Cars.com Launches VideoShowcase to Help Dealers Close More Sales With Comprehensive Merchandising Capabilities
CHICAGO--(Business Wire)--
Cars.com (www.cars.com) announced today the availability of
VideoShowcase to help dealers better merchandise their inventory and
strengthen their store branding. The innovative new product allows
dealers to enhance their internet advertising by fully demonstrating
their vehicles' features and condition.
"Very often, the sale is in the details," said Dennis Galbraith,
vice president of dealer products and operations at Cars.com. "With
competition online intensifying, VideoShowcase helps dealers stand out
from the crowd and encourages prospects to spend more time with their
listings. As shoppers gain confidence they've found the right car and
the right dealer, they're more likely to take the next step toward a
purchase."
VideoShowcase allows dealers to combine video with voice-over
narration to tell the story for each new and used car they have in
inventory. Graphical links on vehicle details and search results pages
identify Cars.com listings that include video. They also create
additional visibility for dealers' ads and increase the likelihood
that car shoppers will click on them.
Industry studies indicate that dealer adoption of video will grow
significantly during the next few years, particularly given its early
success. A 2007 study by the Kelsey Group, for example, found that 55
percent of consumers visited a business' website after watching an
online video advertisement. Of those visitors, 30 percent went to the
company's store, and 24 percent made a purchase.
"It adds depth," said Wayne Ussery, internet marketing director
for Atlanta-based Jim Ellis Automotive Dealerships (www.jimellis.com).
"There is a parallel that shows if the car was sold, the video was
viewed."
Ussery said he began using video with vehicles advertised on his
nine stores' websites in 2006. A year later, he expanded the
initiative to include his listings on Cars.com and other third-party
shopping sites. Monthly page views, Ussery said, have since doubled.
Cars.com accepts VideoShowcase data feeds from the leading
inventory services providers and can work with most dealers' preferred
vendor. Providers for dealers already using VideoShowcase include
Dealer Specialties, Digital Media Communications, Liquidus, SiSTeR
Technologies and UnityWorks! Media.
About Cars.com
Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers,
offering credible and easy-to-understand information from consumers
and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to
buy, and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing
information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos,
unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new and used car
inventory, Cars.com puts more than 8 million unique visitors who log
on to the site each month in control of their shopping process with
the information they need to make confident buying decisions.
Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified
Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including
Belo (NYSE:BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), The McClatchy Company
(NYSE:MNI), Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB) and The Washington Post Company
(NYSE:WPO).
Cars.com
Brian R. Hannan
312.601.5519 (direct)
312.218.0788 (mobile)
bhannan@cars.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
