Gross profit comparison versus other internet leads. Data sourced from VinSolutions CRM dealers from January – August 2024. Analysis performed October 2024. 

5: Based on avg. Autotrader and KBB.com lead data, July to December 2023. 

6: Based on average close rates across Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book compared to sales across other third-party listing sites, VINSolutions, January – December 2023. 

7: Cox Automotive Pixall data, July-December 2023. Comparing 150 dealers with only Dealer.com sites against 123 dealers with both Dealer.com sites and Autotrader listings subscriptions. 

8: Cox Automotive Client Master data and vAuto customer data, July 2023 – February 2024. Listings customers defined as dealers with any vehicles listed on Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book platforms during a particular month. 

9: Cox Automotive Client Master data and vAuto customer data, December 2023 – June 2024. Listings customers defined as dealers with any vehicles listed on Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book platforms during a particular month. 

Automotive Marketing Platform (AMP) keeps you in front of your customers, making connections before they even submit a lead. AMP leverages data to drive smarter marketing, delivering personalized, relevant marketing to the right customers at the right time.   

Join us for a 45-minute webinar where we’ll teach you how to implement winning AMP strategies, understand AMP sales influence, and connect with customers more effectively to close more deals. 

Whether you’re new to AMP or looking to sharpen your approach, this webinar will give you the tools to elevate your marketing game and boost your bottom line.  

Learn how to:   

• Leverage Buying Signals: See how AMP taps into proprietary Cox Automotive Buying Signals to entice ready-to-buy customers with personalized messages based on their shopping behavior.  

• Implement proven campaign strategies: Hear how a top-performing dealer uses AMP to run effective seasonal, service, and re-engagement campaigns that drive measurable results.  

• Follow-up smarter with AI: Discover how generative AI can help your team craft personalized, data-driven responses that boost engagement and efficiency on AMP leads.  

• Uncover hidden ROI: Learn how AMP influences sales behind the scenes, including indirect leads and overlooked CRM touchpoints that often go unnoticed.  

Our expert panel includes diverse perspectives on AMP best practices so you can choose the strategies and tactics that work best for your dealership. Bring your top AMP questions for our interactive Q&A session. Exclusively for VinSolutions users! 

Dealerships hold a highly visible role in their communities. Not only do they provide jobs for residents, support local organizations, and provide valuable funding for state, county, and city government, but they’re also responsible for safeguarding consumers personal information. With all that data—and valuable inventory on the lot—it’s no wonder dealers are targeted by fraud. 

Growing awareness of fraud means consumers are becoming more concerned about protecting their personal information. In the 2024 Cox Automotive Evolving Consumer Study, more than 3 out of 4 consumers said they’ll only share information with companies that are transparent about how they protect their customer data when they make their next car purchase—and more than two-thirds say it will be harder for companies to earn their trust compared to in the past. 

What Is Fraud?  

Fraud is the intentional use of deception to gain an unfair or illegal advantage, often involving financial gain or access to goods and services. The fraudster may misrepresent information, act as another entity, or use stolen data to obtain access to accounts or data. 

Meanwhile, a scam is a type of fraud that requires the victim’s active participation. For example, a bad actor is committing fraud and scamming a target if they falsely claim to be raising money for a nonprofit organization and the victim sends them money.  

Types of Fraud 

When a dealership’s staff understands the types of fraud, they are more willing to adopt tools and use safeguards that can help prevent financial fraud and crime. 

First-Party Fraud 

In first-party fraud, a person purposely misrepresents themself in exchange for monetary gain or goods and services. For example, someone may use their credit card to buy an item online. They receive and then use that item—but they tell the credit card company they never made the purchase or received the product. Since these cases are hard to mitigate, the merchant is often left with the loss. 

Credit washing, a type of first-party fraud, has a significant impact on the automotive retail community. Here’s how credit washing works: Individuals will change information, remove debt, or add payoff to their credit reports—or they’ll falsely claim identity theft to wipe it clean. Ultimately, the lender or dealer is underwriting a consumer using inaccurate information, putting them at greater risk of loss.  

Third-Party Fraud 

Third-party fraud, commonly referred to as identity theft, occurs when an individual or entity uses someone else’s personal information—a name, address, Social Security number, date of birth, passwords—without their knowledge. Phishing, data breaches, social engineering, card skimming, and stolen documents are common ways for fraudsters to collect this information. 

Once the bad actor has a stolen identity, they can use that information to access and take over online accounts, create new accounts, and perform unauthorized transactions. The victim typically has no idea their identity has been compromised until they notice suspicious activity on their bank statements or credit reports. 

Synthetic Identity Fraud 

Like traditional identity theft, synthetic identify fraud begins with a stolen piece of a real person’s personal information, such as a Social Security number or date of birth. The difference? That stolen information is combined with falsified information to create a whole new identity.  

Synthetic identity fraud can be challenging to detect, and identity verification methods are not designed to flag fake people. Additionally, to make the fake identity seem more realistic, people who engage in synthetic identify fraud typically build a responsible financial history before becoming delinquent on payments.  

Strategies to Prevent Fraud in Automotive Retail 

Education and awareness across the entire dealership are essential to the successful adoption of fraud prevention tools and practices. Try some of these best practices to build a “fraud-aware” culture at your business. 

Invest in Training and Awareness 

Regular training for dealership employees has proven to be one of the most effective ways to mitigate fraud risks. Educating staff on regulatory requirements, ethical sales practices, and how to identify red flags empowers them to act as the first line of defense.  

Implement Robust Compliance Programs 

Dealerships should adopt comprehensive compliance management systems that include periodic risk assessments, monitoring, and testing of existing protocols. These systems must be reviewed and updated regularly to address emerging fraud risks. 

Leverage Technology 

Using technology like electronic identity verification systems can aid in authenticating customer information during credit applications. Real-time data, device behavior tracking, and fraud detection tools can identify suspicious activity earlier in the consumer journey and flag it so employees can perform due diligence earlier in the process.  

Integrate Checkpoints Into Your Sales Process 

Develop a risk-based identity theft prevention program (ITTP) in compliance with the Federal Trade Commission’s Red Flags Rule and use it with every customer and document that flows through your dealership. Select red flags that are appropriate for your business and document a process that outlines what to do should red flags arise. For vehicles sold over the Internet or to customers who never physically step into a dealership, make an extra effort to verify those customers’ identities.  

Today, real-time data, device behavior tracking, and fraud detection tools can identify suspicious activity earlier in the consumer journey, but a strong ITPP can protect a dealership more than anything else. By flagging any suspicious activity, employees can perform due diligence to protect the business from the risk of fraud.  

To learn more about fraud prevention in the dealership, download the 2025 Dealertrack Compliance Guide.