First international launch of car-shopping brand trusted for online transparency
Autotrader has made its first international launch in Australia, empowering car buyers and dealers in a rapidly changing automotive marketplace at autotrader.com.au. In the United States, this Cox Automotive brand is the leading third-party car-shopping website. Autotrader is an authority on automotive consumer insights and an expert in online and mobile marketing. It provides comprehensive solutions to consumers and car dealers that connect the online and in-store shopping experience. Autotrader joins other Cox Automotive brands in Australia: Dealer Solutions, Manheim, RMS, Sell My Car, Xtime, and CarsGuide.
CarsGuide, which became part of the Cox Automotive family in 2016, is a powerhouse editorial site in Australia for researching information about cars. However, Autotrader Australia is a distinctly separate site from this sister brand, with an emphasis on bringing trust and transparency to the marketplace for those ready to pull the trigger to buy. Through Autotrader Australia, car buyers now have access to more dealer information—like photos, videos, staff contacts, and social media links—and actual customer reviews. What’s more, Autotrader Australia includes Kelley Blue Book, an independent and unbiased valuation source for Australian vehicles. Kelley Blue Book incorporates supply and demand, regional variations, and more to clearly show Australian consumers what a good deal would be. And the Kelly Blue Book Price Advisor feature shows where prices fall in the Fair Market Range with real comparable vehicles and pricing explanations.
Autrotrader Australia is a leap forward for car dealers, too. It lets them elevate their value proposition as well as their inventory. In addition to being able to feature their business information, personnel, and services, dealers can also brand search results to stay front of mind with shoppers. Dealers can now easily market their entire business—in addition to the cars they sell. This solution is providing much-needed clarity to consumers and value to dealers.
“There’s an information gap in our market,” explains Thomas Jung, Head of Autotrader Australia. “Autotrader is filling that need by empowering consumers and dealers to make the best choices, allowing both parties to win.”
Autotrader.com.au was completely re-envisioned and built from the ground up for the Australian market using engineers, product managers, and marketers based in Sydney. This local team worked in consultation with a global team of data scientists, information architects, engineers, and valuation experts. To tailor the Autotrader Australia experience, local specialists tapped insights from on-the-ground dealers and consumers to create a product relevant to the market that aligns with the latest trends on how people want to buy and sell.
The new site uses the latest technologies and enables Autotrader Australia to bring additional features to market faster than ever before. Upcoming functionality will include a new set of tools for consumers to sell their cars, more options for dealers to promote their business online, and innovations to bring more transparency to the buying process. This modern and complete digital experience is geared to generate more opportunities for dealers to connect with local, ready-to-buy shoppers. So, while the Autotrader Australia site launch is new, the platform is primed to rapidly deliver ongoing enhancements.
“It’s a long-term project,” says Jung. “We will continue to work with consumers and dealers to find new ways of making the buying process as efficient and transparent as possible.”
Cox Automotive solutions make buying and selling cars easier for everyone. Autotrader Australia is an example of the creativity, local expertise, and IT savvy synthesized to exceed customers’ increasingly sophisticated expectations and boost dealer sales in international markets.