Gumtree Automotive is introducing big changes to ensure that a smoother user experience for both prospective car buyers as well as the thousands of professional sellers that already make use of the site’s ad management dashboard.
“Since the introduction of the Gumtree Automotive Inventory Tool last year, thousands of professional sellers, including dealerships and brokers, have been logging their inventory on the site,” says Jeff Osborne, head of Gumtree Automotive. “The experience on Gumtree for the professional seller is already top-of-the-line as they can manage their stock, view real-time reports and monitor lead management. They are also able to use graphic overlays to add to their existing brand presence.”
The reporting tool has also become even more sophisticated, says Osborne, with the introduction of a Vehicle Audit Log Reporting Tool, which enables a dealership to view the entire history (with all interactions) for a specific ad. The site also hopes to introduce Telephonic Lead Tracking over the next few weeks to make sure that dealerships gain comprehensive insights into the effectivity of their advertising.
Osborne says that the second stage of development focused on improving the experience for users. “We want cars to be as easy to find as possible, particularly seeing as we have such high volumes of stock being uploaded. We’ve introduced a “sort by price” feature for users, as well as mechanisms for quick replies so that users can respond to numerous sellers in seconds. In addition, we have customer service agents working around the clock to monitor the vertical and ensure that our customers have the best possible experience.”
As consumers can view items according to cost, rather than the date uploaded, it should make it easier to spot the car you want (and can afford).
Osborne says that the presence of dealers on the site has added immense value to the site for car buyers. “Private deals remain popular, but rarely offer service plans and financing, which dealerships do. Gumtree has always been associated with good deals and value for money, and dealerships are staying true to that in terms of the inventory they are uploading. You can find amazing deals and specials on the site, from both dealerships and private sellers.”
Professional sellers can upload two ads for free and purchase additional individual ads or obtain bundles from as little as R1 000. Subscription can be scaled up or down as needed. This is on a month-to-month basis with no contractual lock-in.