FROM CLICK TO CAR SALE: THE MARKETING MEASUREMENT WHITEPAPER
To see what's really driving car sales, Cox Automotive commissioned Perficient to independently conduct a whitepaper. The goal? To uncover smarter marketing measurement, find new ways to help dealers protect spend and to get to the bottom of what's truly working in today's times to gain ROI and market share. See below the top takeaways and key findings.
FINDINGS CONCLUDED THERE IS A SMARTER WAY FORWARD:
Use Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) to capture the complete shopper journey.
Apply the Weighted Engagement Formula (WEF) to evaluate engagement by conversion potential.
Shift from lead volume to ROI-driven metrics that reflect real sales impact.
#1: YOU'RE NOT SEEING OR MEASURING WHAT MATTERS
92%
One of the most significant findings was that 92% of auto sales never show up correctly identified in the average dealer’s CRM. That’s not a glitch—it’s a blind spot. And it’s costing dealers real revenue.
Data showed out of 875,000 shoppers, most buyers never filled out a form, made a call, or started a chat. But they still bought a car. of auto sales not AVERAGE BLIND SPOT traceable in CRM
ACTIONS TO TAKE:
• It's time to switch away from first and last touch attribution.
• Start using Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) to identify which marketing efforts lead to high-value shopper engagement.
"My best advice to dealers who want to sharpen their marketing game is to start by knowing your strategy and where your money's is actually going. It’s not just about leads anymore. Look at total engagement and shopper activity to make smarter decisions and stay ahead of the competition. Know it! Build it! and OWN what's yours!"
VANESSA LYNCH SENIOR STRATEGIC SALES MANAGER - AUTOTRADER
#2: YOU'RE MOST LIKELY ONLYTRACKING 2 OUT OF 62 TOUCHPOINTS
The data showed TODAYS AVERAGE CAR BUYER HAS TOUCHPOINTS on the path to purchase - but the average dealer ONLY TRACKS 2.
First and last touch attribution ignores the full journey. That’s like watching the first and final plays of a game and thinking you understand how it was won.
With today’s car buyers engaging in an average of 62 touchpoints across multiple channels before making a purchase, if you’re only measuring the first or last touch, you’re not only missing the full story, but the real drivers of your sales.
ACTIONS TO TAKE:
• Adopt Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA) to get a full picture of the path to purchase and see which of your marketing efforts are truly influencing their decision.
• Re-evaluate which channels are truly moving the needle in each rooftop - what's working in one area might yield different results in another.
"Using MTA, instead of a shotgun approach, I'm able to hone in and see the websites shoppers are going to - so I'm able to put my marketing money to use in a good way."
JACOB SOBERS
GENERAL MANAGER - YOUNG CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM LAYTON
Cost Per Lead (CPL) rewards volume, not value. It can lead you to over-invest in cheap leads that don't convert - and under-invest in channels that are actually selling your cars.
#3: IF YOU'RE STILL MEASURING ROI BY COST PER LEAD (CPL)THAT METRIC MAY BE COSTING YOU MORE THAN YOU THINK. VISIBILITY
ACTIONS TO TAKE:
• Use the Weighted Engagement Formula to measure quality and what's actually working in your marketing efforts, giving more weight to what is driving deals more likely to close.
• Shift your focus from what's filling your inbox to what is truly driving ROI and a profit.
DATA SHOWED AUTOTRADER INFLUENCED 55% OF SALES IN 2024.
- only 21% were credited with single touch tracking.
"Because at the end of the day, a stack of leads is not going to pay the bills at your dealership. But a stack of deals is."
JADE TERREBERRY SENIOR DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC PLANNING - AUTOTRADER & KELLEY BLUE BOOK
#4: MEASURE INFLUENCE OR YOU'RE UNDERESTIMATING YOUR ROI
Shoppers are making decisions without contacting you. Nearly half of all car buyers – 48% – start their journey on a marketplace. Only 14% begin on a dealer website.
If you're not measuring influence, and taking it into consideration when it comes to building a marketing strategy, you’re underestimating your ROI and missing where the journey really begins.
1IN3 Car sales happened WITHOUT A LEAD
ACTIONS TO TAKE:
• Identify which marketing efforts lead to high-value engagements - so you can turn the dial up on being where the shoppers are.
• Allocate budget based on what's actually driving sales. - not just what's easy to track. – not just what’s easy to track.
4 THINGS EVERY DEALER SHOULD DO BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THIS WHITEPAPER:
1. Identify which marketing efforts lead to high-value shopper engagement.
2. Move beyond CPL with more accurate, ROI-driven performance metrics.
3. Evaluate those engagements based on their likelihood to convert.
4. Allocate budget based on what actually drives profit – not just leads.
Learn how to connect the dots between marketing activity, shopper engagement, and real sales outcomes
