The way you advertise new vehicles on Auto Trader is changing
The new car landscape has evolved. Supply constraints over the past couple of years have led to a well-publicised increase in lead times. Now, 79% of buyers are looking to purchase a car in the next 6 months* and 69% have said it's important to have sight of a new cars availability before choosing to visit a retailer*.
Since launching the new car and van solution in 2018 we have continuously been making enhancements to keep up with changing consumer expectations. We remain committed to delivering the best new vehicle retailing experience possible for retailers and buyers.
What’s changing?
Advertise both In-Stock and Due-In vehicles
Customers are now seeking clarity when it comes to the date their new vehicle will be available. Meeting these expectations and providing full transparency and assurance to your buyers is key.
From 17th April, as well as being able to advertise vehicles which are currently in-stock on your forecourt, you will be able to list vehicles that will be with you within the next 6 months.
This availability will then be reflected within your new vehicle adverts, either listed as ‘Available now’ or ‘Available month’ - based on the information in your stock feed*.
How the change will work
The 'available' date will be taken directly from the due-in date in your stock feed or API, if used. We have notified third parties of this change, and this functionality will be available from 17th April where the third party has completed the necessary changes. The functionality to add or amend the ‘available’ date will be fully available within Portal from 17th April.
Please reach out to your third-party partner if you believe you do not have this functionality enabled.
Continuing the evolution of our New Car and Van solution
This latest change is part of a constant evolution of our new car and van offering. Since we launched the ability for retailers to advertise new vehicles in 2018, we’ve continued to improve the product to keep meeting the needs of retailers, brands and buyers alike. Here’s a reminder of how we’ve improved the offering:
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We introduced OEM stock feeds to help you quickly and easily create accurate, high-quality adverts. We now have 18 brands sending us stock feeds. You also have access to Portal’s intuitive New Car stock tool.
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We added the ability for you to promote your own finance deals, using data from captive finance houses. Over 80% of new cars are bought on finance* and potential buyers can now see how affordable a brand-new car can be by tailoring the term, mileage, and deposit to suit their needs with finance options.
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Auto-generated images were made available for due-in stock that hasn’t yet reached your forecourt and vehicles that have no images yet. We also enabled you to Integrate your third-party image providers to make creating ads more efficient.
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You now reach more buyers with higher-quality advertising. Adverts packed with advertising best practice now generate better response. This can be boosted by PPC campaigns, now available on your new car adverts.
Increasing flexibility with package changes
From 1st August 2023, we will be updating the way you pay to advertise new stock to give you more flexibility and control.
Our new rate card will allow you to tailor your advertising to your needs, which gives you more flexibility when listing new cars.
We will work with you between now and August to agree upon an advertising package which is right for you and your new car or van advertising needs.
If you'd like to discuss any of the changes in more detail, please contact your account manager.
Upcoming Webinar: New Car in focus
Join us as we’ll be covering these latest product changes plus an update on the new car market on our upcoming webinar: Register now