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What You Don’t Invest in Can Hurt Your Automotive Strategy 

If you’re only tracking what happens right before the sale, you’re missing what really brings customers in. That’s not just a theory. It’s backed by data.  

New research from our latest whitepaper, From Click to Car Sale: How Multi-Touch Attribution Improves Marketing Measurement for Auto Dealers, offers a clearer view of the full buyer journey. The findings come from a 2024 analysis of over 1.18 million car sales by Clarivoy, a leading automotive marketing analytics firm, along with insights from the Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey Study, which surveyed more than 2,300 recent car buyers.  

The data reveals a critical truth: most dealers are only seeing the last click, not the full path to purchase. And that blind spot could be costing them sales. 

Let’s fix that. 

Below are four of the most common digital blind spots that can distort your view of the buyer journey, and more importantly, how to correct them. These fixes can help you more accurately measure the efforts of your automotive retailing strategy and focus your efforts where they’ll have the most impact. 

Mistake #1: You Assume Your Website Is the Starting Line for Car Buyers 

It’s easy to assume that the buyer journey begins on your dealership’s website, especially when lead forms and digital paperwork suggest that’s where the action starts. But the data tells a different story: 

• Only 14% of shoppers begin on a dealer website 

• Nearly 48% start on a third-party marketplace (like Autotrader) 

The Blindspot: 

Dealers often overestimate the influence of their own websites and overlook the power of third-party platforms. That means they’re missing the moment when shoppers are most open to influence – right at the beginning. 

What You Can Do Next: 

• Audit your listings on marketplaces. Ensure they’re complete, compelling, and current. 

• Ask your team: “Where do we think our customers start – and how do we know?” 

Remember: overlooking your listings means missing out on a huge number of highly motivated buyers from the very start. 

Mistake #2: You’re Relying on One-Touch Thinking 

One-touch attribution might seem straightforward – but it’s also misleading. It credits only the final click before a sale, ignoring the full journey that brought the buyer there. 

Here’s what the data shows: 

• Autotrader influenced 55% of all car sales in the study using multi-touch attribution (MTA) 

• That’s more than double the impact seen with one-touch attribution, which showed just 21% 

Adopting a MTA strategy will reveal every stop along the buyer’s path, including how often they check out places like Autotrader. When you look at the full consumer journey, not just the starting and finish line, you’ll be able to see which digital channels are actually helping you sell more cars – which are under-performing – including revealing which ones might be doing more work than you realized.

The Blindspot: 

One-touch attribution gives all the credit to the last interaction – ignoring the digital breadcrumbs that led buyers to your door. That’s like giving the closer all the credit and forgetting the rest of the team. 

What You Can Do Next: 

• Ask your marketing partner if they support MTA.  

• Then, compare CRM-reported leads to actual sales. Is there anything missing?  

Remember: your attribution model might be overlooking the quiet contributors. MTA helps uncover which channels are driving conversions behind the scenes, telling a more complete story and helping you protect your spend and capture more ROI on each and every deal. 

Mistake #3: You Missed the “Invisible Click” 

Not every shopper leaves a digital breadcrumb. In fact, 46% of shoppers who viewed Autotrader or Kelley Blue Book listings eventually made their way to a dealer’s website, without ever clicking a direct link. 

These shoppers were influenced by what they saw on third-party sites, but chose to return later through other paths:  

• Typing in the dealer’s URL 

• Searching the dealership on Google 

• Clicking on a retargeted ad 

That means nearly half of your audience may be starting their journey elsewhere – and showing up later without a clear trail.   

The Blindspot: 

Just because a shopper didn’t click doesn’t mean they weren’t influenced. If you’re only tracking click-throughs, you’re missing the spark that started the fire. 

What You Can Do Next: 

• Use retargeting and branded search to stay visible after shoppers leave third-party sites 

• Don’t rely solely on click-through rates. They don’t tell the full story. 

Remember: By viewing and tracking the full journey with Multi-Touch Attribution, and the roughly 62 clicks on average a car shopper takes from first click to close, you’ll quickly realize what’s truly influencing that sale should be weighted in your marketing strategy.

Mistake #4: You’re Only Investing Where It’s Easy to Measure 

The biggest pitfall often lies in gravitating toward the obvious. And it’s tempting to double down on the channels that deliver quick, trackable results. But when you focus only on what’s easy to measure (or worse, vanity metrics), you risk ignoring the hidden drivers that actually move shoppers along their journey. 

The Blindspot: 

When budgets tighten, high-cost channels that don’t “show” results often get cut. But those same channels may be doing the heavy lifting early in the journey. That’s like benching your best player because they didn’t score the last goal.  

What You Can Do Next: 

• Take the time to re-evaluate your media mix using MTA insights. 

• Prioritize channels that influence early and mid-funnel behavior, even if they don’t close the sale. 

Remember: The most valuable touchpoints aren’t always the most visible. Don’t let outdated or short-term metrics steer long-term strategy.  

For the Road Forward 

If you’re only tracking what happens right before the sale, you’re missing out on what really brings customers in. Multi-Touch Attribution and smarter analytics help you see the full journey – and invest in what’s actually working.  

Because in today’s market, clarity isn’t just helpful. It’s a competitive advantage. 

At Autotrader, we help you uncover the influence behind the sale – whether it’s a click, a view, or a moment of consideration that never shows up in your CRM. With 7 out of 10 shoppers visiting Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, we’re where the journey begins. And with the power of MTA, we help you follow it all the way to the sale. 

Let’s move beyond assumptions and start measuring what matters. The data is there. Now it’s time to use it. 

See the Cox Automotive + Perficient Whitepaper 

See and download the full findings on how to improve your marketing strategy 

Sourcing: 

This data set, containing over 1.18 million sales, forms the basis for all multi-touch attribution insights presented in this whitepaper. Insights were developed using Clarivoy’s platform and proprietary analysis of this data set. For more information on the Clarivoy data, see the “Sources” section at the end of this whitepaper. 

Michael Cribbs, Lead Performance Manager 
Adrian Lui, Senior Product Consultant 

Service Multimedia Pro is a new add-on for Xtime Inspect that allows technicians to enhance their recommendations within the multi-point inspection by sharing high-resolution media including photos and videos.  

When a technician can describe their inspection using video and show customers photos and video of the worn or damaged parts they find, the result is faster ASR approvals. 

We recently demonstrated key features during our 2025 Fixed Ops Focus Series: Service Multimedia Pro webinar. We’re covering some of the tips and highlights from that session here. 

How Service Multimedia Pro Works 

Using the current version of the Xtime Mobile App on an Android or Apple device, a technician can take photos and record video that will be stored on the Xtime cloud server – not on the device. The app lets a technician click on a service within a given RO number to begin adding photos and videos. They have the option to use their camera to take a photo or record video (forward facing or front facing). The technician can also browse already recorded media in a media gallery or record an audio file. 

Some useful camera features include: 

• An HD button to change resolution.  

• The ability to click the camera button while recording a video to take still pictures.  

• Video pausing, so the technician can change locations on the car and pick up the recording from there.  

• One-hand zooming. 

Here are some recommended best practices for your videos: 

• Keep the length to 60 seconds or less  

• Lead with the license plate to catch the customer’s attention  

• Stay short and concise with the technician’s voiceover 

Powerful Editing Features 

Once a technician has taken photos and videos, there are numerous editing options which are generally handled by the advisor. 

Here are some of the ways to edit and enhance photos: 

• Crop photos or draw on the image with, for example, a circle or arrow to call attention to what you want the customer to look at. 

• Add a text box to the image and write a useful label or caption.  

• Move image elements around and scale them up and down in size. 

Video editing options include: 

• Disabling background noise 

• Trimming the video length 

• Adjusting the sound volume 

• Rotating the video orientation (horizontal or vertical), as needed.  

The advisor can also review and edit the video subtitles to make sure they match what the tech was saying. 

Once all the edits are complete, the advisor can add up to 10 total photos and videos per ASR. In your dashboard view, there will be a media icon in the service recommendation line that can be clicked to show the pictures and video associated with that ASR.  

Customization Options 

To reinforce dealership branding, dealerships have the option to automatically add a logo to images and videos. Your admin can find the relevant setting in the Xtime Schedule configure portal under Applications and Media. That’s also where you can add an introductory video to send to your customers with every video.  

Now Just Text or Email 

Using the opt-in communication method on file for the customer, the service advisor can send the ASR via text or email and include all high-res multimedia files. This is where it all pays off! Getting a close look at the vehicle’s condition and hearing what the technician has to say speeds up approvals to as fast as 7 minutes.* 

Measuring Performance 

Service Multimedia Pro includes a real-time performance dashboard for management to monitor throughout the day as repair orders move through the shop. Key performance indicators include total ROs, percentage of ROs with videos, number of inspection videos not viewed, hours sold, average RO upsell achieved, and percentage of online quotes sent to customers.  

Dashboard users can filter each column in the report by what you’re looking for and drag to rearrange the columns however you like. This real-time dashboard can be viewed by individual service department or there’s an option to view it at the dealer group level. 

There’s also a month-to-date performance scoring dashboard to show how the advisors and technicians are doing with the process of taking and sharing media. The scores are based on video utilization rate, value of services recommended, and hours sold. You can customize how each activity is weighted to align with your service department’s goals. 

Ready to add Service Multimedia Pro? 

If you’d like to build trust and transparency while generating faster approvals, contact your Performance Manager. Not an Xtime customer yet? Schedule a demo to see how Xtime solutions, including Service Multimedia Pro, can elevate your service experience. 

*Based on median approval time for dealers using Xtime Inspect and Enhanced Multi-Media, August 2023 – July 2024. 

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.