OfferUp Helps Auto Dealers Find Success with Millions of Car Buyers Across the Nation - AutoSuccessOnline

OfferUp Helps Auto Dealers Find Success with Millions of Car Buyers Across the Nation

By signing up with the OfferUp Automotive Dealer Program, dealers get access to a suite of tools to procure quality leads from the company’s marketplace, which facilitates millions of car sales every year.

OfferUp is a mobile-first marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S. — with more than 80 million app downloads. The company makes it easy to buy and sell anything directly from your phone.

Sellers can simply upload a photo and a description to post something for sale. Buyers can browse or search local inventory and communicate instantly with sellers through secure chat messages in the app. People use OfferUp to sell things big and small, including furniture, clothes, collectibles and cars. 

In fact, based on the millions of transactions we saw last year, we estimate that 10% of used car sales in the U.S. in 2018 were sold through OfferUp and statistics show more than 30% of cars sold on OfferUp sell within two days, and more than 50%  sell within a week. In addition to providing dealer-focused tools, the program helps buyers find the best deals nearby and connect with independent sellers and dealers instantly. 

The company launched OfferUp Autos in 2018 to reduce the friction in the car buying and selling process by making it easier for customers to browse local inventory, and for sellers to post their listing for free. As a result, thousands of independent and franchise dealers around the country are now using OfferUp to reach more customers in their markets. They’re using our dealer-designed tools to easily manage their inventory on OfferUp, promote their listings, and connect instantly and directly with committed buyers in their area.

By signing up with the OfferUp Automotive Dealer Program, dealers get access to a suite of tools to procure quality leads from OfferUp’s marketplace, which facilitates millions of car sales every year.

Every dealer in the program gets a verified dealer profile and tools enabling them to:

  • List their vehicle inventory feed automatically from their DMS provider
  • Increase their visibility through advanced advertising solutions
  • Streamline communication with prospects including Click-to-Call, the Top Lead Indicator, and other dealer-exclusive features
  • Communicate with interested buyers quickly and easily using chat 

These tools make it easier for you to post your inventory on the OfferUp marketplace. And the data the company gathers from its marketplace makes it easier for you to find active buyers in your neighborhood. 

Here are two examples of how OfferUp Autos makes the local car selling experience easier for you.  

Dealers today have several sources to generate leads, but often do not have data telling them if a potential buyer is a casual browser or a more engaged and serious buyer. 

The Top Lead Indicator identifies engaged buyers based on their shopping behavior. 

  • It alerts dealers if an interested customer has been searching for cars in the price range and specifications of what they have on their lot. If a shopper searches for compact cars in the $10K price range, and their shopping behavior closely matches those of actual buyers, OfferUp’s algorithm will inform dealers whether their car and the buyer are a good fit. Dealers in the program can check out the feature by looking for the “active buyer” tag on messages in their sales inbox on the OfferUp app and website. 

Chat makes it easier than ever to answer incoming inquiries quickly. More consumers are moving toward using chat as their preferred way of communicating with businesses. According to a recent national survey, more than half of all Americans prefer to message rather than call a business, and six out of 10 reported an increase in their business messaging.

  • Data gathered from the OfferUp dealer network demonstrates how you can use chat technology to help you keep more leads. Data shows that many dealers are underestimating the value of being responsive in chat. Dealers who respond to leads within one minute enjoy high lead retention, however dealers who take over an hour to respond lose 25% of their leads and the remaining leads’ response time drops drastically. Dealers that wait longer than 24 hours to respond will on average lose 77% of their leads. 

What can you do about this? There are several key things dealers should implement to take advantage of their chat features: 

  • Assign a dedicated chat leads manager to make sure inbound chats to your team are answered and assigned in a timely manner
  • Make good first impressions by being helpful and courteous when responding to inquiries.
  • Be upfront and set expectations if you don’t immediately have an answer to a question. Let the customer know that you will get back to them shortly.  
  • Track your response rates and make improvements as necessary.

Links:
OfferUp

You May Also Like

Vero, Privacy4Cars Partner on Identi-FI, Identity Theft Protection

Auto dealers within the Identi-FI program will be able to offer Vero’s suite of identity theft tools to customers as a revenue-generating service add-on during the sales process.

Vero announced an exclusive partnership with Privacy4Cars to offer Identi-FI, a full-circle solution that protects against personal data abuses by providing peace-of-mind vehicle data deletion and ID theft recovery.

The solution pairs Privacy4Cars' patented AutoCleared and Vehicle Privacy Report tools with Vero's 3-Generation Fully Managed Recovery (FMR), providing a comprehensive solution that is available now as a membership subscription to qualified auto dealers and distributors.

JM Family Enterprises Names President & COO

As president and COO, Chait will be responsible for all company operations within JM Family, working closely with the senior leadership team to execute on company strategies and drive key initiatives. 

Cars.com 2024 Dealer of the Year Awards

The awards recognize the best local car-shopping experiences across America.

Holmes Honda in Shreveport Receives 16th President’s Award

The President’s Award recognizes superior achievement in customer satisfaction, new-car-unit sales volume and business management.

Tim Lamb Group Brokers Sale of Foothills Lincoln Mazda

The Spokane, Washington, dealership has been rebranded but will be keep all existing Foothills team members at their current seniority.

Other Posts

Service Satisfaction Improves but Appointment Wait Times Continue to Grow, J.D. Power Finds  

According to the study, dealers continue to grapple with parts and labor shortages that are fueling longer wait times for appointments.

700Credit Integrates with One View

This integration will allow dealerships to store sensitive consumer information including credit reports and required compliance documentation through a secure integration into the digital deal jacket.

WarrCloud Study: Cost of Processing Auto Warranty Claims Increases by 28%

The study examined current practices surrounding warranty claims, human resource allocations, and the mechanisms of tracking and streamlining service department costs.

Solifi Launches 2024 Global Leasing Report

The report details insights about the world’s top 50 leasing markets.